whatsWhat is a machine? Shape of machine parts and how to make them
Definition of a machine and its role
Machines that enrich our lives and support industry
Machines support our lives in a variety of situations
Machines are all around us and enrich our lives. By the way, what do we mean by "machines"?
There are many opinion on the definition of a machine in mechanical engineering, but we can summarize its characteristics as follows. We call it a "machine" something that has a mechanism for making physical movements in such ways when it works
Features of machines
- It has a structural body that firmly supports the components.
- It receives energy and iiesnformation from outside sources.
- It has a moving mechanism for converting and processing external energy and information.
- As a result of this conversion and processing, the necessary work is done.
”Machine” includes many components such as structural bodies, drive (power generation) elements (such as motors), power transmission mechanism elements (such as gears and belts), power control mechanisms (such as brakes and clutches), motion conversion mechanisms (such as links and screws), fastening mechanisms (such as bolts), control mechanisms (computers and sensors) and other elements.
As shown in the figure on the left, some machines are complex, such as automobiles that include all of these elements, while others are simple in structure, containing only some of the elements.
Basic shape surface elements that create the shape of a machine part
Basic surface elements are plane, cylindrical, specific, and arbitrary surface.
No matter how complex the shape of parts used in machines, they are made up of a combination of four surface elements as shown in the figure on the right: plane surface, cylindrical surface, and specific surface that play a functional role such as gears and screws, andas well as arbitrary surface such as freeform surfaces.
There are machine tools suitable for machining such shaped surfaces.
The following are examples of actual machine part shapes.
Three machining methods for making parts
Subtractive, Forming, and Additive manufacturing
Three different machining methods are used to make parts
A machine is composed of many parts. Currently, it is said that automobiles have approximately 30,000 parts, and in the case of passenger planes, 3 to 4 million parts.
These parts are made using three main methods: subtractive, forming, and additive manufacturing. There are special machines for each of these three processes.
