Designing with non-metal materials

Lecturer: Vukašinovič Nikola, Pepelnjak Tomaž

Syllabus outline:

• Basic non-metal material processing and manufacturing technologies: wood, polymers, composites, ceramic.
• Engineering foundations of polymers and composites: viscoelasticity, adhesiveness, damping, tribology and conductivity.
• This is followed by a discussion of characteristic forms of machine elements and assemblies, made of non-metal materials.
• Plastic parts design rules, rib design, cold joints, shrinkage, quality limitations.
• Material joints: film joints, separable joints, welding of plastic, screw-in plastic, metal inserts.
• Inseparable joints. Snap fit design. Functions and calculations.
• Properties of symmetric and asymmetric beams.
• Shafts bindings and polymer bearings. Polymer gears.
• Injection moulding tool design.
• Sustainable product design from polymers.
• Engineering ceramic.

Objectives and competences:

Goals: To teach the students about designing typical elements from non-metal materials. Learning about the influence of the processing and manufacturing technologies on the design of a structural element. Understanding the manufacturability of detailed product designs. The calculation methods for typical structural elements: materials joints, inseparable joints, positioning elements, springs, folding elements and complex shapes.
Competences: The students are first acquainted with typical processing and manufacturing technologies. After that, they can commence the design of loaded products. They are able to determine the stress states in characteristic structural elements: materials joints, inseparable joints, positioning elements, springs, folding elements and complex shapes.

Intended learning outcomes:

Knowledge and understanding: The students obtain the fundamental knowledge for sizing typical polymeric machine elements and assemblies. They are able to understand the relations between the processing and manufacturing technology and the final product form, based on the design characteristics.
Usage: Direct use in the planning and execution of details in the scope of design and planning.
Reflection: In the phase of preparation for the execution of any project or design, it is important that all the data is prepared to reasonably ensure the quality of planning and design of products made of polymeric, or generally non-metal materials.
Transferrable skills: The students attain the ability to size elements and complex products made of non-metal materials. The purpose of the course is to ensure a comprehensive understanding of product design from manufacturing to testing.