DMME - Engineering Design and CAD - BSc 2 - MEDM 209

Assignment 1 - Travelling Crane in Brunel W6.

1. Introduction


Each group will assess one of the key parts of the system and estimate the factor of safety of the part. Each group must submit a group report describing the work, every page must be marked with the initials of the person who wrote it.

2. Method
The stresses in the part will have to be determined. Sketch the part, including the key dimensions and show the forces and moments acting on it, then draw the appropriate free body diagrams. Calculate the stresses acting on the part. Determine the probable material and its strength and the risk posed if the part fails. From the calculated stresses and the material estimated strength, calculate the factor of safety of your part.

The components / subsystems to investigate are: Hook, Pin connecting swivel bearing to chain, Chain, Overhead beam, Side trolley beams carrying either end of the travelling beam, Beams along walls.

3. Report
Although your report will concentrate on the part you analysed, you will need to discuss with other people who analysed other components and include a table listing the parts and the factors of safety determined for each part. You will then make some general conclusions about the different factors of safety in this table.

You must make full use of sketches and free body diagrams to ensure your calculations can be understood. Check British (and other) standards to see if your results seem reasonable, and critically appraise your results. I would expect a good report to be about 2000 words in length + diagrams and calculations - which must be fully explained.

4. Crane Details
Some information about the crane is given in the diagrams below. Other information that you need will have to be obtained by measurements you take, from the floor - YOU MUST NOT CLIMB ANY LADDERS!

The diagram below is a simplified representation of the main beam cross section.

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David J Grieve, 22nd January 2003.