Engineering guides
Machine elements & mechanisms
The parts every machine is built from, with how they work, where they are used and the basic sums.
How gears work: types, gear ratios and applications
How gears transmit motion, the main gear types, the terms on a gear drawing, and how to calculate gear ratio, speed, torque and centre distance.4 min readBearings and shafts: how they carry loads and how to size them
What shafts and bearings do, the main bearing types, how parts are located on a shaft, and how to size a shaft and check a bearing's life with a worked example.5 min readKeys, couplings and fasteners: joining machine parts
How keys pass torque from a shaft to a hub, how couplings join two shafts, and how bolted joints work, with sizing calculations for a key and a bolt.5 min readSprings and clutches: storing energy and controlling drive
How springs store energy and how clutches connect and disconnect a drive, with the main types of each and worked calculations for spring rate, spring stress and clutch torque.5 min readBelt and chain drives: types, speed ratio and design
How belts and chains carry power between shafts, the main types of each, and how to calculate speed ratio, belt length, wrap angle and belt tensions.4 min readFour-bar mechanisms and cam-follower systems explained
How linkages and cams turn one motion into another: degrees of freedom, the Grashof rule, the slider-crank, cam and follower types and motion curves, with worked examples.5 min readNeed this designed or explained for your team?
We design parts and machines in CAD, make the drawings for manufacturing and train teams. Tell us what you are working on.