Historical Evolution of Machines:
– Flint hand axe found in Winchester
– Inclined plane used since prehistoric times
– Wheel invented in Mesopotamia
– Lever mechanism appeared in the Near East
– Archimedes discovered mechanical advantage in the lever
– Hero of Alexandria listed five mechanisms
– Earliest wind-powered machines in the Muslim world
– Steam jack described in Ottoman Egypt in 1551
– Cotton gin invented in India by the 6th century AD
– Music sequencer invented by the Banu Musa brothers
– Dynamics of Mechanical Powers studied in the Renaissance
– Galileo Galilei’s work on simple machines
– Leonardo da Vinci’s discovery of sliding friction
– James Watt patented parallel motion linkage in 1782
– Boulton and Watt steam engine powered various applications
Technological Advancements and Innovations in Machines:
– Earliest practical wind-powered machines in the Muslim world
– Cotton gin invented in India by the 6th century AD
– Spinning wheel invented in the Islamic world
– Music sequencer invented by the Banu Musa brothers
– Industrial Revolution period from 1750 to 1850
– Inventions like the cigarette rolling machine by James Albert Bonsack
– Machines powered by human and animal effort
– Waterwheels used flowing water for operations
– Windmills captured wind power for milling
– Steam engines use heat for motion
– Automobile engines and jet engines as internal combustion engines
Components and Mechanics of Machines:
– Archimedes defined the lever, pulley, and screw as simple machines
– Renaissance added the wheel and axle, wedge, and inclined plane
– Modern machines focus on components allowing movement
– The wedge transforms lateral force into splitting force
– The lever amplifies force near the pivot
– Modern machines consist of power source, actuators, mechanisms, controller, and interface
– Mechanical systems manage power for tasks involving forces and movement
– Gears, belt drives, chain drives, cam and follower mechanisms, and linkages control movement
– Machine elements include structural components, mechanisms, and control components
– Bearings, springs, and seals are crucial machine elements
Machine Kinematics and Dynamics:
– Simple machines classified into levers, pulleys, wheel and axle, inclined plane, wedge, and screw
– Joints are primary elements forming connections for movement
– Machines are assemblies of solid parts connecting joints to form mechanisms
– Linkages like four-bar and six-bar linkages are used in machines
– Kinematic analysis determines movement of component parts
– Position, velocity, and acceleration of components are determined
– Rotational and translational movement mathematically modeled
Modern Applications and Impact of Machines:
– Mechanization assists with muscular work
– Automation reduces human work using control systems
– Impact of mechanization and automation on the economy and daily life
– Controllers combine sensors, logic, and actuators to maintain performance
– Computing machines designed for arithmetic operations
– Biological molecules considered as nanomachines
– Machine design phases include invention, performance engineering, and recycling
– Mechanics studies forces and movement of mechanical systems
– Dynamics of machines involve rigid-body models and equations of motion.
A machine is a physical system that uses power to apply forces and control movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to natural biological macromolecules, such as molecular machines. Machines can be driven by animals and people, by natural forces such as wind and water, and by chemical, thermal, or electrical power, and include a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement. They can also include computers and sensors that monitor performance and plan movement, often called mechanical systems.
Renaissance natural philosophers identified six simple machines which were the elementary devices that put a load into motion, and calculated the ratio of output force to input force, known today as mechanical advantage.
Modern machines are complex systems that consist of structural elements, mechanisms and control components and include interfaces for convenient use. Examples include: a wide range of vehicles, such as trains, automobiles, boats and airplanes; appliances in the home and office, including computers, building air handling and water handling systems; as well as farm machinery, machine tools and factory automation systems and robots.
English
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French machine, from Latin māchina (“a machine, engine, contrivance, device, stratagem, trick”), from Doric Greek μᾱχᾰνᾱ́ (mākhanā́), cognate with Attic Greek μηχᾰνή (mēkhanḗ, “a machine, engine, contrivance, device”), from which comes mechanical.
