Didactic Software for the Design of Rotative Shafts

Abstract

The present work proposes the development of a program in Visual Basic to the didactics improvement in teaching machine components design, focusing the calculation procedures adopted in the design of rotative shafts, considering its dynamic behaviour as the fundamental influence in the vibrational response of a rotative machine. The design and diameters evaluation of the component, previous to its integration as a part of the rotative machine group, is done in a software developed in Visual Basic, with an interactive interface with the user, that models a presented shaft with loads, geometry and bearing position through singularity functions. This model, when analysing either the static or the dynamic condition, supplies answers to the user with respect to the shaft deflections, supports reactions, stress state and the final geometry. Viewing that the objective of that software is being used in disciplines of Mechanical Design, the same not only should be capable of calculating the shaft dimensions, obeying fatigue failure approaches and for multiaxial stress state, but also to present a didactic and simplified interface to the user.