Mechanics and dynamic systems represent some of the core competencies of our mechanical engineering team. They work hard to design products and equipment that have the correct motions and use the right kinds of actuators. We love solving challenging problems at the intersections of force, matter and motion!

The study of heat flow and heat transfer, paired with the study of fluids and fluid flow, is integral in the mechanical engineering discipline. Even a task as simple as cooling down a battery can be a challenge. Solutions to cooling and flow issues often involve hand calculations and CFD with complex software. All of this is important to answer before building the first prototype.

Structural Analysis refers to the art and science of designing components to be able to withstand the forces and loads that users of the device or the motors/actuators/gravity can impart on a device. Structural analysis is often thought of when building bridges, but we use structural analysis and structural design best practices to build devices and device components that are efficient and can stand up to the rigors of your product. One of the largest challenges in structural design is the balance of strength vs. weight. It is easy to make any part strong, but can that same part be strong AND light? How can we optimize for cost savings and minimize the amount of plastic or metal this part takes to build while still being effective? These are the questions that our engineers can help answer for you!

The engineering art of selecting and optimizing designs for strength, weight, and effectiveness would not be possible without the science of materials. Material properties like yield strength, elongation, plasticity, creep, and other physical properties of a chosen material can greatly influence the performance of your product. Understanding the device or equipment intent and key parameters will play into our engineer’s material choices. There are hundreds of different variations of plastics, hundreds of different variations of metals, and all are not created equal. They each have specific properties that make them better for specific applications. Often both experience and analysis are used to make sure we choose the correct materials for the application.

The integration of motors, actuators, servos and other automated motion components into a design takes an acute understanding of the fundamental principles of mechanical engineering.  Understanding torque, power or travel specifications of actuators and how friction and other physical phenomena affect operation, is critical to a successful design of a product.  Electro-mechanical design encompasses everything from the fundamental mathematical calculations to ensure an actuator is up to the task in your product, to clearances, mounting requirements and even power and heat dissipation considerations.  Kickr mechanical engineers are experts at evaluating and engineering around these considerations toward a successful product outcome.