control components such as buttons, switches, indicators, sensors, actuators and computer controllers.[1]
While generally not considered to be a machine element, the shape, texture and color of covers are an important part of a machine that provide astyling and operational interface between the mechanical components of a machine and its users.
Machine elements are basic mechanical parts and features used as the building blocks of mostmachines.[2] Most arestandardized to common sizes, but customs are also common for specialized applications.[3]
Machine elements may be features of a part (such as screw threads or integral plain bearings) or they may be discrete parts in and of themselves such as wheels, axles, pulleys,rolling-element bearings, or gears. All of thesimple machines may be described as machine elements, and many machine elements incorporate concepts of one or more simple machines. For example, aleadscrew incorporates ascrew thread, which is aninclined plane wrapped around acylinder.
Many mechanical design, invention, and engineering tasks involve a knowledge of various machine elements and an intelligent and creative combining of these elements into a component or assembly that fills a need (serves an application).
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