How to present your mechanical design to the team
Newbies to engineering often underestimate the ‘soft skills’ they will need to develop for the job. Being able to present your mechanical design effectively involves
Category: General articles
Are mechanical engineers neurotic?
Do you lie awake at night sweating over mechanical designs, running calculations through your head, unable to turn off the invasive thoughts of Newtonian physics?
Convert PDF to DWG – the definitive guide
DWG (drawing) files are most commonly used when working on furniture drawings, house and building architecture, and of course mechanical and industrial components. As more
The Engineering of DEATH. How the Nazis killed on an industrial scale.
Even to this day the scale on which the Nazis gassed prisoners, men, women and children, is unknown but suffice to say it was in
Crap Design: The USB
What is worse than a bad design? A crap design that stays around for fifteen years over a wide variety of updates, upgrades, and changes.
Elon Musk on the Cost of Populating Mars
As far as science-fiction and the human stare towards the universe go, populating Mars has always been a big theme. While technology is working towards
Why Are Robots Shaped Like Humans?
Machine shapes based on the human form is an old idea, dating from Hephaestus in ancient Greek mythology and spanning through the civilizations and centuries.
Understanding the Dzhanibekov Effect
The Dzhanibekov Effect phenomenon, also known as the Tennis Racquet Theorem, is a result in standard mechanics which describes the movement of a rigid object
Repurposing Space Vehicles With NASA
According to Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and other tycoons of the aerospace sector, reusability is the next and compulsory technology in the world of spacecraft
Makerspaces in Universities
There is no doubt that entrepreneurship and innovation continues to prosper with new ventures and projects emerging on a regular basis. Most people would recognise
Going Back to the Classroom: How hard can it be?
So you have decided to go back to university (going back to the classroom), get a proper Bachelor, a Masters or enroll in a PhD
Makerspace: Center of Medical Innovation
We previously spoke about the subject of Makerspace and the objectives, visions and way in which it can create inspiring workplaces. The ability to bring
Going Back to the Classroom: Why?
Whether you’re intending to go back to university (or going back to the classroom as some would describe it) at some point in your professional
Suborbital Flying with Blue Origin
We have to say that 100 km above the Earth isn’t exactly what you find on vacation brochures and going at Mach 3 beyond the
What is Microtomography?
Heterogeneous materials are gaining more popularity in use for manufacturing high-tech parts. This means that analyses and certifications need to be conducted and will therefore
Bridges of Communication : Bringing Science to the Public
As news about the Paris agreement starts to filter through the system, the controversial stand of a significant portion of the population over climate change
The Threat of Space Junk
Since the 60s, the majority of satellites launched into space have successfully fulfilled their tasks with new technology improving the services which they offer. Unfortunately
The Future of Cars: Flying or Self-Driving
Now that cars have become affordable and filled with options, several issues has arisen with regards to the vulgarization of the automotive technology. How do
Amazing Design – Primitive Tools vs New Tech
When thinking about what makes an amazing design, a fun thought experiment is to compare the design of products to the natural evolution of different
5 Top Places for Mechanical Engineering Academic Research
It may not be common knowledge but almost all research and scientific progress takes place in universities around the world. While universities are obviously associated
Rapid Prototyping: Doing For Thinking
Lately, I was pleasantly surprised by one of the conferences I attended involving decision making and startup development: I was expecting the generic speech about
The Internet of Things – and how it applies to manufacturing
In the past couple of years, the term “Internet of Things” (IoT) emerged in the manufacturing world and has also been embraced by consumer and
What are Wacker silicones?
Wacker Group is the leading light in the world of silicones with a history going back to 1903. Engineers across the globe will forever be
PanelView graphic terminals for the engineering sector
PanelView graphic terminals are becoming ever more visible in the world of engineering and it is not difficult to see why. Part of the larger
Rapid Prototyping Basics
For those in the design world, the idea of rapid prototyping is not a new concept; prototypes of every new design must be produced to
Aircraft Design Process Overview
So, a company or an individual wants to begin the aircraft design process… Have you ever wondered where to start? Thankfully, there are a few key
FaroArm, measuring the difference between success and failure
Designed and manufactured by FARO, the FaroArm measurement arm is a device which has proven to be extremely valuable to the engineering sector. It is
Rocscience: Geotechnical Analysis Software
Rocscience is a software company which specialises in 2D and 3D analysis geotechnical software for the civil engineering and mining sectors. This company is yet
The Whitestone Bridge – An Engineering Masterpiece
The Whitestone Bridge (also referred to as the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge) is a suspension bridge in New York City which connects the borough of Queens, Long
What is StruCalc design software? A brief overview
StruCalc was originally created as an in-house software package exclusively for StruCalc engineers back in 1993. This package has now taken on a life of
FEA Application On Speech Level
I have often been described as a talkative person. It’s not that I love my fits of verbal diarrhoea, but the need to be as
Personality traits of mechanical engineers
Before we look at the personality traits of mechanical engineers let us consider what this particular career entails. In essence mechanical engineering involves “the design,
3 More Really Obvious Mechanical Engineering Mistakes You Must Avoid
A few weeks ago we revealed 3 silly mechanical design mistakes that you must avoid. Good news – here are 3 more for you! Not
President or Engineer: Trump or Clinton
With the final days of debates winding down, someone will be left jobless in the wake of the United States 58th presidential election. Between the
Engineering Disasters: Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse (1981)
In 1981, a walkway in the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City collapsed, killing 114 people and injuring 200 more. A change in the original
Why is DF(x) so Important?
DF(x) is a term you will likely hear quite often as an engineer. In product development parlance it means “design for X”, where “X” can
5 Reasons Why There Aren’t Many Female Mechanical Designers
If you asked 10 different people what a career in mechanical engineering entailed you would likely get an array of different answers. This is the
John Wilkes: Master Safe Cracker & mechanical engineer!
EngineeringClicks speaks to lock and safe expert, and mechanical engineering guru, John Wilkes. John trained in England as a safe cracker (a safe and bank
Lathe Machine Parts – A Quick Guide
In this article we will give an overview of the components of a lathe; the lathe machine parts and their primary functions. Lathes refer to
Engineering Disasters: Cleveland East Ohio Gas Explosion (1944)
The Cleveland East Ohio tragedy occurred on Friday, October 20, 1944. At 2:30 p.m., laboratory workers at the East Ohio Gas Company spotted white vapour
