3 ms·
I think the idea is that, if you calculate the load incorrectly enough, or use inappropriate enough materials, the safety factor will not save you. But, if you
by rossdavidh 5y ago
I think the idea is that, if you calculate the load incorrectly enough, or use inappropriate enough materials, the safety factor will not save you. But, if you have done those things correctly, then the safety factor should be enough to save you from normal unknowns, unexpecteds, etc.
- Gibbon1 5y agoYeah four things going on. Design errors Probabilistic nature of the loads applied. Material defects Fatigue Deterioration All structures have a service life and it's the service lifetime an experienced engineer is trying to hit. For the impeller in a rocket turbo pump the service life is like 5 minutes. For the impeller in a hydro electric dam it's 50 years. The other thing that one of my professors pointed out was that 80% of engineers end up designing once off designs. Where the NRE cost is a lot more than the material costs. Shaving the safety factor is false economy.