TRADE PROJECT TITLE: Design and fabrication of foot manual gear Operated screw
jack PRESENTED BY: MICHAEL OTIENO INDEX NO: 7031010451 SUPERVISOR:
MADAM YVONE MOKUA SUBMITTED TO: Kenya National Examination Council
(KNEC) In partial fulfillment for the award in Diploma In mechanical engineering.
SERIES: June/July series 2025 Course code: 2501/306
DECLARATION I declare that this my original that as never been presented anywhere
for whatsoever reason. I personally take the initiative to collect data and produce this
work. In regards to that this work should never be reproduced anywhere for whatsoever
purpose without my knowledge.
NAME: GEORGE BUSH AKAKA
INDEX NO.: 7031011008
SIGN…………………… DATE…………………...
SUPERVISOR NAME: WAMUU RAJAB SIGN………………...
DATE………………...
DEDICATION
I have to remember my parents for the encouragement to work hard to achieve my
dreams. Therefore, I dedicate this work to my beloved Dad and mum for their tiresome
support towards my success. I also dedicate this to my friend for actively assisting in
coming up with this constructive business plan. I also dedicate it my trainer for actually
equipping with skills to go through this tiresome process of coming up with this work,
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to acknowledge and appreciate the great guidance from my project
supervisor, instructor MADAM YVON MOKUA I would also like to thank my parents
and classmates for their encouragement, understanding and support throughout the entire
project. I would also like to thank the almighty God for bringing me this far and giving
me the strength to carry out the project. I Would also like to thank MAVIN and IZO
ABSTRACT
a screw jack serves to give mechanical advantage by changing rotational force to linear
force thus allows one to lift a load and support it at a given height. The aim of the project
was to design a screw jack that was raised 3500kg mass of car during maintenance and
with a desired strength and mechanical properties that was free from any error. This case
study is divided into various sections that describes classification of screw threads, design
analysis, result and dissection, conclusion and recommendation parts of the screw jack
and selection of materials used for construction that are in agreement with current
industry practice of screw jack design. The design procedure adopted here is from design
of machine elements 1 and 2 A factor of safety of 5 and above should be used in this
design to reduce high chances of failure due to dynamic loading and impact loading.
Dynamics loading is as a result of external interference such as whirl wind, earth tremors
and external forces while impact loading is such as load is applied suddenly with a short
time and results into high stresses which can cause failure hence these calls for a high
factor of safety.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
Screw jack is also called jack screw in other terms. A screw jack is an example of a
power screw and referred to as a mechanical device that can increase the magnitude of an
effort force. Screw jacks are used for raising and lowering platforms and they provide a
high mechanical advantage in order to move moderately heavy and large weights with
minimum effort. They function by turning the lead screw when raising or lowering of
loads. Screw jack is found everywhere is need to lift, position align and hold, to amplify
force . A screw jack consists of a screw and a nut. The nut is fixed in a cast iron frame
and remains stationary. The rotation of the nut inside the frame is prevented by pressing a
set screw against it. The screw is rotated in the nut by means of a driven spur gear which
has a spindle which is coupled to the screw. The input gear has a foot pedal whereby
effort used to raised the load is applied. The head carries a platform, which supports the
load and remains stationary while the screw is being rotated. A washer is fixed to the
other end of the screw inside the frame, which prevents the screw from being completely
turned out of the nut.
1.2 OVERALL AND SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
1.2.1 Overall objectives There is one problem that the researcher identified that most
manual gears used today in the market had been designed to be operated by hands . I
discovered that hand is always subjected to fatigue in raising loads. Besides this It can not
be operated with hand disable persons. Naturally, I found that foot drive provide more
power than hand drive and this improves efficiency in raising load. And it is less tiresome
too. These had been much better than hand driven screw jack.
1.2.2 Specific objectives Objective of this design
is to overcome the problem of statement. General objective _to design and modal manual
foot gear operated screw jack specific objective to designs , to select materials , to
improve efficiency to outline dimensions methodologies: I use books, like gupta Ash-
by,m.f 2005.material selection in mechanical design.3rd edition New York Like
bhandari,v.b., 2010.design of machine elements. Like strength of material Like material
science Like internet source design concepts: I use the concepts cost, strength,
mechanism, mechanical Properties, creep, fatigue, physical properties, thermal properties.
1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT
Based on that design we are lifting only 3500kg. more than this mass is impossible The
development of screw jack is only prototype not ready functioning as commercial. The
developed screw jack is for both normal person and also hand disable person as well.The
developed screw jack is only operated on afloat surface.
1.4 ASSUMPTION AND LIMITATIONS 1.4.4 Assumptions The scope of the project is
starting from acknowledgment, abstract, nomenclature, introduction to screw, literature
review, material selection, force analysis, design analyses, result and diction, conciliation,
recommendation. Collection of input data from research work. Study of weight-
dimensional parameters . Study of Keeping of service life at different loading . Study of
Reliable operation.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE AND MOTIVATION OF STUDY 1.5.1 Significance The
significance of the study lies in the improvement of the developed screw jack for
industrial use and applications. Automation technology are essential for improving
production efficiency reducing cost and also enhancing safety. 1.5.2 Motivation The
motivation behind the study is the growing need for automation in industries. Human
workers are being introduced and exposed to risk and automating this task with the
developed screw jack system which improve workplace safety and reduce operational
cost.
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 LITRATURE REVIEW
2.1 Historical background Screw jack is also called jack screw in other terms. A screw
jack is an example of a power screw and referred to as a mechanical device that can
increase the magnitude of an effort force. Screw jacks are used for raising and lowering
platforms and they provide a high mechanical advantage in order to move moderately
heavy and large weights with minimum effort. They function by turning the lead screw
when raising or lowering of loads.
2.2 Design and consideration
The jack can be raised and lowered with a metal bar that is inserted into the jack. The
operator turns the bar with his/her hands in a clockwise direction. This turns the screw
inside the jack and makes it go up. The screw lifts the small metal cylinder and platform
that are above it. As the jack goes up, whatever is placed above it will raise as well, once
the jack makes contact. The bar is turned until the jack is raised to the required level. To
lower the jack the bar is turned in the opposite direction.
2.3 AUTOMATION AND INNOVATION
2.3.1 Automation Automation
plays a critical role of raising and lowering objects of heavy loads and also improving
the efficiency and reliability of the design.
2.3.2 Innovation
Innovations such as introducing mechanical advantage in machines like screw jack make
easy determining of strength of the machine and other properties
2.4 Environmental consideration
A screw jack consists of a screw and a nut. The nut is fixed in a cast iron frame and
remains stationary. The rotation of the nut inside the frame is prevented by pressing a set
screw against it. The screw is rotated in the nut by means of a handle, which passes
through a hole in the head of the screw. The head carries a platform, which supports the
load and remains stationary while the screw is being rotated. A washer is fixed to the
other end of the screw inside the frame, which prevents the screw from being completely
turned out of the nut.
2.5 conclusion
In conclusion the economic in Kenya is largely caused by lack in innovation in many
small scale industries since the government of Kenya promote innovations of large scale .
I would like to encourage young engineers to expand there minds in innovations.
CHAPTER
3 3.1 Methordogy
Material selection is an important process in design processes. Selecting materials is a
process that is design-led in that the material selection process uses the design
requirements as the input so as to come up with materials that have the desired properties
for the part to be designed to function well.
3.2 Operational features, materials and components
The common engineering materials used in making machine components include; Cast
iron, Steel (all types of steel), Copper and its alloys, Aluminum and its alloy Plastics.
Therefore, the right materials for the design of the screw jack parts should be selected.
Selection requires one to consider the following factors which give the best material fit
for the design job:
a) Specific strength and mass. It is preferable to select a material of high yield stress with
ability to carry external load without failure and low density in order to realize a screw
shaft of high strength and low mass. Therefore, the material selection process should aim
to maximize the quantity termed as the specific strength.
b) Resistance to abrasive wear. Most of engineering materials in contact with one another
are subjected to surface wear due to relative motion. It is therefore desirable to select a
material from the candidate materials with low wear rate or capacity to resist abrasive
wear at the thread surfaces.
c) Resistance to buckling. Frame (Body) Most of the frames are in conical shape and
hollow internally to accommodate both the nut and screw assembly. The frame works to
ensure that the screw jack is safe and has a complete rest on the ground. The purpose of
the frame is to support the screw jack and enable it to withstand compressive load exerted
on it. The frame is a bit complex and thus required casting as a manufacturing process.
For this reason, grey cast iron as a material is selected for the frame.
Scr
ew
The screw is subjected to tensional moment, compressive force and bending moment.
The screw profile is square type because of its higher efficiency and self-locking but not
compared to trapezoidal threads. Square threads are usually turned on lathes using a
single point cutting tool also square threads are weak at the root and this leads to use of
free cutting steel. Screws are usually made of steel where great resistance to weather or
corrosion is required. Most fasteners close to 90% use carbon steel because steel has
excellent workability.
Nut
There exists a relative motion between the screw and the nut which causes friction,
friction in turn causes wear of the material used for screw and nut. Therefore, it requires
one of the two members to be softer. A suitable material for the nut is therefore phosphor
bronze which is a copper alloy with small percentage of lead and has the following
advantages; Good corrosion resistance.
Handle
The handle is subjected to bending moments so plain carbon steel of BS 080M30 with
yield strength of 385MPa can also be used.
Cup
Shape of cup is complex and thus requires casting process. It also has the same properties
as in
Table3.1. Taking graphite flakes cast iron with an ultimate tensile strength of
200MPa.graphite the ability to resist compressive load.
Set Screw and Lock nut + Washer
The purpose of the set screw is to resist motion of nut with screw. The lock nut + washer
on the other hand
is used to provide uniform force by enlarging the area under the action of the
force
3.3 Budget Estimation
Items/components Quantity Unit price Total cost
(ksh) (ksh)
Milled steel metal 2 1000 2000
Base 1 1000 1000
Alluminium steel 1 5000 5000
Desgn 7000 7000
labour 8000 8000
TOTAL 23000
Chapter 4
4.0 Data Analysis
Effective data analysis is crucial for the project's success as it ensures that decision-
making and problem-solving are based on accurate and reliable information.
4.1 Calculation Performance
(a) Torque Required to Rotate the Screw
When the torque required to rotate the screw is the same as the torque required to lift the
load:
T₁ = (8583.75 × tan(3.31227° + 5.71°) × 0.011) / 2 = 7.496 Nm
(b) Screw Stresses
Compressive Stress:
Compressive stress due to axial loads using the new core diameter:
σc = W / Ac = W / (π × dc² / 4)
= (4 × 8583.75) / (π × 0.01²) = 109.29 MPa
Shear Stress:
Shear stress due to torque using the new core diameter:
τ = T₁ × dc / (2 × J), where J = π × dc⁴ / 32
= (16 × T₁) / (π × dc³)
= (16 × 7.496) / (π × 0.01³) = 38.177 MPa
Principal Stresses:
Maximum principal stress:
σc(max) = 121.3068 MPa
Maximum shear stress:
τ(max) = (1/2) × √(σc² + 4τ²)
= (1/2) × √(109.292² + 4 × 38.177²) = 66.66 MPa
Design Check:
Design value of τ = 450 / 5 = 90 MPa
Check: Both maximum shear and compressive stresses are less than the permissible
stresses, indicating a safe design.
(c) Total Torque Subjected to the Handle
Total torque:
T = T₁ + T₂ = 7.496 Nm + 63.90 Nm = 71.396 Nm
Table 4.2: Maximal Isometric Force by General European Working Population for
Whole Body Work in a Standing Posture
Activity Professional Use Domestic Use
Pushing 200 N (20.4 kg) 119 N (12.1 kg)
Pulling 145 N (14.8 kg) 96 N (9.8 kg)
Taking the force of 96 N in domestic use (J.J. Ferreira, 2004), the length of the handle
required is calculated accordingly.
(d) Diameter of Handle/Lever
The diameter of the handle/lever (D) may be obtained using bending effects:
σbtc = 700 / 5 = 140 MPa
Moment, M = Force applied × length of lever = 96 N × 0.7437 m = 71.395 Nm
D = 0.0173 m = 17.3 mm → Say, D = 18 mm
(e) Design Check Against Instability/Buckling
Effective length of screw:
Leff = 1 + h / 2 = (20030 / 2) + 2215 mm
When the screw reaches the maximum lift, it can be regarded as a strut whose lower end
is fixed and the load end is free. Therefore, the buckling or critical load (Gupta, 2005) is:
Wcr = 13199.04 N
W = 8583.75 N
4.2 Conclusion
From my project, I concluded that from the introduction to the design analysis section,
the working principle and operation of the screw jack are clearly demonstrated. The
efficiency of this designed screw jack and the methods of increasing its efficiency are
highlighted. A screw jack is a type of power screw and is considered a mechanical device
capable of increasing the magnitude of an effort force. Screw jacks are used for raising
and lowering platforms and provide a high mechanical advantage to move moderately
heavy and large weights with minimum effort. Based on my calculations and
assumptions, the designed values are safe.
4.3 Recommendation
From the case study, I concentrated on the design of a simple mechanical screw jack
where the nut is fixed in a cast iron frame and remains stationary while the spindle is
rotated by the lever. This design can only work for light loads. When a screw jack is
needed for heavy load applications, a different design is required in which the nut is
rotated as the spindle moves. I therefore recommend the design of a screw jack for
heavier loads. I also recommend that workshops and AutoCAD rooms be opened in order
to facilitate more practical learning.
References
1. Ashby, M. F., 2005. Material Selection in Mechanical Design. 3rd ed. New York:
Pergamon Press.
2. Bhandari, V. B., 2010. Design of Machine Elements. Third Edition. New Delhi:
Tata McGraw-Hill Education.
3. Collection, J., 2015. hubpages.com › Autos › Automobile History. [Online]
Available at: https://www.historyofscrewjacks.com [Accessed 11 November
2015].
2015].
