Being one of the world’s most popular toys for 90 years now, it’s no surprise that there have been many attempts to recreate LEGO’s iconic blocks. I mean, it can’t be that hard, can it? But something about the Denmark-made blocks feels different from its competition and knock-offs. The materials are sturdier, the shapes more…
OddEngineer.com + Free Giveaway with Consultation and Bose Noise Canceling Headphones! While some got prison swole or Hot Cheetos swole in 2020, I got nerd entrepreneurship swole. I built a new thing for us freelance physical product engineers: OddEngineer.com. There, you can immediately book and pay for appointments with niche, hard-to-find engineering pros. Got questions…
Multi-cavity tooling is the topic we’ll be exploring in today’s SkillCoach Plastics Playground. Now I’m not referring to picks, scrapers, or the high-pitched rotary tools used to make quick work of a menacing cavity wreaking havoc on your molar. Rather, I’m speaking of an injection-mold tooling configuration.Multi-cavity tooling helps optimize the production of plastic parts.…
With the rise (fall, rise, plateau, small rise, little fall, and rise again) of 3D printing and its ability to let us create, basically, anything (except for money, which is illegal), it was only a matter of time before its close cousin, injection molding, got in on the accessible, mass part-producing action. Formlabs recently released…
Did you know there’s a packed, 11,000 square foot makerspace just 15 miles north of Seattle? We stopped by The Facility Makerspace to see the toys inside this new space funded by Edmonds Community College. If you’re worried about not being a student there — don’t! This makerspace is open to the public and you…
Before you get to work on the final product of your design, it’s in your best interests to make a prototype first, right? Of course. You’ll have a physical sample to test and abuse, plus you can adjust the aesthetics of the design without worrying about the cost. We’ve covered plenty about 3D printing, but…
In this video tutorial, I offer up a brief modeling tutorial on how to use the engineering draft feature inside PTC Creo Parametric modeling software.
As far as factory tours go, the LEGO Inside Tour at the LEGO production facility in Billund, Denmark exists in a league of its own. Assuming that you can grab a spot on one of the four scheduled LEGO Inside Tour weekend dates that take place in May and June of each year, the price…
Despite the growing excitement around some of the latest additive manufacturing technologies, producing multiple plastic parts is still best left to traditional manufacturing methods – particularly injection molding. That said, there’s no reason why the two can’t continue to live in harmony as different respective steps of the design and production process. To further explore the…
You would think that having been called a “brilliant science-and-technology documentarian” whose “videos should be held up as models of how to present complex technical information visually” would go straight to one’s head, yet Bill Hammack (AKA Engineering Guy) is anything but your typical engineering dude. The University of Illinois teacher, whose popular course, ‘The…
As Moore’s Law continues to grant us ridiculously powerful computers that we can fit inside of our pockets, the experience of using some of the earliest personal desktop computers continues to become an even further distant memory. Unsurprisingly, some people aren’t ready for that memory to fade yet. Among others is Philippe Lang, an IT…
While toy designs start out much like any other product design – with an idea and a sketch – they can quickly become a more involved modeling exercise that requires expert sculpting techniques using both digital tools – such as MODO or ZBrush – as well as traditional sculpting tools including clay or wax. While…
Sneaker fan or not, it’s hard to not appreciate the material and manufacturing developments that have come out of the shoe design and manufacturing space. Between developments in responsive midsole materials for various athletic applications to new upper materials that bring shoe weight down and structural support up, the research and development that goes into…
As 3D printing finds its way into solving a myriad of problems ranging from more traditional product development methods to more recent medical applications, there is one trait that leaves much to be desired: the ability to create multiple high-quality prints in a short amount of time. While the recently-announced Multi Jet Fusion Technology from…
There is something delightful about the Odin Kickstarter video. I can’t decide if it’s because the project was created by a small family with a bright idea (dog included) or the final scene in the video (you’ll just have to watch to find out). Either way, it’s fun, simple and effective projects like these that…
I know, I know. After The Objet 1000 video, there was a hole in your soul that could only be filled by oddly informative, yet disturbing videos delivering the future of 3d printing in oddly informative, yet disturbing ways (emphasis on disturbing). While it lacks the sing-along qualities we desire, this new 3D Systems video…
With both an impressive knowledge base of how industrial plastic manufacturing machines work as well as his desire to repurpose plastic waste, Dutch designer Dave Hakkens has created an open source microfactory concept that he hopes will change the way we produce everyday plastic goods. Precious Plastic explores how plastic waste can be shredded and…
Ah, the memories of learning about manufacturing techniques back in freshman year of design school. I’ll never forget when my Manufacturing Processes teacher pulled out a run-of-the-mill plastic car model kit and explained to us the process and complexities of injection molding. Flash forward to today, I find myself reverse engineering at least a handful…
Need 600 ice cream spoons for a birthday party tomorrow…straight from your CAD file? In this recently released video from Stratasys, we are able to see just how powerful 3D printing can be in a traditional manufacturing environment. For garage and hackerspace Makers who may only need a few hundred parts for their Kickstarter project…
Besides enjoying the warmth of freshly molten plastic against their skin, plastic part designer and mold makers appreciate parts that don’t shrink unevenly or have an excessive amount of undercuts. SolidWorks has launched an addon to help part designers of the world catch and ‘predict’ issues that may come up during manufacturing with a new…