Editing Mechanical puzzle (section)

=== Assembly ===
In this category, the puzzle is present in component form, and the aim is to produce a certain shape. The [[Soma cube]] made by [[Piet Hein (Denmark)|Piet Hein]], the [[Pentomino]] by [[Solomon Golomb]] and the aforementioned laying puzzles [[Tangram]] and "Anker-puzzles" are all examples of this type of puzzle.
Furthermore, problems in which a number of pieces have to be arranged so as to fit into a (seemingly too small) box are also classed in this category.

[[File:Hoffman_packing_puzzle.svg|thumb|upright|A solution to Hoffman's packing puzzle with 4×5×6 cuboids (1), exploded to show each layer (2)]]
The image shows an example of [[Hoffman's packing puzzle]]. The aim is to pack 27 [[cuboid]]s with side lengths <math>A, B, C</math> into a box of side length <math>A+B+C</math>, subject to two constraints:

:1) <math>A, B, C</math> must not be equal
:2) The smallest of <math>A, B, C</math> must be larger than <math>(A+B+C)/4</math>

One possibility would be <math>A=9, B=10, C=11</math> – the box would then have to have the dimensions 30×30×30.

Modern tools such as [[Laser cutting|laser cutters]] allow the creation of complex two-dimensional puzzles made of wood or acrylic plastic. In recent times this has become predominant and puzzles of extraordinarily decorative geometry have been designed. This makes use of the multitude of ways of subdividing areas into [[Tessellation|repeating shapes]].

Computers aid in the design of new puzzles. A computer allows an exhaustive search for solution – with its help a puzzle may be designed in such a way that it has the fewest possible solutions, or a solution requiring the most steps possible. The consequence is that solving the puzzle can be very difficult.

The use of transparent materials enables the creation of puzzles, in which pieces have to be stacked on top of each other. The aim is to create a specific pattern, image or colour scheme in the solution. 
For example, one puzzle consists of several discs in which angular sections of varying sizes are differently coloured. The discs have to be stacked so as to create a colour circle (red->blue->green->red) around the discs.

====Pyramid puzzles====
A pyramid puzzle consists of two or more component pieces which fit together to create a pyramid.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.canadianwoodworking.com/plans-projects/pyramid-puzzle |title=Wooden Puzzle |author=Rea Gibson |access-date=20 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RJ3aBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA114 |title=Mathematical Properties of Sequences and Other Combinatorial Structures |year=2012 |isbn=9781461503040 |publisher=[[Springer US]] |editor1=Hong-Yeop Song |editor2=Jong-Seon No |editor3=P. Vijay Kumar |editor4=Tor Helleseth |pages=114–115}}</ref> Two-piece pyramid puzzles cannot form a regular pyramid and can only form a 4 faced tetrahedron pyramid.
The solution involves facing the square faces to each other and twisting one upright to complete the four faced tetrahedronic pyramid.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://healthy.uwaterloo.ca/museum/VirtualExhibits/puzzles/pyramid/index.html |title=Pyramid Puzzles |website=Elliott Avedon |access-date=20 April 2021}}</ref> There are also four-piece pyramid puzzles.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cs.brandeis.edu/~storer/JimPuzzles/ZPAGES/zzzPyramid4PiecesVer1.html |title=Four Piece Pyramid, Version 1 |author=Jim Storer |access-date=20 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ttOldWRanuEC&pg=PA13 |title=Focus on Dyslexia Research |author=Henry D. Tobias |year=2004 |page=13 |isbn=9781590339503 |publisher=[[Nova Biomedical Books]]}}</ref>