Elements of Mechanical Engineering

Unit – 1

Materials and Manufacturing Techniques

• Recent advances in Mechanical Engineering

• Role of Computer Aided Design
• Simulation and 3D printing
• Units and Measurements,
• Engineering materials and materials response,
• Basic Manufacturing processes,
• Conventional and non-conventional fabrication processes,

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 Role of Computer Aided Design (CAD)

CAD (computer-aided design) is the use of computer-based software to aid in design processes.

CAD software is frequently used by different types of engineers and designers.

CAD software be used to create two-dimensional (2-D) drawings or three-dimensional (3-D) models.

The purpose of CAD is to optimize and streamline the designer's workflow, increase productivity,
improve the quality and level of detail in the design, improve documentation communications and
often contribute toward a manufacturing design database.

CAD software outputs come in the form of electronic files, which are then used accordingly for
manufacturing processes.

CAD is often used in tandem with digitized manufacturing processes. CAD/CAM (computer-aided
design/computer-aided manufacturing) is software used to design products such as electronic circuit
boards in computers and other devices.
 Role of Computer Aided Design (CAD)

Who uses CAD?

Computer-aided design is used in a wide variety of professions. CAD software is used heavily within
various architecture, arts and engineering projects. CAD use cases are specific to industry and job
functions. Professions that use CAD tools include, but are not limited to:
• Architects
• Engineers
• City planners
• Graphic designers
• Animation illustrators
• Drafters
• Fashion designers
• Interior designers
 Role of Computer Aided Design (CAD)

CAD benefits:
Compared to traditional technical sketching and manual drafting, the use of CAD design tools can have
significant benefits for engineers and designers:
• Lower production costs for designs;
• Quicker project completion due to efficient workflow and design process;
• Changes can be made independent of other design details, without the need to completely re-do a
sketch;
• Higher quality designs with documentation (like angles, measurements, presets) built into the file;
• Clearer designs, better legibility and ease of interpretation by collaborators, as handmade
drawings are not as clear or detailed;
• Use of digital files can make collaborating with colleagues more simple; and
• Software features can support generative design, solid modeling, and other technical functions.
 Role of Computer Aided Design (CAD)

CAD software/tools:
A number of CAD tools exist to assist designers and engineers. Some CAD tools are tailored to fit
specific use cases and industries, such as industrial design or architecture. Other CAD software tools
can be used to support a variety of industries and project types. Some widely-used CAD tools are:

• MicroStation (offered by Bentley Systems)

• AutoCAD (offered by Autodesk)
• CorelCAD
• IronCAD
• CADTalk
• SolidWorks
• Onshape
 Simulation

Simulation is experimentation with a model.

The behavior of the model imitates some salient aspect of the behavior of the system under study and the user
experiments with the model to infer this behavior.

This general framework has proven a powerful adjunct to learning, problem solving, and design.

A model is an entity that is used to represent some other entity for some defined purpose.

In general, models are simplified abstractions, which embrace only the scope and level of detail needed to satisfy
specific study objectives.

Models are employed when investigation of the actual system is impractical or prohibitive. This might be because
direct investigation is expensive, slow, disruptive, unsafe, or even illegal. Indeed, models can be used to study
systems that exist only in concept.
 Simulation

Simulation is a particular approach to studying models, which is fundamentally experiential or experimental.

In principle, simulation is much like running field tests, except that the system of interest is replaced by a physical
or computational model.

Simulation involves creating a model which imitates the behaviors of interest; experimenting with the model to
generate observations of these behaviors; and attempting to understand, summarize, and/or generalize these
behaviors.

In many applications, simulation also involves testing and comparing alternative designs and validating,
explaining, and supporting simulation outcomes and study recommendations.

We might divide applications of simulation broadly into two categories.

The first includes so-called man-in-the-loop simulations used for training and/or entertainment.
 Simulation

Many professionals hone their skills and learn emergency procedures in simulated environments which are safe
from the consequences of inexperience and failure.

Pilots train in flight simulators in order to experience the cockpit of a particular aircraft; nuclear power-plant
operators routinely recertify in control-room simulators; physicians learn new procedures employing simulated
patients.

In the realm of entertainment, we have all played computer games that simulate everything from driving a train to
navigating the fanciful unrealities of virtual worlds. The emphasis here is experiential—learning (or just having
fun) by doing.

In many applications, simulation also involves testing and comparing alternative designs and validating,
explaining, and supporting simulation outcomes and study recommendations.
 Simulation

The second category includes the analysis and design of artifacts and processes.

This is the technical domain which engineers and operations researchers most commonly associate with
simulation.

Consider for example the design of a new air-craft. The Wright brothers invented the wind tunnel in order to
simulate aerodynamic phenomena using scale models.

Wind tunnel tests are still used to calibrate highly-complex aerodynamic computer simulations.

Simulation stands in contrast to analytical approaches to the solution of models.

In an analytical approach, the model is expressed as a set of equations that describe how the system state changes
over time.
 Simulation

We solve these equations using standard mathematical methods—algebra and calculus—to determine the
distribution of the state at any particular time.

The result is a general, closed-form solution, which gives the state at any time as a function of the initial state, the
input, and the model parameters.

When models can be solved analytically this is always the preferred approach. However, for complex systems
this is almost never the case.

Simulation Software:

AnyLogic MATLAB SimScale

Simul8 COMSOLE Multiphysics Simulink

Arena SimSolid Ansys SpaceClaim

And many more softwares…..