Mechanization is the application of equipment and machinery in order to maximize output and increase production. Mechanization has allowed humans to build better industries, and this industrialization in turn has spurred human progress. Industrial machines are one the founding pillars of industrialization, and building machines that are faster, economical and safer is an engineering task.
Design engineers create devices or systems to satisfy specific manufacturing needs. Mechanical devices typically involve moving parts that transmit power and accomplish specific patterns of motion. Several such mechanical devices comprise a mechanical system. However, designing machines for manufacturing is not an easy task. After the aims and objective to develop a machine have been identified, there is lot of engineering that goes into it. And a machine needs to work cohesively, so there is no point in working on it piecemeal. The ultimate objective of mechanical design is to produce a useful product that satisfies the needs of a customer and that is safe, efficient, reliable, economical, and practical to manufacture. It is the engineer's job to consider all these performance requirements of an individual element and of the interfaces between elements as they work cohesively to form a system, and come up with a solution that applies to the complete system or machine. For example, the purpose of a gear is to transfer motion and torque between components in machines. To transmit power at a given speed, the gear design parameters must include the number of teeth, pitch and pitch diameter, tooth form, face width, material, etc. as well as recommended processes like heat treatment, hardening, or whatever to ensure that it handles the task assigned to it properly. But the gear - or gear train – is only part of the entire system. The gear design also affects, and is affected by, the mating gear, the shaft carrying the gear, and the environment in which it is to operate. Furthermore, proper bearings are needed to ensure that it supports the shaft, and a snug housing must be in place for the bearings. And all this is just a part of the machine; as gears only transfer motion. The components where this motion is transferred need to work in tandem with the gear, and so on. Thus, the designer should keep the complete system in mind while designing each individual element. The task is further complicated due to newer requirements that are springing up. As we enter the age of IIoT, manufacturers not only want an increase in cycle speed and improve yields in machines - all the while producing parts with fewer defects - they also want their machines to take advantage of all the streaming data (Big Data) for analytics and predictive maintenance. So, the machine should also support sensors of all sorts.
Here are a few factors that affect the performance of an industrial machine:
Load bearing capacity
The load bearing capacity of an industrial machine is defined as the maximum allowable force that a machine can handle, without affecting its performance. Overloading a machine results in its failure.
Structural stability
In addition to functionality, industrial machinery has stringent structural requirements. Machines can undergo deflection, vibrations or deformation, and a good design must ensure that the machine is structurally sound. The machine should be rigid enough so that there is no deformation under specified limits. Else, there is a possibility of failure in the element and the machine. Engineers must manage and control stresses throughout the machine to avoid structural failures, all the while maintaining fine dimensional tolerances.
Wear resistance and lubrication
Any mechanical system that moves and has elements that engage with each other undergoes wear and tear of the parts. Proper design is imperative to minimize machine wear, as weakening of parts can result in the failure of the mechanical system. Lubrication is another aspect that should be properly addressed, as it reduces help friction between moving parts. Gears especially are susceptible to wear and tear due to improper lubrication.
Electromechanical efficiency
Today’s industry machinery is increasingly reliant on electromechanical equipment for motion and actuation. Proper sizing of electromechanical components helps eliminate under performance or over performance of the machine. While undersized components fail to power the machinery’s intended features, oversized motors, pumps, and other off-the-shelf components results in unnecessary power consumption.
Machine Heating
There are two ways a machine heats – one the electric motor that runs it can get heated, and two constant motion induces friction despite lubrication. This issue is more critical for machines that work for three shifts, and needs to be handled properly.
Software for Designing of Industrial Machinery
As mentioned earlier, the numerous factors that affect a machine’s performance make designing of an industrial machine a daunting task. Traditionally, engineers identify problem areas by performing complex manual calculations according to industry standards. But as machines grow more complex— carrying higher loads and using more electromechanically actuated components—these manual equations are proving to be inadequate. Luckily, advances in simulation and modelling software that leverage the growing computing power of computers, has come to the rescue of engineers. Engineers can use these tools to simulate the performance of a full-featured machine model quickly and easily. They can ensure that any abstractions won’t undermine analysis accuracy. Using simulation technologies, engineers can analyze large assemblies as they explore design alternatives to fully understand the implications of different design decisions. These tools provide the kind of insights that will reduce—or even eliminate—late-stage operations issues.
While there are software available commercially for simulation and modelling, one of the industry leaders in this field is Altair. Altair simulation and modelling software assists engineers come up with an optimal industrial machine design solution. For example, MotionSolve™ is a comprehensive multibody simulation software that helps build and execute complex system models to evaluate the dynamic response of products and optimize their performance. By eliminating vibrations and improve dynamics. Altair OptiStruct™ helps reduce machine noise with structural optimization. Reducing weight of machine components reduces costs, benefitting users. Altair Inspire™ and OptiStruct consider a variety of manufacturing processes including welded construction, plastic injection molding, sheet metal forming, casting, milling, 3D printing, and more to come up with lightweight machine design that is structurally sound. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is the process of mathematically modelling and solving fluid flow. Altair HyperWorks and nanoFluidX™ provide solution where machines transporting fluids are involved.
To summarize, designing and developing industrial machines requires a lot of engineering skill. Modelling and simulation software like Altair provides engineers and designers insights that help them built better machines.