Engineer General Machinery case studies
Engineer General Machinery · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Engineer (General Machinery) credential is a professional engineering examination for practitioners who design, specify, install, and maintain mechanical equipment across plant and industrial settings. It suits design engineers working with shafts, gears, bearings, and pressure-containing components; plant and maintenance engineers responsible for pumps, compressors, fans, and prime movers; and manufacturing or fabrication engineers who must connect drawings to weld procedures, tolerances, and inspection. The Engineer General Machinery case studies are 5 cases and about 4,255 words.
1Under-bolted hydraulic cylinder end cover: retorque, derate, or redesign?
A hydraulic press builder is commissioning a 160 mm bore cylinder that clamps a die-casting mould. Maximum working pressure is 25 MPa, and clamp pressure cycles from 0 to maximum about 1,200 times per shift.
959 words, about 5 min2Repeated conveyor drive shaft failures after a motor uprate
A 37 kW belt conveyor drives its head pulley through a helical gearbox. The gearbox-side shaft has failed twice in 14 months.
937 words, about 5 min3Cooling-water pump cavitation after a suction strainer is added
A 37 kW end-suction centrifugal pump, 2,950 rpm, rated 120 m³/h at 65 m head, lifts cooling water from an open concrete sump. In summer the water reaches 42 °C (vapour pressure 8.2 kPa abs, density 991 kg/m³); site atmospheric pressure is 101.3 kPa.
706 words, about 4 min4Robot palletiser light curtain: safety distance, performance level, and a deliberate defeat
A robot palletiser handles 20 kg bags at up to 1,100 cycles/h. Operators load empty pallets through a 1,200 mm wide opening protected by a safety light curtain with 30 mm detection capability.
741 words, about 4 min5Pump overhaul versus replacement: economics, verification, and a conflict of interest
A municipal water utility's 250 kW vertical-turbine raw-water pump is 15 years old and its measured efficiency has fallen from 85 % to 78 %. Duty is 0.50 m³/s at 60 m head, 6,000 h/yr, with electricity at USD 0.11/kWh.
912 words, about 5 min