Materials and mechanics branch. Deliberately thin: it acts as an interface towards the mechanics and manufacturing courses taught by our colleagues. It holds the topics a mechatronics project actually needs, the ones that are reasoned about at system level. Detailed sizing and full theory stay in the dedicated courses.
Designing and describing a mechanism
- Kinematic diagram — describe the joints and count the degrees of freedom
- Optimising a mechanical design — save weight, pick the right material and process pair, cut the number of parts
Manufacturing
- 3D printing · Machining · Soldering — the processes (see the manufacturing course)
- PLA — the everyday printing material
Measuring and checking
- Vernier caliper · Dial indicator — basic dimensional metrology
Most in-depth mechanical topics stay with our colleagues’ courses. These pages bridge them to the project.