Tools used in Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineering relies on a wide variety of tools and instruments that are essential for design, manufacturing, analysis, and testing. These tools fall into several broad categories, each serving a distinct function in the overall engineering process. Below is a comprehensive overview of the major tools used in mechanical engineering:

A

  1. Adjustable Wrenches (Crescent Wrench)

    • Purpose: A versatile wrench with an adjustable jaw for turning nuts and bolts of various sizes.

    • Common Sizes: Adjustable up to 30mm or 12 inches.

  2. Allen Keys (Hex Keys)

    • Purpose: Used to drive bolts and screws with a hexagonal socket, commonly found in machinery.

    • Common Sizes (Metric): 1.5mm, 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm

    • Common Sizes (Imperial): 1/16", 5/64", 3/32", 1/8", 5/32", 3/16", 1/4", 5/16"

  3. Angle Grinders

    • Purpose: Used for grinding, cutting, and polishing materials like metal and stone.

    • Common Disc Sizes: 115mm (4.5"), 125mm (5"), 230mm (9")

B

  1. Ball Peen Hammer

    • Purpose: Designed for metalworking tasks, such as shaping metal and setting rivets.

    • Common Sizes: 8oz, 12oz, 16oz, 24oz

  2. Bearing Pullers

    • Purpose: Used for removing bearings from shafts or housings without damaging the components.

    • Common Sizes: Range from 50mm to 200mm pullers.

  3. Box-End Wrenches (Ring Spanners)

    • Purpose: Used to turn bolts and nuts with a closed loop that grips all sides, minimizing slippage.

    • Common Sizes (Metric): 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 13mm, 17mm, 19mm, 24mm

    • Common Sizes (Imperial): 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 9/16", 3/4"

C

  1. Calipers (Vernier, Digital)

    • Purpose: Used for precise internal, external, and depth measurements of components.

    • Common Measuring Ranges: 0-150mm, 0-200mm, 0-300mm (6", 8", 12")

  2. Center Punch

    • Purpose: Used to create a small indentation on a surface to guide drilling.

    • Common Sizes: 3mm, 5mm, 6mm tip sizes.

  3. C-Clamps

    • Purpose: Used to hold workpieces securely in place during machining, welding, or assembly.

    • Common Sizes: 2", 4", 6", 8", 10"

  4. Chain Wrench

  • Purpose: Used to grip and turn cylindrical objects like pipes in plumbing and mechanical systems.

  • Common Sizes: Adjustable, for pipes up to 4 inches.

  1. Circlip Pliers (Internal/External)

  • Purpose: Used for installing and removing circlips or snap rings, which are used to hold components on shafts or inside bores.

  • Common Sizes: 10mm, 20mm, 50mm circlip sizes.

  1. Claw Hammer

  • Purpose: Primarily used for driving nails and prying them out.

  • Common Sizes: 8 oz, 16 oz, 20 oz

  1. Combination Spanners (Open and Box-End)

  • Purpose: Features an open-end and a box-end, allowing for versatile use on fasteners.

  • Common Sizes (Metric): 8mm, 10mm, 13mm, 17mm, 19mm, 24mm

  • Common Sizes (Imperial): 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 9/16", 3/4"

  1. Crowbars (Pry Bars)

  • Purpose: Used for prying, pulling, or removing components or nails.

  • Common Sizes: 12", 18", 24", 36"

D

  1. Deburring Tools

  • Purpose: Used to remove sharp edges or burrs after cutting or drilling.

  • Common Sizes: Universal blades for 3mm-10mm holes.

  1. Diagonal Cutters (Wire Cutters)

  • Purpose: Used for cutting wires and small metal components.

  • Common Sizes: 5", 6", 7", 8" lengths

  1. Dial Indicators

  • Purpose: Used to measure small displacements or runout, often in machining or alignment tasks.

  • Common Measuring Ranges: 0-25mm, 0-50mm with 0.01mm resolution.

  1. Die Set (for threading rods)

  • Purpose: Used to cut external threads on rods or bolts.

  • Common Sizes (Metric): M4, M5, M6, M8, M10, M12

  • Common Sizes (Imperial): 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2"

  1. Drilling Machines (Hand Drills, Drill Press)

  • Purpose: Used for creating holes in materials such as metal, wood, and plastic.

  • Common Bit Sizes (Metric): 1mm, 3mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm

  • Common Bit Sizes (Imperial): 1/16", 1/8", 3/16", 1/4", 3/8", 1/2"

F

  1. Feeler Gauges

  • Purpose: Used to measure gaps or clearances between components, such as valve tappets.

  • Common Sizes: 0.05mm to 1mm blades

  1. Files

  • Purpose: Used to shape, smooth, or remove material from a workpiece, often metal.

  • Common Shapes: Flat, round, half-round, triangular

  • Common Sizes: 6", 8", 10", 12"

G

  1. Grease Guns

  • Purpose: Used to apply lubricating grease to bearings and other moving parts.

  • Common Types: Manual, pneumatic, electric grease guns for standard grease fittings.

H

  1. Hack Saw

  • Purpose: Used for cutting metal, plastic, or wood.

  • Common Blade Sizes: 12", 18", 24 TPI (teeth per inch)

  1. Hand Reamers

  • Purpose: Used to smooth or enlarge holes to precise sizes.

  • Common Sizes: 3mm to 50mm

  1. Hex-Head Spanners (Box Spanners)

  • Purpose: Used to tighten or loosen hexagonal nuts and bolts.

  • Common Sizes (Metric): 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 13mm, 17mm, 19mm

  • Common Sizes (Imperial): 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 9/16"

  1. Hydraulic Pullers

  • Purpose: Used to remove gears, pulleys, and bearings under high pressure.

  • Common Sizes: 10-ton, 20-ton, 30-ton capacity

I

  1. Impact Wrenches

  • Purpose: Used for loosening or tightening bolts and nuts with high torque, often in automotive work.

  • Common Drive Sizes: 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 3/4", 1"

  • Common Socket Sizes: 10mm, 13mm, 17mm, 19mm, 24mm

M

  1. Mallets (Rubber, Wooden)

  • Purpose: Used for striking surfaces without damaging them, often for assembling or aligning components.

  • Common Sizes: 12 oz, 16 oz, 24 oz

  1. Measuring Tape

  • Purpose: Used for measuring distances or dimensions.

  • Common Lengths: 3m, 5m, 8m

  1. Micrometer (Outside, Inside)

  • Purpose: Used for precise measurement of thickness, diameter, or depth of components.

  • Common Measuring Ranges: 0-25mm, 25-50mm, 50-75mm

  • Common Imperial Sizes: 0-1", 1-2", 2-3"

  1. Multimeter

  • Purpose: Used for measuring voltage (AC/DC), current, resistance, and continuity, often for electrical diagnostics.

N

  1. Needle-Nose Pliers

  • Purpose: Used for gripping, bending, and cutting small wires or components in tight spaces.

  • Common Sizes: 5", 6", 8"

  1. Nut Drivers

  • Purpose: Used for tightening and loosening nuts in confined spaces.

  • Common Sizes (Metric): 5mm, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm

  • Common Sizes (Imperial): 1/4", 5/16", 3/8"

P

  1. Pipe Wrenches

  • Purpose: Used to grip and turn pipes, commonly in plumbing.

  • Common Sizes: 10", 12", 14", 18", 24"

  1. Pliers (Slip-Joint, Groove Joint)

  • Purpose: Used for gripping, turning, and twisting objects of varying sizes.

  • Common Sizes: 6", 8", 10", 12"

  1. Precision Screwdrivers

  • Purpose: Used for small screws in electronics, watches, and precision engineering.

  • Common Sizes: PH0, PH1, PH2 (Phillips), 2.5mm, 3mm, 4mm flathead

  1. Punches (Center, Pin)

  • Purpose: Used for marking metal or driving out pins from assemblies.

  • Common Sizes: 3mm, 4mm, 5mm tip sizes

R

  1. Ratchet Spanners

  • Purpose: Allows for continuous rotation in one direction to loosen or tighten bolts without repositioning.

  • Common Sizes (Metric): 8mm, 10mm, 13mm, 17mm, 19mm, 24mm

  • Common Sizes (Imperial): 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2"

  1. Ratcheting Socket Wrench (with Socket Sets)

  • Purpose: Allows for the fast tightening or loosening of nuts and bolts.

  • Common Drive Sizes: 1/4", 3/8", 1/2"

  • Common Socket Sizes: 10mm, 13mm, 17mm, 19mm, 24mm

  1. Ring Spanners (Box-End Wrenches)

  • Purpose: Similar to combination spanners, providing a closed grip for nuts and bolts.

  • Common Sizes (Metric): 8mm, 10mm, 13mm, 17mm, 19mm

  • Common Sizes (Imperial): 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2"

S

  1. Screwdrivers (Flathead, Phillips)

  • Purpose: Used for driving screws with slotted or crosshead designs.

  • Common Sizes:

    • Flathead: 3mm, 4mm, 5.5mm, 6mm

    • Phillips: PH0, PH1, PH2, PH3

  1. Snap Ring Pliers (Circlip Pliers)

  • Purpose: Used to install and remove snap rings or circlips from shafts and bores.

  • Common Sizes: 10mm, 20mm, 50mm clips

  1. Socket Set (Ratchet Wrench)

  • Purpose: Versatile for turning nuts and bolts of different sizes with interchangeable sockets.

  • Common Drive Sizes: 1/4", 3/8", 1/2"

  • Common Socket Sizes: 10mm, 13mm, 17mm, 19mm, 24mm

T

  1. Tap Set (for threading holes)

  • Purpose: Used for cutting internal threads in holes for bolts.

  • Common Sizes (Metric): M4, M5, M6, M8, M10, M12

  • Common Sizes (Imperial): 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2"

  1. Torque Wrenches

  • Purpose: Used for tightening bolts and nuts to a specific torque to avoid overtightening or under-tightening.

  • Common Drive Sizes: 1/4", 3/8", 1/2"

  • Common Torque Range: 10Nm-200Nm

  1. T-Slot Cleaners

  • Purpose: Used to clean out T-slots in machine tables for a precise fit.

  • Common Sizes: For M6, M8, M10 slots.

W

  1. Wire Strippers

  • Purpose: Used for stripping insulation from electrical wires.

  • Common Wire Sizes: 10 AWG, 12 AWG, 14 AWG, 16 AWG, 18 AWG

  1. Wrenches (Spanners)

  • Purpose: Used for turning nuts and bolts, commonly available in fixed sizes.

  • Common Sizes (Metric): 8mm, 10mm, 13mm, 17mm, 19mm, 24mm

  • Common Sizes (Imperial): 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2"

This detailed list covers the tools, their purposes, and commonly used sizes. It includes essential hand tools, specialized equipment, and measuring devices frequently used in mechanical engineering work.