Elements of Mechanical Design
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this advanced mechanical engineering course covering the modeling, design, and integration of machine elements such as bearings, springs, gears, cams, and mechanisms. The material draws on solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, manufacturing, estimation, and computer simulation to analyze how these components behave and interact. Lab sessions have students disassemble real machines and run experiments to test the underlying physics, while a substantial term project requires modeling, designing, fabricating, and characterizing a mechanical system tied to a real-world application. Problem sets are coordinated directly with project deliverables, and assessment centers on whether students can synthesize a working device under practical constraints like cost and schedule. Course materials include lecture notes, lab assignments, and project guidelines, free to access through MIT OpenCourseWare with no certificate offered.