Mechanical design blog

Collaboration: Working hand in hand?

The principle or act of collaboration sounds simple, doesn’t it? But, in fact, for those who have experienced it, and I am sure many would agree, on occasions, it can be quite the opposite. One of the dictionary definitions cites collaboration as “the action of working with another person or groups of people to produce something.”

TThis statement, in a nutshell, perfectly describes the essence of my role as a mechanical design engineer. But, of course, like everything in this world, it’s not always that straightforward........... <continued>

What’s in a name?

“What’s in a name?”, Juliet asks in Act II, Scene 2, of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet.

Well, in business, the process of devising a name and creating a brand that clearly defines what a company does is an important procedure.

This is especially pertinent when you have to consider generating an image that resonates favourably in the eyes of the consumer.......... <continued>

One Direction: Pathway to Success?

You can relax, as I am not going to be talking about the success of the pop group One Direction, formed over a decade ago. I am instead focusing on a useful planning technique crucial to the successful completion of complex engineering projects.

Familiar to many people, I’m sure, the critical path method is a systematic approach that defines goals and plots project phases along a timeline with the aim of logging the progress of all activities and accomplishments.......... <continued>

Industry News

UK regulator proposes recognizing overseas medical device approvals.
PTC invests in sleep fitness company Eight Sleep.
Aerospace and defence company may slash 300 jobs. ..........<continued>

Engineering with Lego: The building blocks of life?

Looking back at some old photos from my childhood, I found myself reminiscing about that era and the activities and toys that kept me out of mischief sometimes.

My collection of Lego City kits, which I’m a bit embarrassed to acknowledge, continued throughout adulthood until only recently I had to say, “Please, no more.”

I didn’t know it back then, but when I was enjoying being a child, I was an enthusiastic engineer in the making.......... <continued>

Rainmaking: It’s raining again!

It’s raining again, I hear you say. Despite being great for our gardens, it feels like it’s been non-stop raining for weeks now; surely it is time for our summer to start? In business, though, the art of a rainmaker is deemed very important and potentially holds the key to survival.

The act of bringing in new business will, of course, take different forms, depending on the type of industry you are operating in and.......... <continued>

Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3

I am sure that we have all been present at an event when we have heard the words, “testing, testing.” spoken over a microphone, followed maybe by a tap or two with the fingers on the mic, either before a performance or an important announcement.

Despite the sometimes excruciatingly piercing sound being projected from the speakers, the lesson to be learned is that 'testing, testing' is a very important and definitely a most significant part of understanding what.......... <continued>

From Prototype to Production: On the Conveyor again…

In manufacturing, during the product development process, the design, in particular, can be the key to a project’s success. The product not only needs to be functional but generally must also look good.

This is where the expertise of a talented and experienced design engineer is relied upon to aid a product’s journey, which begins as a concept design, changes into a physical prototype, then makes its way onto the production line conveyor and eventually out of the factory........... <continued>

The Importance of Being Earnest: A Day in the Life of a Design Engineer

You would be wrong if you believed the role of a design engineer can be likened to that conveyed throughout Oscar Wilde’s play.

Written as a satire about Victorian society’s values of honesty and sincerity, the comedy centres on the repercussions of impersonation. I can say, without any shadow of doubt, that an engineer’s role is nothing like........... <continued>

Industry News

Johnson & Johnson launches two new devices in EMEA.
11 highlights of PTC Creo 11.
How Will Generative AI in Search Change SEO? ..........<continued>

Value Engineering: A price worth paying?

As with any buying process nowadays, whether that be consumer or business-to-business, everyone is assessing the value of what they are purchasing and deciding whether a price is worth paying.

In mechanical design engineering, as part of the product development cycle, there is a practice that is strategically implemented to improve the value of a product.

Value engineering (or value analysis) is a.......... <continued>

Why CAD and CAE go hand in hand

Have you ever thought why a number of things get grouped together in pairs, such as pen and paper, cats and dogs, or song and dance, for example? In the world of engineering, things aren't really so different. You may be relieved to hear that I don’t have any songs for you but instead want to talk about another partnership that is considered to be an important part of the manufacturing cycle.

Computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided engineering (CAE) software tools both provide mechanical engineering benefits.............. <continued>

Once upon a time: The story of product development?

Is it just me, or does anyone else think the process of product development can be likened to telling a story? There is certainly something to be said that, as with story telling, each idea has a beginning, middle, and end.

Of course, the theme might be considered too fantastic or boring, or even worse, journeys into the realms of horror or comedy. But nonetheless, beyond any doubt, if a component or product could talk, it would.............. <continued>

Why we keep different CAD software

As a design engineering business, we make no secret that we utilise and maintain three leading CAD systems.

Although there are a number of other choices out there as well, we made a strategic decision some time ago to specifically focus on Creo, Solidworks, and Inventor, as they seemed to be the ones our clients were, and still are, using for design and development in '3D'............... <continued>

Industry News

J&J to acquire Shockwave Medical for $13.1B.
CAD vendors must go all in on AI.
The top 20 pharma companies by 2023 revenue. ..........<continued>

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