Course · 16 lessons · 16 workshop exercisesHands-on maintenance

Practical machine mechanics course

The mechanical maintenance a fitter does by hand. Each idea is one line and a picture, and every lesson has an exercise on a real machine: tighten a flange in a star pattern, shim a motor into alignment, read a micrometer, fit a bearing with a heater, tension a belt and grease with the calculated amount.

Start the course →Try lesson 1

Lesson 1 is open to everyone

Course exercise: a conveyor drive with motor, coupling, gearbox, chain and bearings
From the course exercises: name every part of a conveyor drive, and where to grease and align it.
Contents

16 lessons in order, a workshop exercise in each

Each lesson is one idea per line with a picture you get at a glance, then a 3-round exercise and short questions. The last lesson is fault finding and a final exam.

  1. Inside the machine: the drive trainFree for all
    • From motor to load
    • Each part and its job
    • Speed falls… torque rises
    • 4 things that ruin any machine
    • ExerciseThe conveyor drive: know every part
    • QuestionsLesson questions
  2. Bolts and nuts
    • Read the size: M12 × 1.75
    • Strength: the number on the head
    • The right spanner
    • How to stop a bolt working loose
    • ExercisePick the bolt and spanner
    • QuestionsLesson questions
  3. Tightening torque and sequence
    • Why torque matters
    • Torque table (steel 8.8, dry thread)
    • The torque wrench
    • Star pattern, in stages
    • ExerciseAn 8-bolt flange
    • QuestionsLesson questions
  4. Keys, bushes and fixing parts on a shaft
    • Two jobs, two fixes
    • Key size from shaft diameter
    • The taper-lock bush
    • Stopping it sliding
    • ExerciseMount the pulley on the shaft
    • QuestionsLesson questions
  5. Couplings
    • Rigid or flexible?
    • Types you will meet
    • How to choose
    • Signs of a tired coupling
    • ExerciseChoose the right coupling
    • QuestionsLesson questions
  6. Shaft alignment
    • Two kinds of error
    • Measuring tools
    • First: soft foot
    • Acceptable limits (around 1500 rpm)
    • ExerciseAligning a motor to a gearbox
    • QuestionsLesson questions
  7. Reading a micrometer
    • Parts of the micrometer
    • The linear scale (on the sleeve)
    • The circular scale (on the thimble)
    • Reading in 3 steps
    • ExerciseThe micrometer, close up
    • QuestionsLesson questions
  8. Bearings: types and numbers
    • Types and their jobs
    • Decoding 6205-2RS C3
    • The letters after the number
    • ExerciseDecode the bearing number
    • QuestionsLesson questions
  9. Removing and fitting bearings
    • The golden rule
    • Fitting with a heater
    • Removal
    • Mistakes that kill it early
    • ExercisePut the job steps in order
    • QuestionsLesson questions
  10. O-rings and seals: stopping leaks
    • The O-ring: just two sizes
    • Material by fluid and temperature
    • The oil seal: lip towards the oil
    • Fitting without damage
    • ExerciseChoose the material, fit the seal
    • QuestionsLesson questions
  11. Gears, gear types and ratio
    • The types
    • Ratio from the teeth
    • The module must match
    • The worm: big ratio and self-locking
    • ExerciseTwo gears on two shafts
    • QuestionsLesson questions
  12. The gearbox: choosing it and its oil
    • The nameplate
    • Service factor
    • The oil
    • Daily checks
    • ExercisePick the gearbox, watch its oil
    • QuestionsLesson questions
  13. Belts and pulleys
    • V-belt sections
    • Ratio from the diameters
    • Tension by deflection
    • Fitting and alignment
    • ExerciseBelt tension by deflection
    • QuestionsLesson questions
  14. Chains and sprockets
    • The pitch
    • The links
    • Slack and stretch
    • Lubrication
    • ExerciseMeasure the chain and decide
    • QuestionsLesson questions
  15. Greasing and oiling
    • Grease or oil?
    • The numbers on the tub
    • The right amount
    • How to grease correctly
    • ExerciseThe grease gun
    • QuestionsLesson questions
  16. Fault finding + final exam
    • Your tools
    • Sign → cause
    • Temperature
    • The inspection plan
    • ExerciseDiagnose the faulty machine
    • QuestionsLesson questions
    • QuestionsFinal exam (21 questions)
Start the course →

The course in numbers

16lessons from the bolt to fault finding
16workshop exercises, 3 rounds each
117questions in the lessons and final exam
80%to pass and earn a certificate
Mechanical maintenance

What you will learn

  • Read a bolt’s size and grade and tighten it to the right torque in a star pattern
  • Choose the right key and coupling, align with shims and fix soft foot
  • Read a micrometer on its sleeve and thimble scales to 0.01 mm
  • Read a bearing number, fit it with a heater without damage, and choose the right O-ring and seal
  • Work out gear ratios, size a gearbox with a service factor and watch its oil
  • Tension a belt by deflection, measure chain stretch and grease the calculated amount
  • Tell a fault from its noise, heat, vibration or leak
Who it is for

Who this course is for

  • Electrical maintenance technicians who work next to fitters and want to understand their work
  • Beginners in factory mechanical maintenance
  • Technical diploma and engineering students as a practical start
  • Want the physics behind torque and gears? Mechanics basics complements this course
FAQ

Before you ask

Do I need experience first?
No. The course starts from the machine parts themselves and every number comes with an example.
Do the exercises work on a phone?
Yes. Every exercise is taps and sliders, designed for phones first.
Can I use these numbers on the job?
They are rounded for learning and give you the right feel. On the job always follow the maker’s catalogue.
Is there a certificate?
Yes, a certificate of completion when you finish every lesson and pass the final exam.

Ready to tighten your first flange?

Lesson 1 is open to everyone, and the whole course opens when you buy it. Your progress is saved.

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