2.75 | Fall 2001 | Graduate

Precision Machine Design

Course Description

Intensive coverage of precision engineering theory, heuristics, and applications pertaining to the design of systems ranging from consumer products to machine tools. Topics covered include: economics, project management, and design philosophy; principles of accuracy, repeatability, and resolution; error budgeting; …
Intensive coverage of precision engineering theory, heuristics, and applications pertaining to the design of systems ranging from consumer products to machine tools. Topics covered include: economics, project management, and design philosophy; principles of accuracy, repeatability, and resolution; error budgeting; sensors; sensor mounting; systems design; bearings; actuators and transmissions; system integration driven by functional requirements, and operating physics. Emphasis on developing creative designs, which are optimized by analytical techniques applied via spreadsheets. This is a projects course with lectures consisting of design teams presenting their work and the class helping to develop solutions; thereby everyone learning from everyone’s projects.
Learning Resource Types
Lecture Notes
Projects
Design Assignments
Presentation Assignments
An illustration of a interlocking pipe sections.
An example of exact constraint using kinematic design, from the 2.75 lecture notes. (Image by Prof. Martin Culpepper.)