Werktuigkundige Systemen Authors

The book Werktuigkundige Systemen is a compact introduction to systems thinking in mechanical engineering, emphasising insight and graphical methods, with tantalising working principles and construction elements. The origin of this book in the 1980s was a lecture in which the operation of existing devices and machines was analysed in a simple way. At a later stage, this material was expanded to include some structural details. In doing so, systems theory and modelling formed an essential basis. The book has been used by first-year mechanical engineering students at TU Delft for many years. Various lecturers use it in courses or design projects. Many find that they continue to use this book as a reference book long after they have done the course and come to appreciate it more and more because it lays the foundation for many follow-up courses and projects. More comprehensive: The fundamental principles in design emerge in the book Werktuigkundige Systemen. For instance, systems theory is applied to mechanical structures, and the chapter on modelling shows how to convert the complex physical reality into clear engineering principles. Mechanical amplifiers are covered, and a chapter is devoted to the essential concepts of strength and stiffness. Ample attention has been given to friction and resistance, as well as the means to increase or decrease them. Since springs are amongst the essential constructive components, a chapter has been devoted to the application of springs in a design. Here, the important concept of preload is covered. The subject of transmission is dealt with, in which the way to couple a motor with a load is indicated. The chapter on comparalogy shows the problems of scaling of pre-existing structures, needed to perform more affordable physical tests. Finally, the chapter on energy provides an introduction to “thermodynamics”. In it, engineering efficiency is introduced to indicate to what extent a machine is able to transmit energy into mechanical energy. This book can be used in various types of higher engineering education, both because of the global overview on mechanical engineering, the introduction of systems theory and modelling, and the detailed elaboration of some typical mechanical engineering topics.