7/28/2019 Calculating Factor of Safety

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Calculating Factor of Safety

"Factor of safety, also known as Safety Factor, is a multiplier applied to the calculated maximum

stress to which a component will be subjected. Typically, for components whose failure could

result in substantial financial loss, or serious injury or death, a safety factor of at least four (4) isused. Non-critical components generally have a safety factor of two (2). Safety factors are

needed to account for imperfections in materials, flaws in assembly, material degradation, and

unexpected stresses. "

Source of definition: Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org)

No, she's not floating. Look closer...

Here is the formula for determining the factor of safety:

Factory of Safety [FS] = Actual Breaking Strength (lb)Normal Working Load (lb)

Typical factors of safety used in product design are between 2 and 2.5 for common applications. Remember,

as the factor of safety increases, the cost of the product also increases.

lating Factor of Safety http://www.schenectady.k12.ny.us/users/pattersont/IBDT Website/

4/4/2013