MINOR

DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF PROJECT

SCISSOR JACK

ADEESH JAIN UE7904

ASHISH SHARMA UE7913
HANISH GUPTA UE7924
PARNEET SINGH UE7939
Contents
1 Introduction.........................................................................................................................................4
1.1 Problem Statement......................................................................................................................5
1.2 Objective........................................................................................................................................
1.3 schedule ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……3

2 Research & Decision Making...............................................................................................................8

2.1 Product Comparison..................................................................................................................13
2.2 Preliminary Designs.....................................................................................................................5
2.3 Decision making...........................................................................................................................8
2.4 Final design………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………8

3 Sketches...............................................................................................................................................9
3.1 Jack............................................................................................................................................10
3.2 Supports....................................................................................................................................11
4 PRO-e models....................................................................................................................................13
4.1 Parts...........................................................................................................................................13
4.2 Assembly....................................................................................................................................17
5 Work done.........................................................................................................................................18
5.1 Load criteria and assumptions...................................................................................................18
5.2 Material selection......................................................................................................................19
5.3 Stresses acting on various components………………………………………………………………………………….20

5.4 Self locking criteria……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….20

6 Possible failures and errors...............................................................................................................21

7 Work to be done ...............................................................................................................................22

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 Acknowledgement
We would like to express our gratitude to all those who
gave us the possibility to complete our projects and we
feel really obliged by the support and assistance
provided by Mr. Amit Chauhan, our project guide. We
also feel thankful towards our colleagues for their
valuable suggestions and help.

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1 Introduction

1.1 Mechanical jack

A jack is mechanical device used to lift heavy loads or apply great
forces. Jacks employ a screw thread or hydraulic cylinder to apply very
high linear forces.

A mechanical jack is a device which lifts heavy equipment. The most

common form is a car jack, floor jack or garage jack which lifts vehicles
so that maintenance can be performed. Car jacks usually use
mechanical advantage to allow a human to lift a vehicle by manual
force alone. More powerful jacks use hydraulic power to provide more
lift over greater distances. Mechanical jacks are usually rated for a
maximum lifting capacity.
As our area of concern is a screw jack used for lifting the car that is
scissor jack, so only the scissor jack and its background is discussed
below.

1.2 Scissor jack

Scissor jacks are simple mechanisms used to drive large loads short
distances. The power screw design of a common scissor jack reduces
the amount of force required by the user to drive the mechanism. Most
scissor jacks are similar in design, consisting of four main members
driven by a power screw. A scissor jack is operated simply by turning a
small crank that is inserted into one end of the scissor jack. This crank is
usually "Z" shaped. The end fits into a ring hole mounted on the end of
the screw, which is the object of force on the scissor jack. When this
crank is turned, the screw turns, and this raises the jack. The screw acts
like a gear mechanism. It has teeth (the screw thread), which turn and
move the two arms, producing work. Just by turning this screw thread,
the scissor jack can lift a vehicle that is several thousand pounds. Power

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screw in a scissor jack is the foundation of whole mechanism of scissor
jack.

1.3 Problem Statement:

The most common problem encountered while using scissor jack is the
instability of jack while giving jerks to loosen the wheel nut. Also the
common jack having small base is unable to provide proper support on
uneven surface esp. off-road and no inclination in that jack is tolerable.

1.4 Objective:
The project relates to the designing of simple scissor jack and its
analysis along with structural improvements to make such a modified
jack that is very stable and can take enough load on uneven surfaces
and somewhat inclination is also allowed.

The project also aims at designing and finding stresses, efficiency,

expected life of screw. We endeavor to develop a screw jack such that
it is cost effective, having a long life and can be handled roughly.

1.5 Roadmap:
Here we outline the timeline for the completion of various aspects for
the project. The schedule is set so that the project is completed in
phases. Phase I is market research, Phase II consists of the design
process, Phase III entails PRO-e modeling of the design and simulation
in ANSYS software, and the final aspect of the project is the
presentation and the work that went into it.

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2 Scissor jack:
2.1 Specifications

 The term "scissor jack" describes a wide variety of tools that all
follow the same principle: using crossed beams to lift something.
They do this by acting on the object they are lifting in a diagonal
manner; the lift on the right side lifts the object from its left side
and vice versa. This allows the user to store the jack when it is
not in use (with the diagonal beams flat) and to expand it when it
is needed.

 The major specification of scissor lifts is that they are all

symmetrical. In order to work, the distance from the loaded
point to the cross point must be the same as the distance from
the cross point to the ground. This ensures that weight is
distributed equally throughout the scissor lift beams.

 Since scissor lifts have such a wide variety of use, they also have
a wide variety of power sources. Scissor lifts for lifting cars can be
powered electrically, hydraulically and of course mechanically.
On the other end of the spectrum, industrial scissor lifts that
people stand on are often powered by diesel, although electrical
options do exist.
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  Scissor lifts basically fall into two categories: single scissor lifts
and multiple scissor lifts. A single scissor lift has just two
crossbeams and one "x." This means it can only go so high
because the length of the crossbeams restricts the height of the
lift, and making them too long would make it unstable.

On the other hand, multiple lifts have beams crossing each other, and
then attaching to more beams that go the opposite direction. This
allows the scissor lift to rise higher.

2.2 Assembly
A scissor jack has four main pieces of metal and two base ends. The
four metal pieces are all connected at the corners with a bolt that
allows the corners to swivel. A screw thread runs across this assembly
and through the corners. As the screw thread is turned, the jack arms
travel across it and collapse or come together, forming a straight line
when closed. Then, moving back the other way, they raise and come
together. When opened, the four metal arms contract together, coming
together at the middle, raising the jack. When closed, the arms spread
back apart and the jack closes or flattens out again.

4.3 Working
A scissor jack uses a simple theory of gears to get its power. As the
screw section is turned, two ends of the jack move closer together.
Because the gears of the screw are pushing up the arms, the amount of
force being applied is multiplied. It takes a very small amount of force
to turn the crank handle, yet that action causes the brace arms to slide
across and together.

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As this happens the arms extend upward. The car's gravitational weight
is not enough to prevent the jack from opening or to stop the screw
from turning, since it is not applying force directly to it. If you were to
put pressure directly on the crank, or lean your weight against the
crank, the person would not be able to turn it, even though your weight
is a small percentage of cars.

2.3 Components
 Frame
 Power screw
 Rivets
 Coupling nut
 Crank

 Frame:
The entire frame of the scissor jack consists of links(top and bottom),
base frame, support frame. The frame is manufactured by sheet metal
processes and forming by low-medium carbon steel.

 Power screw:

Power screws are used to convert rotary motion in to translational

motion. It is also called translational screw. They find use in machines
such as universal tensile testing machines,
machine tools, automotive jacks, vises; aircraft flap extenders, trench
braces, linear actuators, adjustable floor posts, micrometers, and C-
clamps. A screw thread is formed by cutting a continuous helical
groove around the cylinder. These grooves are cut either left hand or
right hand.

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The majority of screws are tightened by clockwise rotation, which is
termed a right-hand thread. Screws with left-hand threads are used in
exceptional cases. For example, anticlockwise forces are applied to the
screw (which would work to undo a right-hand thread), a left-hand-
threaded screw would be an appropriate choice.

Power screws are typically made from carbon steel, alloy steel, or
stainless steel and they are usually used with bronze, plastic, or steel
mating nuts. Bronze and plastic nuts are popular for higher duty
applications and they provide low coefficients of friction for minimizing
drive torques.

There are important terms and figures that need to be understood

before designing power screws:
1. Pitch: is the distance from a point on one thread to the
corresponding thread on the
next adjacent thread, measured parallel to the axial plane.
2. Lead: is the distance the screw would advance relative to the nut in
one rotation. For
single thread screw, lead is equal to pitch.
3. Helix Angle: is related to the lead and the mean radius by the
equation below;

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 Basics of power screws

Power screws provide a compact means for transmitting motion and

power. They are ideal for replacing hydraulic and pneumatic drive
systems as they require no compressors, pumps, piping, filters, tanks,
valves or any other support items required by these systems. Also,
screws don't leak so there are no problems with seals which are so
common to hydraulic and pneumatic systems. And, screw systems are
quiet running - no noisy compressors, pumps or exhaust valves. Screw
systems are simple, reliable and easy to utilize.

Power screw motions

There are four distinct motion converting actions that can be produced
by power screws and nuts. The two most common involve torque
conversion to thrust. In Figure 1, the screw is rotated (torqued) and the
nut moves linearly producing thrust or the nut is rotated (torqued) and
the screw moves linearly. The two less common motions involve thrust
conversion to torque. In Figure 2, the nut undergoes a linear force
(thrust) and the screw rotates or the screw undergoes a linear force
(thrust) and the nut rotates. These two motions are commonly referred
to as "back driving", "overhauling", or, improperly, "reversing".

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 Fig1. Fig2.

Types of power screws

There are 3 types of screw threads used in power screws:

1. Square threads:
 Is used for power transmission in either direction
 Results in maximum efficiency and minimum
 It is employed in screw jacks and clamps

2. Acme threads:
 It is a modification of square thread
 Efficiency is lower than square threads
 The slope increases the area for shear
 It is easily manufactured

3. Buttress Thread:
 It is used when large forces act along the screw axis in one
direction only.
 It has higher efficiency like square threads and ease of cutting like
acme threads.
 It is the strongest thread of all
 It has limited use of power transmission

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  Rivets:
A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed a
rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The
end opposite the head is called the buck-tail. On installation the rivet is
placed in a punched or pre-drilled hole, and the tail is upset, or bucked
(i.e. deformed), so that it expands to about 1.5 times the original shaft
diameter, holding the rivet in place. To distinguish between the two
ends of the rivet, the original head is called the factory head and the
deformed end is called the shop head or buck-tail.

 Coupling nut:
A coupling nut is a threaded fastener for joining two male threads, most
commonly threaded rod. The outside of the fastener is usually a hex so a
wrench can hold it. Variations include reducing coupling nuts, for
joining two different size threads; sight hole coupling nuts, which have a
sight hole for observing the amount of engagement; and coupling nuts
with left-handed threads.

 Crank: is an arm keyed at right angles to the end of a shaft, by

which motion is imparted to the power screw .It mainly suffers
from torsional stresses so medium carbon steel is used as it
combines merits of malleability and sufficient torsional strength.

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 PHASE-I (market research):

3 Research & Decision Making:

3.1 Product Comparison
Below are analyses two other car jacks that are similar to the jack I wish
to design. They represent the two primary models of scissor jacks
available; those powered by electricity and those that require manual
input
Picture Features Pros Cons
 Can lift up  The electric  The added weight
to 990kg motor of the electric
 Electric makes motor hurts fuel
motor operating economy.
powered the jack  The motor adds
by a 12V simple and cost and the
DC power easy. increased
source.  Can complexity of the
 Extends operate system creates
13”, jack away more opportunity
Figure 1
compacts from the for failure.
to less than car.  Need of an
5”. electrical power
 7’ power source could be a
cord. hindrance when
 Weighs battery power is
9kgs. not adequate.

 Lifts 1133  The jack’s  Operating the

kg. simple crank can be
 Extends design difficult.
from 3.75”- minimizes  Required to be
15.4”. cost , size near (practically
 Mechanical and weight, underneath a
input so it can be 2,000kg object to

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 required. stored operate.
easily.  Like the product
 Does not above, there is no
rely on stability provided
electricity. from the sides.
 Tools to raise the
jack are not
interchangeable.

figure 2

From Error: Reference source not found it can be seen that the overall
concept of the scissor jack is constant and that any new product will be
based on that concept. The products above lack support from the
sides, so there is the possibility of the jack tipping (especially on an
uneven surface. During further investigation, I stumbled upon a video
showcasing a scissor jack design with side supports.

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We would like to incorporate some type of side support in my jack
because it enhances safety and redistributes stress, enhancing product
life and functionality.

The designs above also lacked interchangeability. In my design I would

like the make it possible for the user to operate the jack with tools
other than the crank provided.

3.2 Preliminary Designs

As stated before, the basic design and mechanics of the scissor jack are
simplistic and lend little room for drastic change, so any change will be
a modification on this base model. Below are three preliminary design
concepts sketched:

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(a)

(b)

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 (c)

Design #1 represents the base model of the scissor jack, it is the most
simple. Design #2 has an extended base to prevent tipping when the
jack is under load. Design #3 also aims to prevent tipping, but also adds
stability between the top and bottom of the jack (much like Error:
Reference source not found). The stabilizing arms on design #3 raise
and lower with the jack, lock into place while rising, and, when the jack
is lowered, rotate to compact its shape and make storage easier.
Design Pros Cons
 Light weight  Small base makes
 Simple design (less tipping a risk.
places for failure)  No added stability
 Cheap between the top risks
 Uses little material a collapse
 Easy to store
1

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  Extended base makes  No added stability
tipping less likely. between the top and
 Simple design bottom risks a collapse
 Shape is not compact,
makes storage difficult.
 Added material, cost
2 weight

 Adds stability to jack.  Added complexity

 Extended base makes creates more areas for
tipping less likely. problems
 Prevents collapse  Added components
 Reduces to a compact add cost
shape that is easy to
3 store
 Stability added with
moderate weight
increase

3.3 Decision Making

To help make a decision for the final design, the table below weighs the
attributes of each design. The designs are ranked on their performance
for each category, the best performance receives a 3 and the worst a 1,
the values are then totaled to determine the overall best design. The
designs will be assigned values based on their cost, safety, weight and
storage (functionality has been omitted from this table because all
three designs operate in the same basic manner and are capable of
being used with a ratchet). The values for safety will be rated by 5, 10,
15 because of its importance as a design goal.

Attribute Design #1 Design #2 Design #3

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Cost 3 2 1

Safety 5 10 15

Weight 3 1 2

Storage 3 1 2

Total 14 14 20

Design #1 uses the least amount of material, so it scored high in cost,

weight and storage, but, because of the small amount of material, it is
not as safe as the other designs. Design #2 adds safety but also weight,
cost and poor storage. Design #3 adds safety without compromising on
weight and storage, but adds cost because it has the most parts.
3.4 Final Design
Design #3 scored the highest in the analysis of alternative designs
because safety is extremely important when designing a product that is
to lift a 2,000 kg object from the ground. I have also decided to
lengthen the base of design #3 so that it is the same length as the fully
compacted jack. Design #3 also adds stability with modest increase in
weight and no compromise in ease of storage, and its hexagonal screw
head lends it to operation by other tools like a power drill or wrench
(this product is to come equipped with a ratcheting crank).

3.5 Load criteria and assumptions:

The load for which the jack is to be employed has to be considered
first. For very heavy loads we have to deal with heavy duty jacks

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 and in those situations scissor jacks do not work efficiently and
most probably fail. While in case of low and medium intensity
loads, scissor jack works efficiently and smoothly without much
effort. Also the jack is handy enough to carry in the vehicle.

So considering the above situation, making a scissor jack for low

and moderate dead loads will be a good idea.

Estimated vehicle weight: 1105kg/2440 kgs(weight of swift in

unloaded condition.

Weight on one side: 2440/4: 610kgs.

Factor of safety: 4

Weight for which is designed: 2440kgs.

3.6 Material selection:

Secondly, the problem of material selection is solved by selecting
some materials on the basis of their strength and modulus of
elasticity. We here compared mild steel , aluminum , plain carbon
steels and alloy steel, stainless steel and got an overall result for
the best fit material to be low-medium carbon steel .(comparison
on basis of data given in MATERIALS AND HEAT TREATMENT
PROCESSES by O.P. KHANNA)

The material will be designed completely using plain carbon steel.

Designing a scissor jack using plain carbon steel is a work of sheet
metal shop. To overestimate the safety we will use calculations of
strength using the plain carbon steel in its undisturbed, solid form.

LOW-MEDIUM CARBON STEEL will be used

0.29% to 0.54% carbon –e.g. AISI 1040 steel

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 Medium carbon steels can be heat treated to have a good balance
of ductility and strength. These steels are typically used in large
parts, forgings and machined components.

MATERIAL PROPERTIES at 25c : low-medium carbon steel

Density = 7845kg/m3

Young’s modulus (E)=200 GPa

Poisson’s Ratio(v)-0.3

Ultimate shear strength= 57420 PSI=342.4 MPa approx. 66% of the

UTS(87000 PSI=518.8 Mpa)

Yield strength= 52500 PSI =353.4 MPa

PHASE-II (Design phase):

4 Sketches
Error: Reference source not found through Error: Reference source not found
show the original hand sketches used to begin the 3D modeling phase
of the project. Many of the dimensions and some design aspects of the

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sketches shown below were changed as necessary by the design during
the solid modeling phase.
4.1 Jack

4.2 Supports

4.3 Stresses acting on various components

1. Torsional stress acting on power screw.

T π d4
τ max ≥ j=
J 32

τ max=
max torsional stress
T =¿Torque

d = screw diameter

2. Buckling load acting on lifting frame.

W A
≤ C π2
A L 2

K ( )
W=axial load on frames
L=length of frame
C=1for long columns
K= radius of gyration

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3. Yielding stress acting on lifting frame.
T Sy
σ ≤
n
σT= yielding stress
S = endurance limit
y

n=¿Factor of safety

4. Bearing stress acting on rivets.

Sy
σ p≤
n

σp= yielding stress

S = endurance limit
y

n=¿Factor of safety

5. Shear stress acting on rivets

τ ≤ .577 S y /n

Sy = endurance limit
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 n=¿Factor of safety
τ =shear stress

6. Bending stress acting on coupling joints.

m∗d
2
σ=
Ix

π ( R 4−r 4 )
I x=
4
Ix= polar moment of inertia
R = outer radius
r = inner radius

m = bending moment
d = average diameter = (r+R)/2
σ = bending stress

4.4 Self -locking criteria

πfd ≥l
f = coefficient of friction
d = diameter of screw

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PHASE-III

5 PRO-e Models
5.1 Parts

Baserivet
Link frame
Coupling nut
Bottom packing

Screw shaft
Bottom link
Top link

Bottom rivet

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 1.1 Support
frame

5.2 Assembly

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 Closed assembly

Open Assembly

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 ANALYSIS
Following are the images of stress concentration during analysis of scissor jack. The bar
on the side of the images shows the value of stress relative to its colour as colour
progresses from blue to red, stress conc. Increases thereby making it prone to failure. So
as we see there is a scope of improvement. Now we will try to design a modified jack
making it safer.

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Bottom frame

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Bottom link

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Support frame

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Top rivet

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Top rivet 2

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Top packing

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Top link 1

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Top link 2

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Power screw

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Bottom rivet 1

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Bottom rivet 2

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Coupling nut

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Bottom link 2

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6 Possible failures and errors:
A. Unstable center of gravity
(Remedy: Weighted rear support brace for balance and
lengthened front ¼ floor plates extending under car.)
B. Jack failure due to excess mass being lifted(>2440kgs)
C. Failure of primary bolts due to bending moments and shear
stresses.

7 References

7.1 Books referred

 Materials and heat treatment by O.P. khanna
 Design of machine elements by khurmi
 Strength of materials by R.K. rajput

 A textbook of machine design by P.C.Sharma and D.K.Agarwal,

S.K.Kataria and sons, 2006.
 A text book of machine drawing by R.S Khurmi, S. Chand and Co.
Ltd., 2005.
 Mechanical engineering design by Joseph E. Shigley, McGraw Hill,
1986.

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7.2 Websites referred
 youtube.com (Davison Design: Jack 'N Stand Animated Video) (1 oct 10)
 google.com
 scribd.com(30 sep 10)
 Wikipedia.com(4 oct 10)
 Howstuffworks.com(23 sep 10)
 Sciencedirect.com(2 oct 10)
 B2bhydrualicjacks.com(1 oct 10)

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Thus we conclude

“Impossible is nothing its just the mind perception and based on root
analysis of data”

minor project proved to be most valuable in terms of teamwork and

management to us. Also we explored new territories in technical
creation. We faced new challenges while designing and analyzing
scissor jack by pro-engineer and inventor. The experience gained has
provided us confidence in dealing with practical aspects of engineering
and will prove to be invaluable as we go into placement season.

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