Assignment 4a: Power Screws

The Process

My partner, Dylan Appleyard, came up with the C-Clamp as the module for us to design. He created the CAD drawings, but did his analysis independently due to externalities.

I used some average measurements in my sketches from existing square thread C-Clamps I own and approximated an average clamping force one would typically exert. With this, I calculated the amount of applied force from a user would be necessary to acheive this clamping force (50lbs). I also calculated the torque this applied force exerted on the power screw as well as the shear force. We agreed on a safety factor of 1.5 and I calculated the shear force that the screw needed to be able to endure under higher loads than what we needed for our application.

I'd like to know what the maximum load a C-Clamp with these specifications can endure without bending. However, this would require a material analysis in Creo(which I am not educated to do yet) or a real life prototype.