Design of a tabletop lathe educational kit

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to create and characterize an educational kit for the mechanical engineering courses, 2.75: Precision Machine Design and 2.72: Elements of Machine Design. This kit is intended to provide instructors with a means to create a positive learning experience by (1) providing an opportunity for students to be innovative, (2) allowing students to better understand the limitations and strengths of their designs, and (3) optimizing the benefit of the learning experience. Engaging students with a project that motivates and inspires them ultimately produces a more capable engineer. The redesign and analysis of a table-top lathe is covered in this thesis. The efforts entailed herein revolve around the design of modular lathe that best suits the needs of students and instructors in 2.75 and 2. 72. Additionally, this thesis reviews the fabrication and testing of a prototype used to identify any problems with the manufacturing and assembly.