ABSTRACT
The mechanism by which a requirement is converted to a meaningful and functional plan is called a design. The design is an innovative, iterative, and decision-making process. This chapter deals with the analysis and design of machine elements or components and basic structural members that compose the system or assembly. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) defines engineering design as the process of devising a system, component, or process to meet desired needs. The design process begins with recognition of a need, real or imagined, and a decision to do something about it. The synthesis of the solution represents perhaps the most challenging and interesting part of the design. The designer must be able to understand the need and describe a design graphically, verbally, and in writing. This is the presentation of the plans for satisfying the need. A wide variety of computational tools can be used to perform design calculations with success.
