The Elements of Mechanical Design

From one of the authors of The Unwritten Laws of Engineering and The Unwritten Laws of Business, this concise and readable book is an excellent primer or refresher for any professional interested in the basic principles and practices of good mechanical design.

In this handy and unique volume the author uses his own experience, along with input from other expert designers, to explicitly state design principles and practices.  Readers will not have to discover these principles on their own and will be able to apply these fundamental concepts throughout their designs.

Preface
Acknowledgements

Part I : Elementary Rules of Mechanical Design
Chapter 1 : Create Design that are Explicitly Simple - Keep Complexity Intrinsic
Chapter 2 : Keep the Functions of a Design Independent from One Another
Chapter 3 : Use Exact Constraint when Designing Structures and Mechanisms - Never Overconstrain a Design
Chapter 4 : Plan the Load Path in Parts, Structures, and Assemblies
Chapter 5 : Triangulate Parts and Structures to Make them Stiffer
Chapter 6 : Avoid Bending Stresses. Prefer Tension and Compression
Chapter 7 : Improve Designs with Self-Help
Chapter 8 : Manage Friction in Mechanisms

Part II : Essentials of thought and Procedure in Mechanical Design
Chapter 9 : Use Three-Dimensional Solid Model Layouts to Find the Best Arrangement of Parts and Assemblies
Chapter 10 : Invert Geometry to Reveal New Solutions
Chapter 11 : Build Prototypes of Everything - But Not all at Once
Chapter 12 : Separate Strength from Stiffness - and Stiffness from Strength
Chapter 13 : Never Overlook Buckling Phenomena in Parts and Structures
Chapter 14 : Analyze and Test for Trends and Relationships
Chapter 15 : Identify Contingency Plans to Minimize Risks in Design

Part III : Some Practical Advice
Chapter 16 : Avoid Press Fits
Chapter 17 : Use Closed Sections or Three-Dimensional Bracing for Torsional Rigidity
Chapter 18 : When Designing Springs, use a Low Spring Rate and a High Initial Deflection
Chapter 19 : Minimize and Localize the Tolerance Path in Parts and Assemblies
Chapter 20 : Use Mechanical Amplification to Reduce Failures
Chapter 21 : Include Lead-Ins in Assembled Designs
Chapter 22 : Design Assemblies to be Self-Locating, Self-Fixturing, Self-Securing, Self-Aligning, Self-Adjusting
Chapter 23 : Use Self-Assembling Symmetry to Create a Whole from two Halves

Appendix A : Rules for Exact Constraint
Appendix B : Nesting Force Windows in Exact Constraint Design
Appendix C : Design for Assembly Rules
Appendix D : With Experience Comes Wisdom
Text Notes and References
Index