Free Class: Intro to Mechanical Design

Do you have ambitious projects you’ve always wanted to build? Ideas for physical products or devices you wish existed but don’t? Or maybe you just want to be able to make a replacement part when an appliance inevitably breaks right after the warranty expires.

This class is aimed at anyone with ambitions to make cool things in the real world. From CNC machines to 3D printers, a strong foundation in the basics of mechanical design will help you achieve your vision.

These skills are largely learned by doing: coming up with a project, executing it, and revising your design to overcome problems you encounter along the way. However, there are many engineering concepts which can improve your design abilities and help you avoid potential pitfalls. This class will cover introductory engineering concepts and their direct application to design. This will include:

• Design methodology
• Intro to statics: how forces act on objects
• Intro to mechanics of materials: how objects deform under different loading conditions
• Material choice: what is a good material for my project?
• Design for manufacturing: how to design components with your available tools in mind
• Tolerances, fatigue, stress concentration, and other design considerations
• Resources

Comfort with algebra-level math is recommended but not required. No experience with mechanical design or engineering is assumed. This class aims to be interactive and practical!