I don’t think there is a mechanical engineer out there who doesn’t have a soft spot for gears. There’s just something about spinning bits of metal (or some other material) meshing together that is mesmerizing to watch, while opening up so many possibilities functionally. Particularly mesmerizing are planetary gears, where the gears not only spin, …
Planetary Gears – a masterclass for mechanical engineers Read More »
It’s a good thing that engineers don’t have to actually build the ivory towers that they live in. Otherwise, there might be far fewer surviving engineers. Or, maybe that wouldn’t be so bad… At least this seems to be the opinion of many a machinist. It’s only gotten worse now that engineers have largely taken …
Specifying tap drill diameters – good practice or micromanagement? Read More »
I’ve always been fascinated by mechanisms that use some kind of geometric ‘trick’ to accomplish a task. A prime example of such a mechanism are toggle clamps. While there are many designs one can find for toggle clamps, the basic operational principle tends to be the same in most cases. Pin connections and two force …
CNC milling is the most common fabrication method for professional prototyping, scaling well into the low- to mid-volume levels and sometimes higher. As with any manufacturing process, the more familiar the designer is the better and easier to produce the part will be. However, given the incredibly varied design possibilities and the flexible nature of …
Join our mailing list to get regular updates