This work offers a comprehensive solution to course question that is common in Mechanical Engineering curriculum, and that, to this end, had remained unsatisfactorily answered. The question has been used by professors, year after year, to test the understanding of students in the area of the design of clutches. The question appears mostly in the exact form presented herein, or in a tweaked variation of the same, mainly with varied parameters. This work provides a step-by-step solution, with explanations and equations to help the student understand the entire context of the question. All calculations have been confirmed and are presented in SI units. The work also provides a conclusion statement as a recap of the content presented.
The question requires the student to calculate the required size of a plate clutch, and the suitable axial force in that case, to be used in an engine of a given torque while the plates have a given limited pressure.
