Factors favouring Pneumatics over Hydraulics
The choice between a hydraulic and pneumatic system is a very complicated question which each and every system design engineer will have to face at-least
Category: Mechanical Engineering
On Micromechanics
In many ways the subject of micromechanics prompts more questions than it answers in a world where many see everything as black or white with
Crap Design: Household Appliances
As technology improves at an ever-faster rate, one might expect that the products we use in our everyday lives would be continuously improving. It certainly
Hydraulics In Space
Hydraulic systems are widely used in aircrafts to control actuation of landing gear, flaps, rudders and brakes. The reasons behind the usage of hydraulic system
A Machine’s Lifecycle: Assessment through Failure Analysis
I’d like to discuss an example of failure analysis on a customer’s product, a small machine. During the course of my analysis, I projected a
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
Using Failure Analysis to Make Products More Competitive
Most markets today are cost-competitive, so naturally many companies try to save costs by reducing the amount of material in their products. Reducing material saves
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
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
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
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
The Lancashire Boiler – Victorian Ingenuity
It is universally recognised that William Fairbairn created the Lancashire Boiler back in 1844 although some believe he created the idea of a twin fire tube boiler
Karl Benz and the world’s first car patent
Karl Benz has a name synonymous with cars not to mention a career which literally changed transport around the world. Born in Germany on 25
ASME – Everything you need to know
ASME is vital to the world of engineering but if we were to take a straw poll on the streets today asking the general public how
British military engineering at its best: The Bouncing Bomb
During World War II the Allies were struggling to penetrate the heartland of industrial Germany where weapons were being manufactured. It is well documented that
Lifecycle Of A Frying Pan: Work Cycle Quantification Example
In my last article I discussed the importance of failure analysis and work cycle quantification. To perform these analyses there are several software programs and
Engineering Disasters: Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse (1940)
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge opened to traffic on July 1, 1940 and collapsed into Puget Sound on November 7 of the same year. At
The Toaster
I wasn’t planning to write this article now, but a response to my earlier article “Can Design Be Taught at University” made me realise that
Engineering Disasters: Hindenburg (1937)
What really happened to the Hindenburg? A German passenger airship called The LZ 129 Hindenburg caught fire and crashed during its attempt to dock in
Hydraulics vs Pneumatics – an introduction
Have you ever wondered why the landing gears of Boeing 787 Dreamliner (and in fact all commercial aircrafts) use hydraulics and not electronic or mechanical
3 Silly Mechanical Design Mistakes To Avoid
One of the silliest mechanical design mistakes I made was to mis-position a PCB supporting feature on an injection moulding by around 3mm. Despite this
How Accurate Is Symmetry?
In previous articles, we spoke about the undeniable use and help the notion of symmetry brings to a mechanical design. It is a powerful tool,
Basic Product Design Steps
Product design is the process of creating a new product from scratch. Typically, product design follows one of two processes: forward engineering or reverse engineering.
Engineering Disasters: RMS Titanic (1912)
RMS Titanic was the biggest, most luxurious and the most expensive ship on the waters back in 1912. This is a ship which was widely
SpotMini From Boston Dynamics
Boston Dynamics recently broke the mould with its ATLAS robot but the company has just released a new funky, flexible and extremely well advanced model
Engineering software for Apple platforms
First, I’ll admit Mac users have engineering software such as Matlab, Labview and AutoCAD. For 3D design and analysis in OSX there are few software
Engineering Disasters: Space Shuttle Challenger (1986)
The launch of the shuttle Challenger on January 28, 1986 was a huge television event, largely because one of the astronauts was New Hampshire’s Christa McAuliffe, a
A Mechanical Designer’s Quick Guide to Adhesives
Every designer or engineer, no matter their background or industry, has at some point run into the critical question, “How can I stick this thing
Robotics Basics – an introduction
Robotics has revolutionised many industries by making possible operations which were unachievable by humans, functioning in extremely hostile conditions, and producing products faster and more
Atlas, Boston Dynamics’ Incredible Humanoid Robot
You may have stumbled upon a viral video of a certain 5ft 9in robot tripping in the snow, lifting boxes and getting bullied with a
Tolerances: A Brief Introduction
What are dimensional tolerances? Why would a designer set a tolerance, and why would they choose a tighter or looser tolerance for a feature? Manufacturing Tolerances Dimensional
How effective are mechanical design courses?
When I was still a student I came to my father, who was a mechanical engineer himself, and told him very proudly about my studies
Design guide for CNC Milling
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
Engineering Disasters: Banqiao Dam Failure
In response to severe flooding and to ensure electrical power generation in 1949 and 1950, China built the Banqiao Dam in the Huai river basin
Auto Tuning Part 1: Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics
As an automotive engineer, I can’t help feeling frustrated when I see a poorly tuned car. Every auto manufacturer has its own vehicle dynamics department
British mechanical engineering in the ’50s and ’60s – a unique perspective
The “Chief Clicker” has invited me to contribute recollections of my mechanical engineering experiences during the 1950’s & 60’s. Being his father, I suppose I
Lock Design Masterclass – Part 2
The first part of this lock design masterclass covered the basic principles of pin cylinder lock operation and how some forcible attacks can be mitigated. In part two
Hydraulic System Components: Part 2
As discussed in the previous article, the hydraulic power pack is the heart of a complete hydraulic system. It stores and supplies fluid from the reservoir,
