Khwaja Fareed

University of Engineering & Information Technology

Rahim Yar Khan

Department: Mechanical Engineering

Program: B.S
COMPLEX ENGINEERING PROBLEM ASSIGNMENT (SESSION 2020/2021)
[Course Code] Course Name: MEEN 4154 Course Instructor: Engr. Syed Saad Farooq
Finite Element Method
Total Marks: 15 Weightage: 15 %
Assigned Date 03-05-2024 Submission deadline 25-05-2024

According to the Washington Accord complex engineering problems are problems that:
A. Cannot be resolved without in-depth engineering knowledge.
B. Involve wide-ranging or conflicting technical, engineering and other issues.
C. Have no obvious solution and require abstract thinking and originality in analysis to formulate suitable models.
D. Involve infrequently encountered issues.
E. Outside problems encompassed by standards and codes of practice for professional engineering.
F. Involve diverse groups of stakeholders with widely varying needs.
G. High level problems including many component parts or sub-problems.

Assignment Title: Design and FEA Analysis of three - link actuator for the pick and place
mechanism
[CLO-1, II, III]

The design engineers were given the task of material handling of raw materials from one workstation to
another workstation in CNC shop by their operational managers. This can only be done if the design
purposed by the design engineers must be within the sufficient and necessary boundary conditions in
executing the task. Analysis must contain the right information of required masses to be lifted by the
actuator links. Their operational managers are expecting that by carefully inspecting, deformation and
stress-strain analysis on links, the report must contain hand calculations and the ANSYS validation.
Answer the following essentials which can be the best elaboration by the design team to the
operational managers.

Part A. Initiate the need of uplifting any part shape. Identify the links and joints accordingly.
Part B. Draw the free hand sketch and 3D solid works modeling of that design.
Part C. Suppose the type of beam element/s and mention the necessary and sufficient conditions for
robotic arm to function easily.
Part D. Formulate the global stiffness matrix and force-displacement relation by properly mentioning of
nodes. Find the applied stresses and strains due to lifting of parts in links.
 Part E. Import your solid works design in ANSYS and check deformation, stresses and strains using
colored graphics bar.
Part F. Mention the element size and type of mesh applied for its analysis.
Part G. Suggest any correction for balancing out the forces and the body to be in equilibrium. It is
necessary that the corrections must lead to the safe design of the robotic arm.
Deliverables
It is expected that each student will submit their own report, to include the following sections:
 Assuming the correct interdependent design parameters for robotic arm. Mention the type of
applied force (point load, UDL, UVL) through line of force and the number of supports. Draw free
body diagram. By assuming the required DOFs, set the joints accordingly. (10%)
 There must be proper dimensioning of the robotic arm. Additionally illustrate all the commands
of solid works need to model the robotic arm. (10%)
 With respect to the previous information, set the required beam element for its link assembly.
Beam material must also be chosen. Its young’s modulus and pre requisites like moment of inertia
to be used later for finding its stiffness matrix. By carefully examining the number of supports, the
correct boundary conditions must be chosen. (10%)
 The report must contain all the mathematical procedure that leads towards the formulation of
global stiffness matrix. See the number of nodes and identify the number of unknown
displacements with the forces and reactions. Consequently then compute the stress and strains.
(20%)
 Elaborate the effects of these masses on the links by importing the design into ANSYS. Explain
each colored graphics bar (20%)
 Use the proper validation and verification procedure and see the effects on the robotic arm
examination by varying the mesh sizes and the type of mesh. See if any minute stress-strain
changes can be seen. Suggest the changes in proposed design for minimum deformation and
reduced stresses and strains. (20)
 Report (10%)
The presentation of technical reports is important because it can make a significant difference to how easy the
report is to read. The following points should be noted when writing your report (these have been taken from
the guidance given for journal and conference papers).
Abstract: Your report should include an abstract of no more than 100 words, summarizing the topic
being reported and the main output.
Nomenclature: Any symbols used in your report should be listed with their definition given. The symbols
should be listed in alphabetical order within the subsets: Roman upper-case, Roman lower-
case, Greek upper-case, Greek lower-case.
Sections: Sections should be numbered. Typically, section headers are in bold and can be uppercased.
Sub-sections: Sub-sections should be numbered indicating which main section they are part of. Typically,
sub-section headers are in sentence case, and can be in bold and italics.
Figures: Figures should be captioned below (i.e., appear with a figure title), numbered and referred
to from the main body of the text. Do not wrap text around a figure.
Tables: Tables should be captioned above (i.e., appear with a table title), numbered and referred to
from the main body of the text. Do not wrap text around a table.
References: References and general layout should follow the IEEE format.
Font: Times new roman font should be used. Normally, a font size 11 may be used for all text. For tables and
figure annotations, a smaller font size (but at least a font size of 8) may be used. In all cases, text, tables and
figure annotations should easily be readable.

Rubrics:
Assessment Weighting Excellent Good Satisfactory Needs Unsatisfactory
Criterion (%) Improvement (0)
(4) (3) (2)
(1)

Identification 10 Accurate Identification Attempted for Minimal No attempt for

of links and finding of the with minor identification attempts for identification
joints with constraints. errors or with the
respect to the Clear, well- omissions but significant identification
proposed organized, mostly errors and a of links and
weight limits and error-free accurate and lack of clarity. joints
work. well-
organized.

Drawing and 10 Accurate Suggestion Barely Lame drawing No attempt to

3D solid works model with with minor acceptable according to draw model
model. proper errors or with the constraints according to
dimensioning omissions but significant described in the part ‘A’
mostly errors and a part ‘A’
accurate and lack of clarity.
well-
organized.

Beam element 10 Accurate Supposition Attempted a Minimal No attempt to

supposition supposition. with minor supposition attempts for supposition
errors or with the supposition
Clear, well-
omissions but significant according to
organized,
mostly errors and a the conditions
and error-free
accurate and lack of clarity. described
work.
well- previously.
organized.

Formulation of 20 Well Formulation Formulation Bad No

global stiffness explained with minor having formulation formulation
matrix formulation errors or significant and direct shown
Clear, well- omissions but errors and a putting of
organized all mostly lack of clarity values in
steps. accurate. and missing already set
of steps. matrices.

Analysis in 20 Accurate Less accurate Attempted an Minimal No attempt for

ANSYS analysis with with minor analysis attempts for its Analysis
respect to errors or having errors analysis.
applied forces omissions but and a lack of
and boundary mostly clarity in
conditions accurate and
 Clear, well- well- colored bars
organized, organized. trend.
and error-free
work.

Suggestion of 20 Well applied Well written Well applied Ill applied and No attempt for
possible and executed applied and and executed executed styles variations in
changes in mesh styles executed mesh mesh styles with no mesh styles
design for the with clear, styles with with analysis and and no
safe well- minor errors or significant faulty significant
declaration of organized, omissions but errors and a suggestions. suggestions in
design by and error-free mostly lack of clarity. design.
varying mesh work. Trouble accurate. Suggestions
styles and shooting and Suggestions are just
element sizes suggestions are also acceptable.
are excellent. accurate.

Report-making 10 Well- Organized and Somewhat Report lacks No attempt at

organized, clear report organized and organization report
clear report with minor clear report, and clarity, presentation.
with no errors or but with with numerous
significant omissions in significant errors.
errors. formatting, errors or lack
Includes an grammar, or of clarity.
abstract, structure.
nomenclature,
appropriately
numbered
sections, and
well-
captioned
figures and
tables.
Follows IEEE
format for
referencing.