As we enter an exciting new era in industrial design, simulation, and manufacturing, a clear understanding of mechanics of solids is needed now more than ever. This primer is a condensed synopsis of basic undergraduate mechanics and is designed to supplement classical textbooks in this area. The focus is on the essentials of mechanics, specifically:
• The concept of stress.
• Stress-strain relationships.
• Failure theory.
• Axial loading of a rod.
• Transverse (bending) loading of a beam.
• Industrial application: modeling of 3D printing.
• Transverse shear stresses.
• Torsional loading of a rod.
• Pressure vessels.
• Buckling of columns.
• The basics of finite element methods.
• A unifying concept: continuum mechanics.