The simple answer to this question is a big YES!! Agile practices are involved in this ever-evolving digital era where there is project management. Agile project management methodologies have become integral to every organization across every industry. To give a brief intro to Agile, it is a procedure of project management where a project is…
The Six Sigma technique is a methodology that provides companies with the tools they need to enhance the performance of their various business processes. This gain in performance and this decrease in process variance help reduce defects, which in turn helps improve profits, staff morale, and the quality of products or services. Six Sigma is…
SLS 3D printing is a power bed 3D printing technology known for its accuracy and no support structure. However, quality SLS 3D printed parts are achievable only by following the right skill and a set of SLS designs. This article shows how SLS 3D printing works, tips on SLS design, and common design applications for…
3D Printer is a machine small enough to sit on your work table yet powerful enough to manufacture an entire product. They have evolved considerably from being an expensive and risky setup to a competent and reliable device in the last few years. Now 3D printers are more affordable and easily available than ever before.…
Creating a modern software system is a very laborious task: the typical size of the software exceeds hundreds of thousands of operators. To effectively create such software products, a specialist must have an understanding of the methods of analysis, design, implementation, and testing of software systems. It is also important to understand existing approaches and…
Going on vacation is a time-honored tradition. For many people, it’s a chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and relax in some exotic locale. But before you go, you’ll need to ensure you have the right tracking applications installed on your phone. This way, I can find my husband…
There are lots of people who have a fabulous idea for an invention, but more often than not, most give up and forget about their great idea after a while. When you consider the many wonderful inventions that have changed our world and our lives over the years, you can only imagine the types of…
One of the easiest ways to start selling hardware supplies online is to start dropshipping. Dropshipping is a tool for online stores to source and sells products by partnering with wholesalers giving them the option to sell online without upfront inventory costs. When customers purchase a product, they’ll complete payment on your site. Afterward, you’ll…
Plastic Injection Molding is the process of using high pressure to push molten plastic into a mold. The main purpose is to create useful products when cooled and solidified in shape set in the mold. An injection screw is widely used in this process because of its versatility in creating different shapes and sizes during…
https://youtu.be/kbK3oDsvivc Disclaimer: This exercise was purely for experimental and exploratory purposes. Although I hoped that I would gain insights on how to better sketch in perspective by transferring the 2 point cube sketch into SOLIDWORKS, the success of the exercise wasn’t tied to the outcome. Sometimes, it’s fun to try things and follow one’s instinct…
https://youtu.be/zJXQxtx5e4s The best way to learn something is by a technique called spaced repetition, flashcards. I’ve made 180 flashcards so that you can pass the Solidworks CSWP with a 100% score like I did. I utilized the following resources to compose the flashcards: -Gabriel Corbett’s Linkedin Learning CSWP course *BONUS: Did you know that…
You’ve heard of YouTubers who drop phones and other pieces of tech to test their durability, but have you ever heard of a company actually donating their products for the sole purpose of destroying them? This is exactly what Volvo has been doing recently. In order for Swedish rescue teams to get into the practice…
An engineering drawing is a specialized type of communication tool. It’s also a contract. This particular communication protocol is designed to be complete, closed, and one way. This means follow up questions should not be required for the recipient’s comprehension and contractual agreement. It’s like a message in a bottle. With this, I present to…
You’ve heard it said before. Maybe from a manager or coworker. Maybe during an interview to try to connect or relate. Maybe during crunch time as a misguided offer of assistance. Maybe from someone that slapped their knee and gave you a little bump with their elbow like they were the first person to ever…
Nine months ago I got the news and I knew everything was going to change. And now here we are, exhausted and bleary-eyed, holding the wonder we have created. As I look down on our little miracle I hold softly cradled in my arms I think ahead. Yes, I made a part. I want the…
We saw Core, a “meditation trainer”, popping up all over at CES 2020, covered here! Now, they’re sharing the physical product engineering challenges behind creating this wellness device. And there were MANY engineering prob… er, lessons to be learned. Watch the video below to see our interview with Sara Weber, Director of Marketing & Partnerships,…
The second installment of Hardware Massive’s Hardware Summit took place in San Francisco, at Mind the Bridge, on November 6, 2019. In spite of fires raging around the Bay Area complete with power outages, around 200 hardware nerds came out to connect and learn. There were three talks with experts in the physical product space…
While many graphic designers prefer Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop, avid motorcycle fan and graphic designer Gareth Fowler uses Cinema 4D and Adobe After Effects to create some kickass concept 3D animations inspired by engines. Though his initial foray into Cinema 4D mostly consisted of static 3D images, his love of GIFs led him to experiment…
Whoever said goofing around wouldn’t lead to new discoveries must have not done it long enough. Taking inspiration from the small, spinning whirligig toy, students at the Lambert High School in Georgia have come up with an inexpensive portable centrifuge capable of separating liquids of different densities. image source: Rob Felt Dubbed the 3D-Fuge, the…
Roam Robotics is doing some awesome stuff in San Francisco, California, and here we get an exclusive, inside look! Their first commercial product is a robotic ski exoskeleton which you can try out this upcoming season. Read on to learn more about how it works and see inside Roam’s office. Or, you can watch the…
As if those pesky drones from neighborhood hobbyists couldn’t get any worse, along comes a new reason to worry about all those unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) taking over the skies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07rtBip9ixk The TF-19 WASP Flamethrower Drone Attachment is just what you think it is: a friggin’ flamethrower attachment for a UAV. But unlike military combat…
After stepping on them for years, a Finish YouTube creator has had enough of tiny LEGO bricks. Using his aptly named Brick Experiment Channel, he makes videos which pit a variety of LEGOs against fire, concrete, and quite possibly their only worthy opponent: other LEGO pieces. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjhOGoZ-bNI In this particular video, he tests just how…
If you’re engineering hardware that has any one of: a camera, an LED, a display, an IR sensor, a lens, a laser, a reflector, or an optical fiber, guess what?! You’re working with an optical system. What’s more, there’s an entire branch of engineering that specializes in optics. And, if you’re not involving an optical…
Ever since it was announced last year, most people have been skeptical about the Galaxy Fold, Samsung’s new folding smartphone/ tablet hybrid. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r_UgNcJtzQ And why shouldn’t they be? When your smartphone’s main feature is to near-seamlessly fold out into a tablet with no apparent split in the screen, you begin to wonder just how long…
While humankind has made great strides in creating Terminator-like robotic appendages, we’re still a ways from an artificial arm that moves and acts precisely like a flesh-and-blood appendage. Yet, a team of MIT technologists recently created a robot gripper that might help pave the path for one. The Origami Robot Gripper is a robotic arm…
Remember when you were a kid, and the coolest talents your friends had were blowing bubblegum and making paper planes? Yeah, those were the days. As we grow older, it becomes easy to lose that sense of magic from childhood and instead, find entertainment elsewhere—like Netflix or loud nightclubs. But one thing remains constant: making…
Those without cars often face a common predicament when going to work: “Will I take the bus or the train?” For citizens living in Adelaide, South Australia, there doesn’t seem to be much difference. Check out Adelaide’s O-Bahn Busway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLbhhdoCdl0 Ever since its first passenger ride in 1986, the O-Bahn Busway has confounded both passengers…
In San Francisco, Hardware Massive put together their first “HW Summit SF” on November 7, 2018. This organization was also behind April 2018’s HardwareCon which we covered here. Turn out for the first annual Hardware Summit San Francisco Apologies for not getting this coverage out sooner (some HW engineering stuff got in my way), but…
Contrary to popular belief, solving a Rubik’s Cube DOES NOT automatically make you a smart person; it just means you have the problem-solving skills and the fortune to not be color-blind to piece together a multi-colored cube. Still, it does help pass the time and draw the attention of passers-by as you flick between the…
Are you a total n00b? Do you walk around proudly pronouncing fillet like in ballet instead skillet? You may be a n00b. It’s okay if you are. I once was myself. I thought k-factor was when someone had an undefinable special medium quality. I thought kerf was cheap imitation Nerf. I thought we had the…
At an abstract level, every new project is composed of three elements: The known knowns (the things that you know you know), the known unknowns (the things you know that you don’t know), and the unknown unknowns (the things you don’t know that you don’t know)*. Stay far far away from the known gnomes. Given…
Welcome to our “Ask An Engineer” series, where Dan Slaski addresses questions that have you losing sleep or staring off into space during important meetings. Have a question for Dan? Send it in. Question: Management keeps saying they want us to be the “Apple” of our industry. How can I deliver on that? Dear Massively…
AR, VR, and “Mixed Reality” headsets may take us to unexplored and fascinating worlds, but at the end of the day, these machines are still just hunks of metal, plastic, and circuity we cover our eyes with. If you’ve ever wanted to know what kind of magic happens inside, the guys over at iFixit.com recently opened…
Silicon Valley startup Opener recently debuted their Blackfly VTOL aircraft at this year’s AirVenture Oshkosh airshow in Wisconsin. Touted as “the world’s first ultralight all-electric fixed-wing extreme short/vertical take-off and landing (ESTOL/VTOL) aircraft,” the single-seat personal aircraft doesn’t require a pilot’s license to operate or need any unique skills, although it will require you to…
Infiniti’s 2019 QX50 is the first vehicle in their lineup to feature their VC-Turbo (Variable-Compression) engine that can change compression ratios on the fly for increased fuel efficiency. Standard automobiles typically have a single compression ratio that is expressed in a form such as 10:1, which compares the maximum to the minimum value of cylinder…
Even though they’ve come a long way in a short amount of time, no search and rescue robot can truly replace the skillset of a human fireman—at least, not yet. Apart from better decision-making skills, humans aren’t as clumsy when it comes to lifting heavy loads off of disaster victims. Still, they are only human,…
For a deposit of just $6,384 down, you can reserve one of Sarolea’s Manx7 all-electric super-bikes, which boasts 204hp, a top speed of 150mph, and a range of 200-miles before needing a recharge. Of course, if you want to ride the motorcycle, you will need to pony up another $49,312 on delivery. Only 250 of…
Despite its ability to coax millennials with its sleekly-designed products, the Apple name isn’t necessarily known for hardware durability. Ultimately, when your phone or laptop could easily become impaired from even the tiniest amount of moisture or a mini dust cloud, “sleekly-designed” isn’t going to cut it for many. In a recent iFixit article, a…
I’m not much of a car nut, but even I know the automotive industry is making huge strides in taking new technologies and using them to make cars faster, more efficient, and most importantly, safer than ever before. Take, for example, the brake-by-wire system that was first incorporated into the 2014 F1 racing cars. While…
If you went to college on your path to becoming an engineer/designer/maker you may have learned there are a lot of occupational hazards you were not warned about in that schooling. Even if you didn’t, I bet there were a lot of nasty surprises. Like, what about being cursed? I don’t mean in a profanity…
If you’re involved in the engineering of products manufactured globally, chances are you’ve been personally affected by SNAFU’s on an epic scale. Despite your best efforts, you probably had to sacrifice some weekends, or late nights, or quality time with your kiddos, or at the very least, your blood pressure. Hey, it happens to the…
Welcome to our new ‘Ask An Engineer’ series, where Dan Slaski addresses questions that have you losing sleep or staring off into space during important meetings. Have a question for Dan? Send it in. Question: My company doesn’t create product requirements I feel they are necessary to do my job effectively. What can I do? Dear…
Those who suffer from acrophobia now have another reason to fear this vertically-inclined planet. After fourteen years in production, the world’s steepest funicular tram——the Stoosbahn—is now complete. Connecting the town of Schwyz to the mountain village of Stoos in Switzerland, the €44.6m tram (approximately $52.55m) travels 1,300 meters above sea level at a dizzying incline…
Count this one under one of the coolest engineering class projects, ever. JetX, an aerospace student team founded by University of Glasgow President Chris Triantafyllou, is currently working with Rolls Royce (yes, THAT Rolls Royce) to make the world’s first COMPLETE 3D printed scale jet engine model. Aptly named the X-Plorer 1, the engine measures…
There’s nothing like attending a global design or engineering conference. You get to see and hear all the latest and greatest stuff. But I say even better than attending a conference is the opportunity to be a presenter at one! The big event for PTC Users is the annual LiveWorxs Global Conference. So if you’ve…
With demand for analog records surging in recent years, it comes as little surprise that some of the original turntable manufacturers have been coming out of the woodwork to refine their products for a new generation. Yesterday, Panasonic unveiled a prototype of the Technics SP-10R, a direct-drive turntable with the world’s highest-level S/N (signal-to-noise) ratio…
Driving with an automatic transmission is like driving on easy mode. With the removal of the clutch pedal and the need to constantly switch gears, all the driver needs to do is basically point the car where it needs to go and step on the gas. But what makes driving an automatic transmission so easy?…
From a Porsche 911 model with build instructions based on the true life factory assembly process to a functional laser cutter mini-factory, there’s never been a better time to be a LEGO fan. And while some of the best projects are those that happen spontaneously by throwing some random bricks together, the toy bricks can…
Welcome to our new ‘Ask An Engineer’ series, where Dan Slaski addresses questions that have you losing sleep or staring off into space during important meetings. Have a question for Dan? Send it in. Question: I’m thinking about using an online machine shop. Am I betraying my local machine shop? Dear Loyal Luddite, Respect. In an…
From brewing methods to bean varieties, coffee connoisseurs have never had as many choices for their daily cup of brew as they do today. And while some may swear by the simplicity of the good old-fashioned French press, brewing technologies have been slowly seeping their way into the mainstream; be it in the form of…