accelerated motion
Motion with a continually increasing velocity.
Mechanical engineering
250 entries in this trade.
air cell
A prechamber in an indirect injection internal combustion engine.
air hose
A hose for conveying compressed air within a pneumatic system.
anharmonicity
The deviation of a system from harmonicity (being a harmonic oscillator)
antibacklash
adjectiveMechanical engineering
Countering or preventing backlash (jarring reflex motion in machinery).
astrobot
Robot designed to work in space.
autonomy
The capacity of a system to make a decision about its actions without the involvement of another system or operator.
axle-hung
adjectiveMechanical engineering
Of a traction motor, mounted on the axle it drives.
backlash
The looseness through which one part of connected machinery, such as a wheel, gear, piston, or screw, can be moved without moving the connected parts, or a measurement of the distance moved thereby; either intentional (as allowance) or unintentional (from error or wear).
backshell
Part of an electrical conductor or other electrical device, such as a cable clamp or adapter, that is threaded onto the rear connector accessory threads of plug or receptacle connectors to make up the total connector assembly.
ball bearing
A bearing assembly which uses spherical bearing balls as the rolling elements, usually consisting of two ballraces (rings).
ballrace
A ring with a groove in which rolling elements (such as balls) ride, forming part of a rolling-element bearing (for example, a ball bearing).
barreling
A defect in which a testpiece is deformed into a barrel-like shape.
beam
In steam engines, a heavy iron lever having an oscillating motion on a central axis, one end of which is connected with the piston rod from which it receives motion, and the other with the crank of the wheel shaft.
bearing
A mechanical device that supports another part or reduces friction.
bellcrank
A type of crank that changes motion through an angle, typically 90 or 180 degrees.
belt track
A continuous track used to propel vehicles that drive on difficult terrain.
bevel gear
A kind of gear in which the two wheels working together lie in different planes and have their teeth cut at right angles to the surfaces of two cones whose apices coincide with the point where the axes of the wheels would meet.
blank
A piece of material roughly cut, forged, cast, etc. to the size and shape of the thing to be made, and ready for the finishing operations; (coining) the disc of metal before stamping.
blastpipe
A pipe forming part of the exhaust system of a steam locomotive that discharges exhaust steam from the cylinders up into the smokebox beneath the chimney in order to increase the draught through the firebox; this speeds up the release of smoke through the chimney.
bleed hole
A small, purposeful opening found in objects (e.g. glass panes, metal plates, airplane windows, etc.) to equalise air pressure and prevent condensation and fogging.
blisk
An aircraft turbine engine rotor that has integral blades.
blucket
A type of turbine blade where the inner portion of the blade is driven by expanding exhaust gases from the engine core, while the outer portion extends into the bypass duct and serves as a fan blade; used on a few turbofans with rear-mounted fans.
boat lift
A mechanism used for raising and lowering boats on a canal vertically from one water level to another, while keeping them afloat.
bollarding
A defect in which a testpiece is deformed into a bollard-like shape.
boss
A lump, protuberance, or swelling in an animal, person or object.
bottom
To reach or strike against the bottom of something, so as to impede free action.
bottom dead center
The reference mark on a flywheel (and engine block) indicating that the engine is in this position, when aligned.
bottom out
Of a suspension or similar device, to strike the lower mechanical stop and lose the ability to buffer further downward motion.
brake fade
Partial or total loss of braking force with prolonged continuous or repetitive application of a heavy vehicle's brakes, due to the effects on the brake system of the heat generated by heavy braking.
brake shoe
An element of a drum brake into which the friction-producing brake lining is attached.
braked
adjectiveMechanical engineering
Equipped with brakes (the vehicle-stopping devices).
brakepipe
A continuous pipe or hose filled with high-pressure air and running the length of a train, used to recharge the train's brake reservoirs with compressed air and to control the train's air brakes through changes in its internal air pressure.
breaking point
The point at which the increasing strain in a material causes it to break.
brittle fracture
type of fracture without plastic deformation
broken in
adjectiveMechanical engineering
(sometimes comparative) Having been broken in to seat the parts.
bucket
A turbine blade driven by hot gas or steam.
buffer
Anything used to isolate or minimize the effect of one thing on another.
bulkhead
A partition or panel through which connectors pass, or a connector designed to pass through a partition.
bunker fuel
A type of extremely viscous, heavy fuel oil primarily used by large oceangoing ships.
bushing
A type of plain bearing, a cylindrical lining designed to reduce friction and wear inside a hole, often used as a casing for a shaft, pin or hinge.
bypass duct
A component used in HVAC systems to manage airflow by providing an alternative path for excess air.
cambox
A metal "box" that houses cams, in the same manner that a gearbox houses gears.
cannon box
A type of enclosure for axle bearings.
cardan shaft
A driveshaft with a universal joint at one or both ends.
cataract
A type of governor used in single-acting steam engines, where a flow of water through an opening regulates the stroke.
CFD
Initialism of Computational Fluid Dynamics.
chain drill
A drilling tool that is driven by a rotating chain with attached drill bits or teeth to bore holes.
chain drive
transmission system in which power is transferred to the wheels (for example), by means of a chain.
chain-driven
adjectiveMechanical engineering
Referring to the transmission of power by means of a suitable endless chain, such as a bicycle chain.
channel
A structural member with a cross section shaped like a squared-off letter C.
chuck
A mechanical device that holds an object firmly in place, for example holding a drill bit in a high-speed rotating drill or grinder.
coil whine
A high-pitched whining sound caused by vibrations of electrical components in a device.
compliance
A measure of the extension or displacement of a loaded structure; its flexibility.
computational fluid dynamics
The study of computational algorithms to solve mathematical problems in the field of fluid dynamics.
continuum mechanics
A branch of mechanics that deals with the deformation of and transmission of forces through materials modeled as a continuous medium rather than as discrete particles.
core lock
Seizure of a turbine engine due to misalignment and loss of clearance between stationary and rotating components, caused by different components cooling and contracting at different rates following engine shutdown or flameout.
cotter
A pin or wedge inserted through a slot to hold machine parts together.
crank axle
An axle formed in the manner of a crankshaft in an internal-combustion engine, having one or two cranked sections driven from one or two cylinders inside the main frames.
crankweb
A part of a crankshaft on either side of a connecting rod bearing.