APPLICATION OF VIRTUAL MECHANISM IN ENGINEERING LABORATORY EXPERIMENT (Case Study: Slider Crank Mechanism)

Abstract

Application of virtual mechanisms in performing laboratory experiments is a concept which will make laboratory mechanisms available to students in the right quantity through computer. The concept will allow students to perform laboratory experiments within and outside their institutions without restriction to laboratory. Slider crank mechanism was used as a case study because it is a fundamental mechanism in mechanical systems in many industrial machines and automobiles. Students are made to perform experiments on this mechanism in order to understand its characteristics. This paper highlights how problems that are associated with practical works among students can be solved using virtual mechanisms. It went further to give theoretical analyses of slider crank mechanism. The formulas generated from the analyses were used for computer simulation using Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0. Experiments were performed with virtual (Computer Simulated) and real mechanisms separately using the same procedure in a typical laboratory experiment. The results of the experiments conducted were compared to justify its acceptability.