MINOR PROJE

DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF

SCISSOR JACK

ADEESH JAIN UE7904

ASHISH SHARMA UE7913
HANISH GUPTA UE7924
PARNEET SINGH UE7939
Contents
1 Introduction.......................................................................................................... 4
1.1 Problem Statement........................................................................................ 5
1.2 Objective..........................................................................................................
1.3 schedule
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………….……3

2 Research & Decision Making................................................................................ 8

2.1 Product Comparison..................................................................................... 13
2.2 Preliminary Designs....................................................................................... 5
2.3 Decision making............................................................................................ 8
2.4 Final
design………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………8

3 Sketches............................................................................................................... 9
3.1 Jack.............................................................................................................. 10
3.2 Supports...................................................................................................... 11
4 PRO-e models..................................................................................................... 13
4.1 Parts............................................................................................................. 13
4.2 Assembly..................................................................................................... 17
5 Work done.......................................................................................................... 18
5.1 Load criteria and assumptions.....................................................................18
5.2 Material selection......................................................................................... 19
5.3 Stresses acting on various
components………………………………………………………………………………….20

5.4 Self locking

criteria……………………………………………………………………………………………………
………..….20

6 Possible failures and errors................................................................................21

7 Work to be done ................................................................................................ 22

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 Acknowledgement
We would like to express our gratitude to all
those who gave us the possibility to complete
our projects and we feel really obliged by the
support and assistance provided by Mr. Amit
Chauhan, our project guide. We also feel
thankful towards our colleagues for their
valuable suggestions and help.

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1 Introduction

1.1Mechanical jack
A jack is mechanical device used to lift heavy loads or
apply great forces. Jacks employ a screw thread or
hydraulic cylinder to apply very high linear forces.
A mechanical jack is a device which lifts heavy
equipment. The most common form is a car jack, floor
jack or garage jack which lifts vehicles so that
maintenance can be performed. Car jacks usually use
mechanical advantage to allow a human to lift a vehicle
by manual force alone. More powerful jacks use hydraulic
power to provide more lift over greater distances.
Mechanical jacks are usually rated for a maximum lifting
capacity.
As our area of concern is a screw jack used for lifting the
car that is scissor jack, so only the scissor jack and its
background is discussed below.

1.2Scissor jack
Scissor jacks are simple mechanisms used to drive large
loads short distances. The power screw design of a
common scissor jack reduces the amount of force
required by the user to drive the mechanism. Most scissor
jacks are similar in design, consisting of four main
members driven by a power screw. A scissor jack is
operated simply by turning a small crank that is inserted
into one end of the scissor jack. This crank is usually "Z"

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shaped. The end fits into a ring hole mounted on the end
of the screw, which is the object of force on the scissor
jack. When this crank is turned, the screw turns, and this
raises the jack. The screw acts like a gear mechanism. It
has teeth (the screw thread), which turn and move the
two arms, producing work. Just by turning this screw
thread, the scissor jack can lift a vehicle that is several
thousand pounds. Power screw in a scissor jack is the
foundation of whole mechanism of scissor jack.

1.3Problem Statement:

The most common problem encountered while using

scissor jack is the instability of jack while giving jerks to
loosen the wheel nut. Also the common jack having small
base is unable to provide proper support on uneven
surface esp. off-road and no inclination in that jack is
tolerable.

1.4Objective:
The project relates to the designing of simple scissor jack
and its analysis along with structural improvements to
make such a modified jack that is very stable and can
take enough load on uneven surfaces and somewhat
inclination is also allowed.
The project also aims at designing and finding stresses,
efficiency, expected life of screw. We endeavor to develop
a screw jack such that it is cost effective, having a long
life and can be handled roughly.

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1.5Roadmap:
Here we outline the timeline for the completion of various
aspects for the project. The schedule is set so that the
project is completed in phases. Phase I is market
research, Phase II consists of the design process, Phase III
entails PRO-e modeling of the design and simulation in
ANSYS software, and the final aspect of the project is the
presentation and the work that went into it.

2 Scissor jack:
2.1Specifications

 The term "scissor jack" describes a wide variety of

tools that all follow the same principle: using
crossed beams to lift something. They do this by
acting on the object they are lifting in a diagonal
manner; the lift on the right side lifts the object from
its left side and vice versa. This allows the user to
store the jack when it is not in use (with the
diagonal beams flat) and to expand it when it is
needed.

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 The major specification of scissor lifts is that they
are all symmetrical. In order to work, the distance
from the loaded point to the cross point must be the
same as the distance from the cross point to the
ground. This ensures that weight is distributed
equally throughout the scissor lift beams.

 Since scissor lifts have such a wide variety of use,

they also have a wide variety of power sources.
Scissor lifts for lifting cars can be powered
electrically, hydraulically and of course
mechanically. On the other end of the spectrum,
industrial scissor lifts that people stand on are often
powered by diesel, although electrical options do
exist.

 Scissor lifts basically fall into two categories: single

scissor lifts and multiple scissor lifts. A single scissor
lift has just two crossbeams and one "x." This means
it can only go so high because the length of the
crossbeams restricts the height of the lift, and
making them too long would make it unstable.
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On the other hand, multiple lifts have beams crossing
each other, and then attaching to more beams that go
the opposite direction. This allows the scissor lift to rise
higher.

2.2Assembly
A scissor jack has four main pieces of metal and two
base ends. The four metal pieces are all connected at the
corners with a bolt that allows the corners to swivel. A
screw thread runs across this assembly and through the
corners. As the screw thread is turned, the jack arms
travel across it and collapse or come together, forming a
straight line when closed. Then, moving back the other
way, they raise and come together. When opened, the
four metal arms contract together, coming together at
the middle, raising the jack. When closed, the arms
spread back apart and the jack closes or flattens out
again.

1 Working
A scissor jack uses a simple theory of gears to get its
power. As the screw section is turned, two ends of the
jack move closer together. Because the gears of the
screw are pushing up the arms, the amount of force being
applied is multiplied. It takes a very small amount of force
to turn the crank handle, yet that action causes the brace
arms to slide across and together.
As this happens the arms extend upward. The car's
gravitational weight is not enough to prevent the jack
from opening or to stop the screw from turning, since it is
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not applying force directly to it. If you were to put
pressure directly on the crank, or lean your weight
against the crank, the person would not be able to turn it,
even though your weight is a small percentage of cars.

2.3Components
 Frame
 Power screw
 Rivets
 Coupling nut
 Crank

 Frame:
The entire frame of the scissor jack consists of links(top
and bottom), base frame, support frame. The frame is
manufactured by sheet metal processes and forming by
low-medium carbon steel.

 Power screw:

Power screws are used to convert rotary motion in to

translational motion. It is also called translational screw.
They find use in machines such as universal tensile
testing machines,
machine tools, automotive jacks, vises; aircraft flap
extenders, trench braces, linear actuators, adjustable
floor posts, micrometers, and C-clamps. A screw thread
is formed by cutting a continuous helical groove around
the cylinder. These grooves are cut either left hand or
right hand.

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The majority of screws are tightened by clockwise
rotation, which is termed a right-hand thread. Screws with
left-hand threads are used in exceptional cases. For
example, anticlockwise forces are applied to the screw
(which would work to undo a right-hand thread), a left-
hand-threaded screw would be an appropriate choice.

Power screws are typically made from carbon steel, alloy

steel, or stainless steel and they are usually used with
bronze, plastic, or steel mating nuts. Bronze and plastic
nuts are popular for higher duty applications and they
provide low coefficients of friction for minimizing drive
torques.

There are important terms and figures that need to be

understood before designing power screws:
1. Pitch: is the distance from a point on one thread to the
corresponding thread on the
next adjacent thread, measured parallel to the axial
plane.
2. Lead: is the distance the screw would advance relative
to the nut in one rotation. For
single thread screw, lead is equal to pitch.
3. Helix Angle: is related to the lead and the mean radius
by the equation below;

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 Basics of power screws

Power screws provide a compact means for transmitting

motion and power. They are ideal for replacing hydraulic
and pneumatic drive systems as they require no
compressors, pumps, piping, filters, tanks, valves or any
other support items required by these systems. Also,
screws don't leak so there are no problems with seals
which are so common to hydraulic and pneumatic
systems. And, screw systems are quiet running - no noisy
compressors, pumps or exhaust valves. Screw systems
are simple, reliable and easy to utilize.

Power screw motions

There are four distinct motion converting actions that can

be produced by power screws and nuts. The two most
common involve torque conversion to thrust. In Figure 1,
the screw is rotated (torqued) and the nut moves linearly
producing thrust or the nut is rotated (torqued) and the
screw moves linearly. The two less common motions
involve thrust conversion to torque. In Figure 2, the nut
undergoes a linear force (thrust) and the screw rotates or
the screw undergoes a linear force (thrust) and the nut
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rotates. These two motions are commonly referred to as
"back driving", "overhauling", or, improperly, "reversing".

Fig1.
Fig2.

Types of power screws

There are 3 types of screw threads used in power

screws:

1. Square threads:
 Is used for power transmission in either direction
 Results in maximum efficiency and minimum
 It is employed in screw jacks and clamps

2.Acme threads:
 It is a modification of square thread
 Efficiency is lower than square threads
 The slope increases the area for shear
 It is easily manufactured

3.Buttress Thread:
 It is used when large forces act along the screw axis
in one direction only.
 It has higher efficiency like square threads and ease
of cutting like acme threads.
 It is the strongest thread of all
 It has limited use of power transmission

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  Rivets:
A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being
installed a rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with
a head on one end. The end opposite the head is called
the buck-tail. On installation the rivet is placed in a
punched or pre-drilled hole, and the tail is upset, or
bucked (i.e. deformed), so that it expands to about 1.5
times the original shaft diameter, holding the rivet in
place. To distinguish between the two ends of the rivet,
the original head is called the factory head and the
deformed end is called the shop head or buck-tail.

 Coupling nut:
A coupling nut is a threaded fastener for joining two male threads, most
commonly threaded rod. The outside of the fastener is usually a hex so a
wrench can hold it. Variations include reducing coupling nuts, for
joining two different size threads; sight hole coupling nuts, which have a
sight hole for observing the amount of engagement; and coupling nuts
with left-handed threads.

 Crank: is an arm keyed at right angles to the end of a

shaft, by which motion is imparted to the power
screw .It mainly suffers from torsional stresses so
medium carbon steel is used as it combines merits
of malleability and sufficient torsional strength.

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 PHASE-I (market research):

3 Research & Decision Making:

3.1 Product Comparison
Below are analyses two other car jacks that are similar to
the jack I wish to design. They represent the two primary
models of scissor jacks available; those powered by
electricity and those that require manual input
Picture Features Pros Cons
 Can lift  The The added weight
up to electric of the electric
990kg motor motor hurts
 Electric makes fuel economy.
motor operatin The motor adds
powered g the cost and the
by a 12V jack increased
DC simple complexity of
power and easy. the system
source.  Can creates more
 Extends operate opportunity for
Figure 1 13”, jack failure.
compact away Need of an
s to less from the electrical power
than 5”. car. source could be
 7’ power a hindrance
cord. when battery
 Weighs power is not
9kgs. adequate.

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  Lifts  The  Operating the
1133 kg. jack’s crank can be
 Extends simple difficult.
from design  Required to be
3.75”- minimize near
15.4”. s cost , (practically
 Mechanic size and underneath a
al input weight, 2,000kg object
required. so it can to operate.
be stored  Like the
easily. product
 Does not above, there is
rely on no stability
figure 2
electricit provided from
y. the sides.
 Tools to raise
the jack are
not
interchangeab
le.

From Error: Reference source not found it can be seen

that the overall concept of the scissor jack is constant
and that any new product will be based on that concept.
The products above lack support from the sides, so there
is the possibility of the jack tipping (especially on an
uneven surface. During further investigation, I stumbled
upon a video showcasing a scissor jack design with side
supports.

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We would like to incorporate some type of side support in
my jack because it enhances safety and redistributes
stress, enhancing product life and functionality.
The designs above also lacked interchangeability. In my
design I would like the make it possible for the user to
operate the jack with tools other than the crank provided.

3.2 Preliminary Designs

As stated before, the basic design and mechanics of the
scissor jack are simplistic and lend little room for drastic
change, so any change will be a modification on this base
model. Below are three preliminary design concepts
sketched:

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(a)

(b)

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 (c)

Design #1 represents the base model of the scissor jack,

it is the most simple. Design #2 has an extended base
to prevent tipping when the jack is under load. Design
#3 also aims to prevent tipping, but also adds stability
between the top and bottom of the jack (much like Error:
Reference source not found). The stabilizing arms on
design #3 raise and lower with the jack, lock into place
while rising, and, when the jack is lowered, rotate to
compact its shape and make storage easier.
Design Pros Cons
 Light weight  Small base makes
 Simple design tipping a risk.
(less places for  No added stability
failure) between the top
 Cheap risks a collapse
 Uses little material
 Easy to store
1

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  Extended base  No added stability
makes tipping less between the top
likely. and bottom risks a
 Simple design collapse
 Shape is not
compact, makes
storage difficult.
2
 Added material,
cost weight

 Adds stability to  Added complexity

jack. creates more
 Extended base areas for problems
makes tipping less  Added
likely. components add
 Prevents collapse cost
 Reduces to a
3
compact shape
that is easy to
store
 Stability added
with moderate
weight increase

3.3 Decision Making

To help make a decision for the final design, the table
below weighs the attributes of each design. The designs
are ranked on their performance for each category, the
best performance receives a 3 and the worst a 1, the
values are then totaled to determine the overall best
design. The designs will be assigned values based on
their cost, safety, weight and storage (functionality has
been omitted from this table because all three designs
operate in the same basic manner and are capable of
being used with a ratchet). The values for safety will be

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rated by 5, 10, 15 because of its importance as a design
goal.

Attribute Design #1 Design #2 Design #3

Cost 3 2 1

Safety 5 10 15

Weight 3 1 2

Storage 3 1 2

Total 14 14 20

Design #1 uses the least amount of material, so it scored

high in cost, weight and storage, but, because of the
small amount of material, it is not as safe as the other
designs. Design #2 adds safety but also weight, cost and
poor storage. Design #3 adds safety without
compromising on weight and storage, but adds cost
because it has the most parts.
3.4 Final Design
Design #3 scored the highest in the analysis of
alternative designs because safety is extremely important
when designing a product that is to lift a 2,000 kg object
from the ground. I have also decided to lengthen the
base of design #3 so that it is the same length as the
fully compacted jack. Design #3 also adds stability with
modest increase in weight and no compromise in ease of
storage, and its hexagonal screw head lends it to
operation by other tools like a power drill or wrench (this
product is to come equipped with a ratcheting crank).

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3.5 Load criteria and assumptions:
The load for which the jack is to be employed has to
be considered first. For very heavy loads we have to
deal with heavy duty jacks and in those situations
scissor jacks do not work efficiently and most
probably fail. While in case of low and medium
intensity loads, scissor jack works efficiently and
smoothly without much effort. Also the jack is handy
enough to carry in the vehicle.
So considering the above situation, making a scissor
jack for low and moderate dead loads will be a good
idea.
Estimated vehicle weight: 1105kg/2440 kgs(weight of
swift in unloaded condition.
Weight on one side: 2440/4: 610kgs.
Factor of safety: 4
Weight for which is designed: 2440kgs.

3.6 Material selection:

Secondly, the problem of material selection is solved
by selecting some materials on the basis of their
strength and modulus of elasticity. We here compared
mild steel , aluminum , plain carbon steels and alloy

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steel, stainless steel and got an overall result for the
best fit material to be low-medium carbon steel .
(comparison on basis of data given in MATERIALS AND
HEAT TREATMENT PROCESSES by O.P. KHANNA)
The material will be designed completely using plain
carbon steel. Designing a scissor jack using plain
carbon steel is a work of sheet metal shop. To
overestimate the safety we will use calculations of
strength using the plain carbon steel in its
undisturbed, solid form.

LOW-MEDIUM CARBON STEEL will be used

0.29% to 0.54% carbon –e.g. AISI 1040 steel
Medium carbon steels can be heat treated to have a
good balance of ductility and strength. These steels
are typically used in large parts, forgings and
machined components.
MATERIAL PROPERTIES at 25c : low-medium carbon
steel
Density = 7845kg/m3
Young’s modulus (E)=200 GPa
Poisson’s Ratio(v)-0.3
Ultimate shear strength= 57420 PSI=342.4 MPa
approx. 66% of the UTS(87000 PSI=518.8 Mpa)
Yield strength= 52500 PSI =353.4 MPa

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 PHASE-II (Design phase):

4 Sketches
Error: Reference source not found through Error: Reference
source not found show the original hand sketches used to
begin the 3D modeling phase of the project. Many of the
dimensions and some design aspects of the sketches
shown below were changed as necessary by the design
during the solid modeling phase.
4.1 Jack

4.2 Supports

4.3Stresses acting on various components

1.Torsional stress acting on power screw.

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 4
T πd
τ max ≥ j=
J 32

= max torsional stress

τ max
T =¿ Torque
d = screw diameter

2.Buckling load acting on lifting frame.

W A
≤Cπ2
A L 2

K ( )
W=axial load on frames
L=length of frame
C=1for long columns
K= radius of gyration

3.Yielding stress acting on lifting frame.

Sy
σT ≤
n
σ = yielding stress
T

S = endurance limit
y

n=¿ Factor of safety

4.Bearing stress acting on rivets.

Sy
σp≤
n

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 σp= yielding stress
S y= endurance limit
n=¿ Factor of safety

5.Shear stress acting on rivets

τ ≤.577 S y /n

Sy = endurance limit
n=¿ Factor of safety
τ =shear stress

6.Bending stress acting on coupling joints.

m∗d
2
σ=
Ix

π ( R 4−r 4 )
I x=
4
= polar moment of inertia
Ix
R = outer radius
r = inner radius
m = bending moment
d = average diameter = (r+R)/2
σ = bending stress

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4.4Self -locking criteria
πfd ≥ l
f = coefficient of friction
d = diameter of screw

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PHASE-III

5 PRO-e Models
5.1 Parts

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 Baserivet
Link
Coupling
Bottom
nut
packing

Screw
Bottom link
Top link
shaft
Bottom
Support
rivet
frame

5.2 Assembly

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 Closed
assembly

Open
Assembly

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 ANALYSIS
Following are the images of stress concentration during analysis of
scissor jack. The bar on the side of the images shows the value of stress
relative to its colour as colour progresses from blue to red, stress conc.
Increases thereby making it prone to failure. So as we see there is a
scope of improvement. Now we will try to design a modified jack making
it safer.

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Bottom frame

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Bottom link

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Support frame

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Top rivet

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Top rivet 2

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Top packing

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Top link 1

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Top link 2

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Power screw

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Bottom rivet 1

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Bottom rivet 2

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Coupling nut

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 Bottom link 2

6 Possible failures and errors:

A. Unstable center of gravity
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 (Remedy: Weighted rear support brace for balance
and lengthened front ¼ floor plates extending
under car.)
B. Jack failure due to excess mass being
lifted(>2440kgs)
C. Failure of primary bolts due to bending moments
and shear stresses.

7 References

7.1Books referred
 Materials and heat treatment by O.P. khanna
 Design of machine elements by khurmi
 Strength of materials by R.K. rajput

 A textbook of machine design by P.C.Sharma and

D.K.Agarwal, S.K.Kataria and sons, 2006.
 A text book of machine drawing by R.S Khurmi, S.
Chand and Co. Ltd., 2005.
 Mechanical engineering design by Joseph E. Shigley,
McGraw Hill, 1986.

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7.2Websites referred
 youtube.com (Davison Design: Jack 'N Stand Animated

Video) (1 oct 10)

 google.com
 scribd.com(30 sep 10)
 Wikipedia.com(4 oct 10)
 Howstuffworks.com(23 sep 10)
 Sciencedirect.com(2 oct 10)
 B2bhydrualicjacks.com(1 oct 10)

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Thus we conclude

“Impossible is nothing its just the mind perception and

based on root analysis of data”
minor project proved to be most valuable in terms of
teamwork and management to us. Also we explored new
territories in technical creation. We faced new challenges
while designing and analyzing scissor jack by pro-
engineer and inventor. The experience gained has
provided us confidence in dealing with practical aspects
of engineering and will prove to be invaluable as we go
into placement season.

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