Machine element

Machine element refers to an elementary component of • Keys, Splines and Cotter pin
a machine. These elements consist of three basic types:
• Seals
1. structural components such as frame members,
bearings, axles, splines, fasteners, seals, and
lubricants, 2 Mechanical elements
2. mechanisms that control movement in various ways • Belt, Chain, Cable drives
such as gear trains, belt or chain drives, linkages,
cam and follower systems, including brakes and • Clutch
clutches, and
• Brake
3. control components such as buttons, switches,
• Gear train
indicators, sensors, actuators and computer
controllers.[1] • Cam and follower systems

While generally not considered to be a machine element, • Linkage

the shape, texture and color of covers are an important • Simple machine
part of a machine that provide a styling and operational
interface between the mechanical components of a ma-
chine and its users.
3 Types
Machine elements are basic mechanical parts and features
used as the building blocks of most machines.[2] Most are • Shafts[4]
standardized to common sizes, but customs are also com-
mon for specialized applications.[3] • Coupling[4]
Machine elements may be features of a part (such as • Key[3]
screw threads or integral plain bearings) or they may be
discrete parts in and of themselves such as wheels, axles, • Spline[3]
pulleys, rolling-element bearings, or gears. All of the
• Bearing[3]
simple machines may be described as machine elements,
and many machine elements incorporate concepts of one • Roller bearing
or more simple machines. For example, a leadscrew in-
• Plain bearing
corporates a screw thread, which is an inclined plane
wrapped around a cylinder. • Thrust bearing
Many mechanical design, invention, and engineering • Ball bearing
tasks involve a knowledge of various machine elements • Linear bearing
and an intelligent and creative combining of these el-
• Pillow block
ements into a component or assembly that fills a need
(serves an application). • Gears[4]

• Spur gear
1 Structural elements • Helical gear
• Worm gear
• Shafts • Herringbone gear
• Couplings • Sprocket
• Bearings • Fastener[5]

• Fasteners • Screw[3]

1
2 4 REFERENCES

• Screw thread
• Power screw
• Nut[3]
• Clevis fastener
• Retaining ring
• Circlip
• E-ring
• Split pin cotter pin)
• Linchpin
• R-clip
• Rivet[3]
• Tapered pin**O-ring

• Belt[3]
• Clutch[6]

• Brake[6]
• Chain[3]

• Wire rope[3]

4 References
[1] Robert L. Norton, Machine Design, (4th Edition),
Prentice-Hall, 2010

[2] Matthews, Clifford; American Society of Mechanical En-

gineers (2005), ASME engineer’s data book (2nd ed.),
ASME Press, p. 249, ISBN 978-0-7918-0229-8.

[3] Bhandari, V. B. (2007), Design of machine elements (2nd

ed.), Tata McGraw-Hill, p. 10, ISBN 978-0-07-061141-
2.

[4] Klebanov, Boris M.; Barlam, David; Nystrom, Frederic

E. (2008), Machine elements: life and design, CRC Press,
ISBN 978-0-8493-9563-5.

[5] Niemann, Gustav; Hirt, Manfred: Maschinenelemente

Springer, Berlin 1975, 1983. ISBN 0-387-06809-0.

[6] Sharma, C. S.; Purohit, Kamlesh (2004), Design of ma-

chine elements, PHI Learning, p. vii–ix, ISBN 978-81-
203-1955-4.