Now in Mechanisms, Systems & Devices
Managing Friction
While there is a lot of technology available to engineers for controlling friction and wear, leading tribologists say friction and wear are complex and not fully understood. One highly regarded engineering professor maintains that good mechanical design related to friction starts with practicality. He advocates a few simple guidelines, including: “Prefer pivots to slides, and flexures to either.”
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Knowledgebase
English clockmaker John Harrison spent a lifetime trying to develop a timepiece that would help determine longitude at sea. He had to defy the establishment, fight to collect a huge prize offered by Parliament, and wait for decades before receiving the recognition he deserved.
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Knowledgebase
The article gives an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of coiled wire compared to machined springs for common applications. In particular it looks at the compression and extension capabilities of both devices and relates it to their achievable accuracy and precision. Additionally, it compares common spring-based specifications, such as bending and lateral translation, together with buckling and torsional forces.
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Groups
Comprised of seven Divisions concerned with the application of basic engineering principles in systems and design.
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