DESIGN MODIFICATION AND FABRICATION OF A CRANK SLIDER MECHANISM USING A PASSIVE VIBRATION DAMPER

This project focuses on the analysis, modification and fabrication of a crank-slider mechanism integrated with a spring... The aim of this study is to design a crank slider mechanism and incorporate a damper to reduce the vibration. A detailed study was conducted to understand the kinematics and dynamics of the mechanism. A prototype which incorporated a spring was fabricated, and experimental tests are performed to validate the effectiveness of the damper. Our study finds that springs are not sufficient to reduce vibrations without the support of other added material. Over the course of fabrication and testing it is found that incorporating a rubber to the base increased the stability thereby reducing the vibration in the mechanism. The experiment yielded a return of drop in kinematic performance as in existing crank slider mechanism 30 degrees rotation gives a 1m displacement where in the modified mechanism 30 degrees rotation gives just a 0.9m displacement. This however increases the dynamics of the mechanism by increasing the energy storage up to 2.5J. Further development done on the mechanism could possibly yield better results and the mechanism can be repurposed to be used for laboratory demonstrations. The originality is in re-engineering a widely used classical mechanism (crank-slider) by embedding a passive vibration damping and energy-storage feature, making it more stable, durable, and efficient for modern mechanical applications.