Have you ever wondered how new machine gears get their intricate, well-defined grooves? The answer is just like anything new made in this world: through the pain and suffering of much older gears and machines. Medley’s Mechanical Engineering is an Instagram page dedicated to showing the behind-the-scenes work done by machines that make parts for…
Despite giant leaps in smartwatch technologies, the mechanical watch still manages to be a staple accessory that people continue to use every day. Currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, Rotate takes things one step further by having users assemble their own mechanical watch from scratch. Completely devoid of batteries (because that’s what a modular watch is),…
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…
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…
On the 3rd installment of “How to Network with HW enginerds in Europe,” we fly to Kiev, Ukraine! (AKA Kyiv, Ukraine.) I only had two days in this city but managed to tour three facilities and pack in four meetings, proving Ukrainians are awesome. In this short visit, I learned a lot of interesting facts…
While his day job has him designing engines for the Ford Motor Company (not a bad job in its own right), systems engineer Matt Schmotzer spends his free time creating 3D printed replicas of real-life roller coasters using his breadth of SOLIDWORKS knowledge and 3D printing techniques. His first 3D printed roller coaster is a…
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,…
Researchers from UC Berkeley’s Biomimetic Millisystems Lab have been busy developing their Salto jumping robot since its debut in 2016. Back then, the robot was capable of jumping at great heights, but had orientation issues and could only complete two jumps in a row before crashing. The researchers have since solved the orientation issues with…
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…
Contrary to popular belief, there is much more to a bicycle than simply pushing your legs to make the wheels go round. Take for example the bike’s drivetrain, which transfers all your leg power to the drive wheels. While there are a ton of variations, most drivetrains consist of a front wheel, chain, and rear…
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 a beginner looking to get into the wonderful but painful world of skateboarding, there are a couple of tips you might want to keep in mind. First, a good helmet might cost a little bit of money up front, but it can save thousands on medical bills—not to mention, your life. Second, treat…
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…
Designed to withstand the harsh demands of the world’s elite sports and wildlife photographers, Canon’s $11,000 EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X high-performance super telephoto zoom lens is a beast of a piece of glass. While the specs – which includes a switch for increasing the zoom range from 200-400mm to 280-560mm at the flick…
As any hardware developer worth their salt knows, getting part dimensions accurate is key for success in manufacturing and ensuring that assemblies fit together in the real world as intended. Among other common problems that can occur and cause a domino effect disaster down the line include mismatched fastener hole placements and loose or overhanging…
After spending decades developing a flying ring that set the Guinness world record for the farthest thrown object when it was hurled 1,257 feet in 1985, you might think that American inventor Alan Adler – who also lectures in mechanical engineering at Stanford University – would slow down a little bit. Yet Adler, whose signature…
As a highly versatile natural energy carrier that also happens to be the most plentiful element in the universe, hydrogen has been used to power everything from cars on the road to NASA space shuttles – but could it also be the key towards squeezing more battery life out of our laptops and mobile devices…
One might not normally associate basic design and engineering education with Nerf Blasters, yet the past year has seen some Blaster releases that play double-duty as an interactive learning tool for basic engineering principles. Back in January of this year, the brand announced their Nerf N-Strike Modulus ECS-10 Blaster – a design that encourages kids…
I want to introduce you to someone. Let’s call this person Gary. Gary works nights and weekends in a garage on a project based on the same technology you work on. Gary is a Maker. Picture this, you stand around the water cooler complaining about how last year’s holiday party was better because they had…
Regardless of which stage of your career you’re in, having recent and relevant documentation of your work can oftentimes be just as important as the work itself – whether you’re using the proof of your abilities to level-up in a new job search or simply just want to keep a clean record of where you’ve…
A couple of months ago, I left my day job to give myself the freedom to explore my curiosities and pursue some nagging, deep rooted – but altogether indefinite – ideas. The best way I can describe it is that it feels like there is some rope tied around my waist pulling me forward, and…
Let’s start with the basics: you have an awesome job. You get to use cool tools to create awesome stuff. You may very well have the job that you wanted as a kid – a job that kids today still desire (but don’t let kids do your job, that would be irresponsible). Not many people…
Like many others who love to create, one of my heroes is Adam Savage — Mythbuster, science communicator, movie prop collector, and maker. In one of the many hours I had spent absorbing his philosophies and skills watching Youtube videos, he said something that put into words a concept that had taken me many years…
We live in a world full of amazing design software and hi-tech automated machines. These “tools” are designed to reduce design cycle times and leverage productivity. Companies spend a lot of money on these tools and expect a productivity pay off from their designers. Some of the new expectations are realistic and some are not.…
We managed to wrangle Jon Hirschtick (Founder and Chairman, Onshape) and Carl Bass (CEO, Autodesk) into answering the same six questions about CAD in the Cloud, including the ultimate, whiz-bang question of the year at the end: “How do Fusion 360, Onshape, and 3DEXPERIENCE differ?” You saw it here first, folks. A SolidSmack exclusive, side-by-side…
When they officially went live at 11 AM EST yesterday, Onshape sent ripples through the product design community as being the first true parametric 3D CAD solution for the browser. The web app, which is able to be used on nearly any device including tablets and smartphones, is not only setting a new standard for…
It’s no secret that as we move deeper into digital experiences with our phones, tablets, watches and the like, the human need to connect with more mechanical and manual activities or objects becomes suddenly more apparent. While we don’t expect anybody to be churning butter at their desk or making candles during lunch hour, these…
This week we have the great pleasure of speaking to failure analysis expert, design history aficionado, prolific author, and paper clip extraordinaire, Mr. Henry Petroski! Henry has written over 17 books on design and engineering ranging from the history and importance of the toothpick, to why failure is paramount in the design process.
As a PhD student at the University of Florida studying Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in controls, Tim Elmore is about to shake up the future of 3D printer filaments. Currently, a spool of your favorite color of ABS (or PLA or PVA) runs just south of $50 at the MakerBot store, not including the…
Out of the list of awesome things you’ve accomplished, including bathing a kitty, chopping celery and catching a pineapple in your mouth, there’s some other things as a human being, and even more, as a design engineer, you should be able to do. If not, you’re doomed. In response to a guest post here on…
I’m so glad you’re sitting down crushing red tomatoes and generally feeling pretty happy about life. You know why? Because you need to prepare yourself for what you’re about to see. It’s THE first episode. The first episode of whaaaaaaat? MechanicalMashup.tv… that’s what. The star of the show is the Ben Eadie of SolidMentor, SolidJott,…