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Guides for machine builders

Plain-English answers to the questions engineers ask before they sign a declaration or send a first article report. Each guide cites the Article, Annex or clause it relies on.

Free engineering calculators

CalculatorAir receiver tank sizing calculatorFree air receiver (compressed air tank) sizing calculator: required volume for a demand flow, duration and pressure band, hold-up time of an existing…CalculatorBall screw calculatorFree ball screw calculator: drive and back-driving torque, motor speed, power, critical speed, Euler buckling load and L10 life from dynamic load…CalculatorBeam deflection calculatorFree beam deflection calculator: maximum deflection, slope, bending moment, bending stress and reactions for simply supported, cantilever,…CalculatorBearing life calculatorFree bearing life calculator: basic rating life L10 and L10h in hours and million revolutions from dynamic load rating C, equivalent load and speed,…CalculatorBelt and pulley drive calculatorFree belt drive calculator for two pulleys: belt length from center distance, center distance from a standard belt length, speed ratio, output rpm,…CalculatorSheet metal bend allowance calculatorFree sheet metal bend allowance calculator: bend allowance, bend deduction, outside setback and flat blank length from thickness, inside radius,…CalculatorBolt torque calculator: tightening torque and preloadFree bolt torque calculator: tightening torque and maximum assembly preload for metric coarse, UNC and UNF bolts, classes 8.8 to 12.9, SAE Grade 5…CalculatorChain and sprocket drive calculatorFree roller chain drive calculator: chain length in pitches (rounded to an even link count), exact center distance for that length, speed ratio,…CalculatorClevis pin calculatorFree clevis pin calculator: shear stress in single or double shear, bearing stress on the lug and clevis legs, pin bending stress and safety factors.…CalculatorColumn buckling calculatorFree column buckling calculator: Euler and Johnson critical load, slenderness ratio, allowable load and safety factor for round, tube and rectangular…CalculatorCompression spring calculatorFree compression spring calculator: spring rate, load at working length, Wahl-corrected shear stress, solid height, stress at solid, spring index and…CalculatorExtension spring calculatorFree extension spring calculator: spring rate, extension under load with initial tension, Wahl-corrected shear stress in the body, body length,…CalculatorFillet weld size calculatorFree fillet weld size calculator: required leg size for a weld group (single line, two parallel welds, rectangle, round tube) under direct shear plus…CalculatorFlywheel calculatorFree flywheel calculator: moment of inertia, stored kinetic energy, energy fluctuation for a coefficient of fluctuation, required inertia, and…CalculatorHertz contact stress calculatorFree Hertz contact stress calculator: contact patch size, peak pressure, maximum shear stress and depth, approach and first-yield load for sphere or…CalculatorHydraulic accumulator sizing calculatorFree hydraulic accumulator calculator: required gas volume from the oil volume to deliver, precharge and working pressures, with isothermal or…CalculatorHydraulic cylinder force calculatorFree hydraulic and pneumatic cylinder force calculator: push and pull force from bore, rod and pressure, extend and retract speed from flow, oil…CalculatorHydraulic pump calculatorFree hydraulic pump calculator: actual flow, hydraulic power, input shaft power and torque from displacement, speed, pressure and efficiencies, plus…CalculatorInterference fit calculatorFree interference fit calculator (press fit and shrink fit): contact pressure, torque and axial holding capacity, pressing force, hub and shaft…CalculatorKey and keyway calculatorFree key and keyway calculator for parallel (rectangular) keys: shear stress, bearing (crushing) stress, safety factors and the minimum key length…CalculatorISO 286 limits and fits calculatorFree ISO 286 limits and fits calculator (also ANSI B4.2): hole and shaft tolerances for any size up to 500 mm, upper and lower deviations, limits in…CalculatorMotor sizing calculatorFree motor and servo sizing calculator: reflected inertia, acceleration torque, peak and RMS torque over a motion cycle, peak power and inertia…CalculatorPipe pressure drop calculatorFree pipe pressure drop calculator for water, hydraulic oil and other liquids: velocity, Reynolds number, Colebrook friction factor, friction loss,…CalculatorPneumatic cylinder calculatorFree pneumatic cylinder calculator: push and pull force from bore, rod and air pressure, free air consumption per cycle in L or scf, air flow in…CalculatorPower screw calculatorFree power screw (lead screw) calculator: raising and lowering torque, efficiency, self-locking check, thread and collar friction, stresses and…CalculatorPressure vessel wall thickness calculatorFree pressure vessel wall thickness calculator for cylinders and spheres under internal pressure: hoop, longitudinal and radial stress (thin-wall and…CalculatorSection properties calculatorFree section properties calculator for rectangles, circles, tubes, rectangular tubes and I-sections: area, second moment of area (moment of inertia),…CalculatorShaft critical speed calculatorFree shaft critical speed calculator: first lateral critical speed (rpm and Hz) of a solid or hollow shaft on two simple supports with up to two…CalculatorShaft stress calculator: torsion and bendingFree shaft stress calculator for solid and hollow round shafts under torque, bending moment and axial load: shear and bending stress, von Mises and…CalculatorSnap fit calculatorFree snap-fit cantilever calculator: root strain, permissible deflection, deflection and insertion force for a rectangular beam hook, with plastic…CalculatorSpur gear calculatorFree spur gear calculator: pitch, outside, root and base diameters, center distance, contact ratio, undercut check, pitch line velocity and tooth…CalculatorThermal expansion calculatorFree thermal expansion calculator: change in length, area and volume of a steel, aluminum, stainless, brass, copper or titanium part for a…CalculatorThread engagement length calculatorFree thread engagement length calculator: minimum engagement length for a bolt or screw in a nut or tapped hole (steel, cast iron, aluminium, brass,…CalculatorTolerance stack-up calculatorFree tolerance stack-up calculator: worst case, RSS (root sum square) and Monte Carlo analysis with unequal tolerances, a loop diagram, contribution…CalculatorTorque, power and speed calculatorFree torque, power and speed calculator: solve for kW or hp, N·m or lbf·ft, rpm, then size the motor through a gear reducer with efficiency and…CalculatorTorsion spring calculatorFree torsion spring calculator: spring rate per degree and per turn, angular deflection under torque, Wahl-corrected bending stress, active coils…CalculatorEngineering unit converterFree engineering unit converter for mechanical design: stress and pressure (MPa, psi, ksi, bar), torque (N·m, lbf·ft), force (N, lbf, kgf), power…CalculatorWorm gear calculatorFree worm gear calculator: ratio, lead angle, center distance, efficiency from friction, self-locking check, output torque and speed, and tooth…

EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230

Machinery RegulationDigital instructions for use under Machinery Regulation 2023/1230Under Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 instructions for use may be digital, but you must mark how to access them, make them printable and supply paper free…Machinery RegulationDoes the EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 apply to UK machine builders?UK machine builders: when Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies to you from 20 January 2027 (EU and Northern Ireland sales) and when the UK rules apply…Machinery RegulationConformity assessment under Machinery Regulation 2023/1230Article 25 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230: which conformity assessment procedure applies to Annex I Part A, Part B and all other machinery.…Machinery RegulationDistributors under Regulation 2023/1230 (Article 15)Reselling machinery in the EU from 20 January 2027? Article 15 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 lists what a distributor must verify (CE marking,…Machinery RegulationImporters and authorised representatives under Regulation 2023/1230 (Articles 12 and 13)Selling machinery into the EU from outside it? Articles 12 and 13 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230: what an authorised representative may do, and what an…Machinery RegulationPartly completed machinery and the EU declaration of incorporationSupplying partly completed machinery into the EU from 20 January 2027? Article 11 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230: Annex III requirements, Annex IV Part…Machinery RegulationSoftware and corruption protection under Machinery Regulation 2023/1230Annex III section 1.1.9 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 requires machines to resist corruption of safety-critical hardware, software and data. What it…Machinery RegulationSubstantial modification of machinery under Regulation 2023/1230 (Article 18)Under Article 18 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, whoever substantially modifies machinery becomes its manufacturer. The Article 3(16) definition, what…Machinery RegulationTechnical file under Machinery Regulation 2023/1230: what to compileWorking checklist for the technical documentation (technical file) that Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 requires machine manufacturers to compile, based on…Machinery RegulationMachines placed on the market before 20 January 2027 (Article 52)Can you still sell machinery built under Directive 2006/42/EC after 20 January 2027? Article 52 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 protects products placed…Machinery RegulationMachinery Regulation 2023/1230 vs Directive 2006/42/EC: what changes for machine buildersWhat machine builders need to change when Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 replaces the Machinery Directive on 20 January 2027: declaration of conformity,…Machinery RegulationMachinery Regulation 2023/1230 readiness checkFree 10-question check: is your machine ready for the EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 on 20 January 2027? Get a score and a gap list with the…Machinery RegulationWhat must an EU Declaration of Conformity contain under Machinery Regulation 2023/1230?Plain-English checklist of what an EU Declaration of Conformity for machinery should cover under Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 (Article 21, Annex V), and…

OSHA lockout/tagout (29 CFR 1910.147)

Lockout/tagout (OSHA)Group lockout/tagout procedure: what OSHA 1910.147(f)(3) requiresHow group lockout works under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147(f)(3): the primary authorized employee, group lockbox steps, multi-crew coordination, shift…Lockout/tagout (OSHA)Annual LOTO periodic inspection: what OSHA 1910.147(c)(6) requiresWhat the annual lockout/tagout periodic inspection under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(6) requires: who may inspect, what to review, what the certification…Lockout/tagout (OSHA)Authorized vs affected employee: LOTO roles and training under OSHA 1910.147Authorized, affected and other employees under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147: who is who, what training each group must get under (c)(7), when retraining is…Lockout/tagout (OSHA)Lockout/tagout for contractors: what OSHA 1910.147(f)(2) requiresWhat OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147(f)(2) requires when contractors service your machines: exchanging lockout/tagout procedures, making sure your employees…Lockout/tagout (OSHA)The LOTO minor servicing exception: when lockout is not requiredWhen servicing during normal production needs lockout under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147(a)(2)(ii), the minor servicing exception (routine, repetitive,…Lockout/tagout (OSHA)Lockout/tagout procedure example: belt conveyorA worked, machine-specific lockout/tagout procedure example for an inclined belt conveyor: energy sources, isolation points, belt tension and gravity…Lockout/tagout (OSHA)Lockout/tagout procedure example: hydraulic press brakeA worked example of a machine-specific lockout/tagout procedure for a hydraulic press brake: energy sources, isolation points, stored energy,…Lockout/tagout (OSHA)Machine-specific lockout/tagout procedure generatorFree tool: write a machine-specific lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedure structured to OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4) and (d), with energy sources, isolation…Lockout/tagout (OSHA)Lockout/tagout program template: what a written energy control program must coverWhat a written lockout/tagout (energy control) program needs under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147: procedures, devices, training and retraining, annual…Lockout/tagout (OSHA)Lockout vs tagout: the difference, and when OSHA allows tagout aloneLockout vs tagout under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147: the definitions, when lockout is required, when a tagout-only system is allowed, what full employee…

AS9102 and first article inspection

AS9102 / FAIAS9102 Form 3 template: what the characteristic accountability form needsWhat AS9102 Forms 1, 2 and 3 contain and how to fill in Form 3 characteristic accountability, with a free browser tool for first article inspection…AS9102 / FAIAS9102 partial FAI (delta FAI): when you need a new first articleWhen AS9102 calls for a partial (delta) or full first article inspection: process, source, tooling and design changes, production lapses, and how to…