This week’s selection is “A Dictionary of Mechanical Engineering” by Marcel Escudier and Tony Atkins.
Engineering is a complex discipline with plenty to learn, and sometimes 3D printer operators find themselves in situations where a lack of engineering training can place them in a quandry. What is being referred to? What does a measurement scale mean?
This is typically encountered with 3D print materials. A spool of advanced filament may specify a number of engineering properties, but what exactly do they mean, and are they important for my project?
One way to discover the answers is to simply look up each term on the Internet as it is encountered. However, an easier way might be to have a reference book handy that provides proper definitions for basically every engineering term you might possibly encounter.
This book, “A Dictionary of Mechanical Engineering” is precisely that. It contains an astonishing 8,000 definitions of engineering terms, each in an easy-to-understand language.
Here’s a sample definition:
“ADHESION: the normal or tangential grip between surfaces in contact. Adhesive strength with unit PA, is the normal or shear stress required two separate components bonded together by an adhesive. Adhesion work, with unit J, is the work done by forces when services are separated. See also BOND STRENGTH.”
Often the definitions include the typical formulas or required factors used in the unit.
Formally trained engineers might not find this book very useful, but there are a tremendous — and increasing — number of 3D printer operators who are now designing their own mechanical devices that do not have such engineering training. A book of this type could greatly assist the learning process that begins when complex design projects launch.
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