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Designing a Component

Each component will need to be considered in turn. If you attempt to design all the components at the same time, you will just get overwhelmed and confused. Take everything in steps.

1. Decide what component you are designing. You should have a specified task for your team members, so think about your particular task.
2. Now that you know the component, think about what the maximum load that can possibly be applied to that component is.
3. Clarify which component it is by name as listed in your Concept Sketch.
4. Sketch a model of just the component which includes the most critical position of the maximum load and the boundary conditions.
5. From the sketch, what type of analysis are you going to need to do?
   • Are you dealing with an Axial Stress?
   • A bending load?
   • Buckling?
   • Torsion?
   • or do you have a Combination of these?
6. From the analysis type, decide what allowables you will use. For example, if it is an axial problem, you will need the allowable normal stress which is the tensile yield stress of the material divided by the Factor of Safety.
7. Now, working from what property or properties you have set for your component, step through the analysis to design for the unknown dimension(s). (For additional information about this step, go back to Scoping out the Problem.)

Go to the Project Forms page for downloadable forms to report your progress with the design project.

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