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What You'll Learn

Translate functional requirements into mechanical designs while balancing geometry
performance
safety factors
uncertainty
and cost.,Calculate and evaluate normal
shear
bending
and torsional stresses to identify stress concentrations and potential failure modes.,Evaluate structural stiffness
elastic deformation
axial and beam deflection
torsional rigidity
and thermal expansion,Analyze vibration
resonance
damping
dynamic loading
and mechanical mechanisms to understand motion
stability
and reliability.,Compare metals
polymers
composites
and advanced materials based on strength
stiffness
weight
durability
thermal behavior
and cost.

Requirements

Basic algebra and a general familiarity with physics
forces
and motion are helpful. No prior mechanical engineering
machine design
CAD
programming
or specialized equipment experience is required. The previous entry on this series is recommended but not mandatory

Description

Mechanical engineering goes beyond selecting components. It requires designing custom parts and structures that withstand real loads, maintain dimensional accuracy, and perform reliably under practical operating conditions.

Mechanical Engineering: Practical Mechanics for Inventors takes you deeper into mechanical design, building on the fundamentals of standard components to explore how engineers develop custom structures, analyze their behavior, and make informed design decisions.

You will learn how to translate functional requirements into mechanical designs, evaluate stress and potential failure modes, and understand the relationship between strength, stiffness, and elastic deformation. We will explore bending, torsion, fatigue, buckling, thermal expansion, vibration, resonance, and damping, along with the mechanisms that transform and control motion.

The course also examines material selection, comparing metals, polymers, composites, and advanced materials according to their mechanical properties, thermal behavior, durability, and practical limitations.

Throughout the course, the emphasis is on engineering judgment and real-world trade-offs. Rather than simply calculating whether a component is strong enough, you will learn to consider how geometry, loading, materials, mass, stiffness, and dynamic behavior interact to influence a design's performance and reliability.

Based on my book, Practical Mechanics for Inventors, this course is designed for engineering students, aspiring mechanical designers, makers, and inventors who want to strengthen their practical understanding of mechanical design.

Learn to design custom mechanical parts with purpose, analyze their behavior, and make better engineering decisions.

Who this course is for:

This course is designed for engineering students
aspiring mechanical engineers
makers
inventors
and anyone interested in practical mechanical design and machine building. It is especially valuable for learners who want to understand how mechanical components work
how to select them correctly
and how individual parts come together in real machines. Beginners are welcome
with only basic algebra and familiarity with forces and motion recommended.