Mechanical Pencil with Drop Protection

Tee, Zhong Zhe (2023) Mechanical Pencil with Drop Protection. Final Year Project (Other), Tunku Abdul Rahman University College.

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the reason that causes the lead of a mechanical pencil to break when the mechanical pencil falls from a certain height. Mechanical pencil works through a ratchetbased mechanism that allows the lead to extend out from the lead sleeve when the user presses the eraser cap downwards. Through the knowledge acquired from books, journals and trusted websites, it was found out that the major issue that causes the problem was the excessive kinetic energy that has exceeded the bond energy between the molecules of the lead. By studying through different available designs, the proposed solution to reduce the unfavorable consequences of this issue is to utilize shock absorbing materials such as rubber. It has been proven from the study that rubber is able to absorb the kinetic energy and transform it into elastic potential energy and thermal energy in the form of heat due to its elasticity. In the end, the test carried out on the prototype has proven that the proposed solution is successful in reducing the bad consequence of the problem by protecting the lead and decreasing the chances of it breaking