Recently in school, we have been taught various engineering processes. Their definition, function, uses, tools and equipments and their general safety precautions. I am having a test on it soon and I have been reading the course all day. So I've decided to share with you the things I've learnt so that you too can know something about it. As they say no knowledge is ever truly a waste.
The basic engineering processes are;
Foundry
Rewinding
Welding
Metal Fitting
Forging
Woodwork Engineering
Metal Machining
Foundry is engineering processes of producing machine parts. It involves casting. Casting process is a process of production of machine parts by pouring molten or liquid metal into a prepared mould otherwise know as mould cavity.
There are two types of casting
Dye casting
Sand casting
Both have their disadvantages and advantages but dye casting is preferred in the industry.
Rewinding is simply defined as the repair or change of a burnt coil to a new one. It is mostly done on fans once they stop working. The coil is made of pure enamel copper wire. The process is done in the stator which is a mechanical device. It converts electrical energy from the power source to mechanical energy which is seen in the rotational motion of the fan.
High count, Electrical overload, low current and lack of servicing makes the coil to burn.
Welding is the process of joining two or more pieces of metal together by the application of heat on their surface to their melting points. This is done using electrodes which are materials that melts metals by the current supplied to them.
There are different methods of welding and are too numerous to mention but the most common one is Arc welding
There are also five basic types of weld joints.
Butt joint
Lap joint
Tee joint
Edge joint
Corner joint
Metal Fitting is a process that involves joining two or more metals by the use of hand tools such as screws, nuts, bolts, etc and not using a binding agent such as glues or welding.
There are various hand tools but they are grouped into five basic groups
Holding or supporting tools
Measuring tools
Punching tools
Marking out tools
Cutting tools
This same grouping also applies in woodwork
Forging. Although the process is ancient, it is still important in this modern times. It involves heating a metal to reddish form and then applying pressure by beating it to a desired shape.
There are various types but the most common one is Hand forging otherwise know as blacksmithing. The major tools used are the anvil, sledgehammer and tongs.
Woodwork or wood machining involves the various tools, machines and portable devices that are used to process wood
There are various tools, equipments and machines used in wood processing which are too numerous to mention but the beauty in woodwork is the different joints that can be formed.
There are five basic types of joints
Through housing joint
Halving joint
Mortise and Tenon joint
Dovetail joint
Bridle joint
Lastly, Metal Machining. Metal Machining is the process of producing metal parts or components by cutting off or shaping of the metal. It is the process of turning a raw material through the process of subtractive technology into a useful machine parts.
There are different machines involved in this process but the most important is the Lathe machine. It works on the principle of metal cutting carried out by creating relative motion between the workpiece and the cutting tool.
It carries out different operations such as; turning, facing, chamfering, knurling, taper-turning, drilling, boring and centre drilling
There are other machines such as; milling machine, drill press and surface grinding machine.
I hope I've been able to tell you one or two things you didn't know about engineering and now you can go and show off to your friends. Engineering isn't hard, it just requires hard work and dedication.
My sponsors.
Till next time.
I'm happy that your school can actually give you the practical knowledge you actually need, not all universities are capable of doing that