Mechanics of Solids - Engineering Assignment

Internal Code: MAS5421

Engineering Assignment:

The following figure shows a typical design of a button commonly found in electronic devices. You have been requested to analyse and design an appropriate button attached to a cantilever beam. Questions:  a. Choose and propose a material for the cantilever beam and button. What is the young’s modulus of this material that you have chosen? b. Draw the free body diagram of the cantilever beam and button. c. Derive the shear force and bending moment equations as a function of the unknown force (F) from the pressing force of the thumb. d. Draw the shear force and bending moment diagrams. e. Determine the elastic curves of the cantilever beam and button and determine the force required to activate the switch based on your proposed material. f. Determine the potential mechanical failures in this design and discuss possible solutions for them. g. Suggest ways which you can help to improve the user experience when you received complains that the switch cannot be activated easily when force is applied on the button. Sketch your new design (cross section of cantilever beam) neatly and determine how much force is changed based on your new design