Name: Muhammad Faraz Khan

Reg No. 2016294

CAD/CAM (ME-418)
Assignment
Instructor: Dr. Wasim
Q1) Write a short essay on the usability of off the shelf machine
elements in development of strategic/non-strategic machine tools.

Off the shelf machine elements means parts that are not designed or made to order but
taken from existing stock or supplies. MACHINE ELEMENTS are elementary components of
a machine. These elements consist of three basic types:

1.) Structural components including frame members, bearings, axles, splines, fasteners,
seals, and lubricants.
2.) Mechanisms controlling movement in various ways such as gear trains, belt or chain
drives, linkages, cam and follower systems, brakes & clutches.
3.) Control components like buttons, switches, indicators, sensors, actuators and computer
controllers.

Most of the machine elements offered are standardized to common sizes, but custom made
machine elements are also available for specialized applications. Customization of machine
elements can take place on existing designs that are in downloadable catalogs or on brand
new designs. Prototyping and manufacturing of machine elements can be carried forward
once a design is approved by both parties. If new machine elements need to be designed &
manufactured, the customers either email their own blueprints and the developer reviews
them for approval, or they directly ask to design machine elements for their application. In
the latter case the developer use all input from customers and design the machine
elements and send the finalized blueprints to clients for approval. Once approved,
developers produce first articles and subsequently manufacture the machine elements
according to the final design. At any stage of this work, in case a particular machine
element design performs unsatisfactorily in the field (which is rare), a review is done of the
entire project and make alterations jointly with our clients as needed. Once machine
elements for a particular customer are custom designed and manufactured, developer
assigns a product code to it and only produce and sell them to customer who owns the
product. The developer reproduces the machine elements using the developed tools, molds
and procedures as many times as needed and whenever our customer reorders them.

Q2) Why do vendors (machine elements/machine

assemblies/components/structures/mechanisms/machinery) agree to
develop such objects for machine tool developers?
Vendors design off the shelf machine elements as it is easier in mass production. Certain
standards are set according to which these elements are developed and can be developed at
ease with simpler programming codes. Also, sometimes the vendors don’t receive the
customized orders from customers for quite a while; hence, its better to continue production
rather than sitting idle. Moreover, these elements have a far greater market as customized
elements are rarely required and standard machine elements are preferably used in all
assemblies/machines and structures.