Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge – the world’s longest
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge opening was seen as a massive political coup for China. The political tensions between Hong Kong, Macau and China have unfortunately
Category: Mechanical Engineering
Reverse Engineering Definition & Explanation
Reverse engineering, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is ‘the activity of studying the parts of something to see how it was made and how
Yield Strength For Boneheads
Imagine pulling a rubber band with both hands, in opposite directions. The rubber band is elastic and expands. Beyond a certain point, however, when the
A guide to common hydraulic symbols
A hydraulic circuit represents all the hydraulic components in a system. This includes the arrangement of the components and the behavior of the system as a
IP Ratings – A Guide to IEC 60529 / EN 60529 Ingress Protection Ratings
Any mechanical design engineer who designs enclosures MUST have a firm grasp of IP ratings. IP stands for “Ingress Protection” and is a standard protection
MMPDS – A Guide to “Metallic Materials Properties Development Standardization”
Farmers have The Old Farmer’s Almanac and parents have the famous book Baby and Childcare. Have you ever wondered what the ‘Bible’ of aircraft engineering
Top 10 Great Engineering Feats
The world of engineering has created some amazing feats over the years some of which are fairly recent while others go back hundreds of years.
A Basic, Idiot’s Guide to Fluid Mechanics …and its role in our lives
Fluid collectively represents liquid and gas, and the study of the movement (flow) of fluid is known as “Fluid Mechanics”. This is one of the
Underwater Welding 101: Read this and be an expert in 5 minutes!
The idea of welding underwater seems bizarre in the extreme. From a very early age we are taught never to mix electricity and water. However,
5 Engineering Bodges that Ended in Disaster
Seriously, you won’t believe some of these mechanical engineering bodges. You’ll be intrigued, flabbergasted and horrified in equal measures at these bodges that ended in
How does a Harmonic Drive work? Why are they used?
The harmonic drive is a type of gear arrangement often referred to as a strain wave gear because of the way it works. It is
How does a Centrifugal Clutch work? What are the pros and cons?
The centrifugal clutch is a clutch that bases its operation on the principle of centrifugal force generation. It is generally considered one of the smoothest
Lift Equation – fully explained and simplified for beginners
It has been observed that most aircraft accidents occur during the take-off or landing phase of the flight. Lift is a major part of takeoff.
55 types of hammers – the ultimate guide (updated for 2018)
This post was originally published in October 2016, and has been updated for freshness, accuracy and comprehensiveness. When we use the term “hammer” we all
Drill size chart – inch and metric | Downloadable PDF
Every drill size chart you’ll ever need is in this article! No more scratching your head wondering which gauge relates to which size or how
French drain design and cost, including pipe, gravel and installation
Since the days of the caveman we have seen the emergence of simple drainage systems. Used as means to reduce flood dangers or improve irrigation
What is a Profilometer and why is it used?
A profilometer is a highly specialised meteorological measurement device that is used for the determination of the roughness of a surface. As a measurement instrument,
Compression Springs – Types, calculations and more
Compression springs are mechanical devices that are specifically designed to be induced to axial compression loads. They can usually also be extended as well as
Planetary Gears – a masterclass for mechanical engineers
I don’t think there is a mechanical engineer out there who doesn’t have a soft spot for gears. There’s just something about spinning bits of
Types of Gears – a guide to 11 important types you must know
Many people might not be aware but there is a whole range of different types of gears on the market today. Every mechanical engineer must
The 10 Commandments of Mechanical Design
Whether you’re a seasoned engineer or a wet-behind-the-ears novice, there are some immutable laws that must be followed to produce a good mechanical design. If
3 Things You Don’t Know About Aerodynamics
If your answer to the above questions is “NO”, then consider yourself lucky. You are in for a treat today. In this article we will
A Guide to Rebar Sizes – an overview of steel reinforcement bars
Steel reinforcing bar, or rebar, is used to reinforce concrete in building work. It can be a complicated area of construction to navigate if you’re
Why did the Urdaneta Bridge collapse in 1964?
Named after a Venezuelan war hero, the General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge is situated in western Venezuela. It connects Maracaibo with the rest of the country,
Riccardo Morandi – Profile of a revolutionary bridge designer
Born on 1 September 1902, Riccardo Morandi is very much in the news even though he passed away on 25 December 1989. Renowned as a
Genoa Bridge collapse 2018 – how did it happen, could it have been avoided?
On 14th August 2018 the Morandi Bridge (Ponte Morandi) in Genoa collapsed with initial fears that more than 30 people lost their lives. As you
The 7 Deadly Sins of Mechanical Design
Have you got your tablet of stone and hammer and chisel at the ready? Ok, so these are the 7 deadly sins, not the 10
2-Way Manual Ball Valve – Basic Principles
A ball valve is a quarter turn valve that can control the flow of a gas or liquid through a hollow pivoting ball, as seen
Main Parts of a Bridge – Explained
What are the main parts of a bridge? Many of us use bridges everyday, but have you ever stopped to consider what makes up the
Specifying tap drill diameters – good practice or micromanagement?
It’s a good thing that engineers don’t have to actually build the ivory towers that they live in. Otherwise, there might be far fewer surviving
How a SAFE is Designed (Part 1: Ingenious Engineering Against Attack)
A safe is a safe, is a safe, right? It’s just a big metal box? Actually. nothing could be further from the truth – the
Pipe Size Chart & Common Pipe Schedule Chart
Pipes are extensively used in mechanical engineering, from the Oil & Gas industry and their offshore rigs to the more simplistic home tap water networks,
Designing and building the Queensferry Crossing
When officially opened by the Queen on 4 September 2017 the total duration of the Queensferry Crossing project was a decade from the initial idea
The basic mechanics of Toggle Clamps
I’ve always been fascinated by mechanisms that use some kind of geometric ‘trick’ to accomplish a task. A prime example of such a mechanism are
Reynolds Number Calculator and Formula (Equation)
Below is a handy Reynolds Number Calculator. The Reynolds number (Re) is a dimensionless quantity that is used to determine what type of fluid flow to
Crap Design: The USB
What is worse than a bad design? A crap design that stays around for fifteen years over a wide variety of updates, upgrades, and changes.
Vickers Hardness Test: What it is and how it’s measured
How often have you wondered if a material you need for your project is hard enough for its intended purpose? Hardness is a critical property
What is a Good Mechanical Design?
When it comes to judging a good mechanical design, there is a fine line between resonating with the artistic aspect and assessing the practical one.
Auto Tuning Part 2: Suspension Elements
This is a continuation of an earlier article entitled “Auto Tuning Part 1: Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics” where we began an in-depth look at the
