For Engineers Articles

Results: 55

	Putting 3-D CAD on the grill—Part III : The next less in top-down design: Modeling in the context of any assembly. By: Gerald Davis If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. Figure 1 The Lower Tray is linked parametrically by a... Publish date: March 1, 2010
	Unfolding truth about flats - Just how much does a CAD jockey need to know about flat layouts anyway? By: Gerald Davis If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. Three-dimensional CAD software provides great power to... Publish date: June 1, 2008
	Putting 3-D CAD on the grill : A case study in product development By: Gerald David Figure 1 Here�s a rough sketch of the product concept. Our goal for the next several columns will be to bring the product concept... Publish date: January 15, 2010
	3-D CAD design communication skills : Some ways to communicate design ideas to the non-CAD design reviewer Figure 1 Design review meetings are critical to the success of any product development project. The 3-D CAD model is effectively the first... Publish date: December 2, 2009
	Drafting useful drawings : t's all about delivering the information in a standard way to help with manufacturing Our project is to create the drawing shown in A production drawing is ready to be sent to a fabricator for manufacturing.">Figure 1 . For the... Publish date: November 3, 2009
	Scrubbing our industry : Creating environmentally friendly cleaning systems for power plants By: Carl Smith, Contributing Writer Figure 1 Environmentally Friendly Steam Plume Rising From Energy Plant The U.S. is in a mad rush to minimize air pollution from industrial... Publish date: October 13, 2009
	Bedeviled with the details : Balancing realistic detail with rational modeling discipline If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. Figure 1 An extremely realistic model of a shoulder... Publish date: October 8, 2009
	Drawing the bead on weldments : A close look at top-down modeling using a specialized 3-D CAD modeling tool If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. Figure 1 Here is an exploded view of what we have in mind... Publish date: September 23, 2009
	An introduction to friction stir welding By: Jeff Defalco, Contributing Writer Friction stir welding (FSW) is a relatively new joining process that has been used for high production since 1996. Because melting does not... Publish date: September 15, 2009
	Essential CAD: A starting point : Basic realities of a virtual world By: Gerald Davis If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. My fantasy is to have my thoughts telepathically linked to a... Publish date: January 1, 2008
	What CNC programmers wish you knew : A crash course in CNC By: Gerald Davis CNC stands for computer numeric control and refers to an electronic control system that is attached to a piece of machinery. These CNC systems... Publish date: March 1, 2008
	3D CAD modeling of sheet metal parts : Determining the design intent behind the part is a good place to start By: Gerald Davis If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. The main variation in sheet metal modeling techniques is when... Publish date: April 1, 2008
	Machined-part modeling in 3-D CAD : Sure, you can model it, but can you build it? By: Gerald Davis If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. Almost anything can be built. Clever machine tool... Publish date: May 1, 2008
	Getting a handle on 3-D CAD modeling : Tricks to make the tool bend to your will By: Gerald Davis If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. CAD software of the 3-D variety can be a lot of fun to use.... Publish date: July 1, 2008
	One easy piece to model : What to do while you wait for CAD training By: Gerald Davis If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. I've met more than a handful of people who have access to a... Publish date: August 1, 2008
	3-D CAD strengthens customer bond : What goes into a successful 3-D CAD work center? By: Gerald Davis If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. For many of the job shops that I've visited, the 3-D CAD... Publish date: September 1, 2008
	Thinking inside the box : What does top-down design mean anyway? By: Gerald Davis If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. Sometimes it matters how things fit together. It is always... Publish date: October 1, 2008
	3-D CAD drawings in a 2-D world : Generating a great print is the goal By: Gerald Davis If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. Fabricating is all about meeting the customer's expectation.... Publish date: November 1, 2008
	The real world of 3-D CAD assemblies : These files take a design one step closer to reality By: Gerald Davis If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. We live in a 3-D world, so it makes sense that metal... Publish date: December 1, 2008
	Sketching in a 3-D CAD System : Welcome to the foundation of 3-D modeling By: Gerald Davis If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. There's nothing sketchy about the general skills involved in... Publish date: January 1, 2009
	Dimensioning in a 3-D CAD system : Dimensions transform the artistic inspiration into reality By: Gerald Davis If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. How important are dimensions to 3-D CAD modeling? Depends on... Publish date: February 1, 2009
	Modeling in a 3-D CAD system : How to decide whether to revolve or extrude By: Gerald Davis If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. One of the core skills to have when operating a 3-D CAD system... Publish date: March 1, 2009
	Getting swept away in 3-D CAD modeling : Sweeps are powerful tools for modeling shapes that follow some sort of path By: Gerald Davis If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. Like an extrude or revolve, a sweep is a tool for modeling a... Publish date: April 1, 2009
	Love of loft in 3-D CAD modeling : Lofts are powerful tools for modeling shapes that transition between profiles By: Gerald Davis If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. Like an extrude, revolve, or sweep, a loft is a tool for... Publish date: May 1, 2009
	The most important output of 3-D CAD modeling : Techniques to consider when modeling components in for a design project By: Gerald Davis If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. Figure 1 Click to view image larger This drawing with a... Publish date: June 1, 2009
	Top-down modeling : A reader's question presents an interesting challenge By: Gerald Davis If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. Figure 1 How do you model the elliptical cut in the middle... Publish date: July 1, 2009
	Flat responsibility in sheet metal modeling : The differences between 'flatten' and 'unfold' By: Gerald Davis If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. Figure 1a This sheet metal design looks OK in 3-D.... Publish date: August 1, 2009
	Validating processes, procedures, and products By: Elia Levi, Contributing Writer Has a customer ever asked you to validate a manufacturing process or procedure, or have you asked for validation from a supplier? In either... Publish date: June 23, 2009
	Redesigning parts for cost savings : The answer could be in the sheet of paper sitting in front of you By: Annette Doyle If an image is not displayed, click the hyperlinked figure number to view it. Figure 1 On the top, a paper model becomes the model for the... Publish date: April 28, 2009
	Unfolding truth about flats : Just how much does a CAD jockey need to know about flat layouts anyway? By: Array Gerald Davis is a job shop consultant and chair Three-dimensional CAD software provides great power to generate flat layouts of sheet metal... Publish date: June 16, 2008
	The right trace at the right time : Laser marking is the answer to Ford's traceability needs By: Dan Davis, Editor-in-Chief Whenever a laser is used in an industrial setting, a safety enclosure is usually required. To eliminate the expense of setting up an expensive... Publish date: April 15, 2008
	Get started with modular fixturing By: Bluco Corporation The Demmeler modular fixturing system for welding is an ideal tool for prototypes, repair parts, custom parts, process development or any other... Publish date: August 8, 2007
	Cure for the welder shortage By: Tina M. Buchanan, Contributing Writer Photo courtesy of EAA Sportair workshops Everyone in the welding field is talking about the welder shortage. Every meeting I attend, the... Publish date: October 9, 2007
	From Pens to Plasma Cutters By: Eric Lundin, Editor, TPJ-The Tube & Pipe Journal� Miller Electric brought in a semitruck load of welding equipment for fabricators to try out. The Miller staff verified that their insurance... Publish date: January 9, 2007
	Taking software integration to new heights : Tying the front office to the shop floor drives productivity, profitability By: Dan Deanovic Historically, the majority of a manufacturer's costs have been labor. In fact, when Henry Ford introduced the moving assembly line in 1913,... Publish date: December 12, 2006
	Handling engineering changes in automotive parts : A discussion of the process from start to finish By: Chuck Stuart and Subramaniam Manivannan Changes in design, material, manufacturing methods, performance requirements, or even packaging are facts of life for all manufactured... Publish date: May 9, 2006
	Characteristics of electron beam welding : Process is suitable for fabricating structures, difficult steel and aluminum applications By: B.E. Paton and A.A. Bondarev Figure 1 EBW is suitable for manufacturing spherical aluminum tanks. Editor's Note: This article was adapted from "State-of-the-art... Publish date: December 13, 2005
	Reverse engineering : How to reconstruct missing documents By: Elia Levi, Contributing Writer Small merchant ship in Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde, Denmark. Photo courtesy of Susanne H�fner. You might obtain an old piece of... Publish date: November 8, 2005
	Design for welding: Letter to an engineer By: Elia Levi, Contributing Writer Drawing Guide Notes courtesy of www.roymech.co.uk , a U.K.-based Web site. Editors Note: The image is presented solely for the purpose of... Publish date: March 8, 2005
	Platform consolidation gradually erodes supplier business By: Bernard Swiecki, Contributing Writer Japanese automakers are acknowledged as experts in the realm of platform consolidation: They can make many vehicles from one common set of basic... Publish date: February 8, 2005
	Successful stamping: It's a 'we' thing By: Art Hedrick, Contributing Writer As a consultant and educator, I travel to numerous die shops and stamping plants, and almost all of them have the same basic request: "Can you... Publish date: November 9, 2004
	Six Sigma methodology to improve ship and boat welding By: Jeffrey Noruk, Contributing Writer Nowhere in manufacturing is the axiom "Do the job right the first time" more true than in a shipyard's welding operation. The welding process must... Publish date: August 10, 2004
	Pushing plate processing productivity : To speed up fabricating efforts, remove time waste By: Ronald Schneider, Contributing Writer An infinite-rotation compound-skew-axis manipulator with a plasma torch allows automated contour bevel cutting of mild steel, stainless... Publish date: July 13, 2004
	Keep it clean : Selecting the right waste treatment option By: John Burke, Contributing Writer A variety of technologies for treatment of industrial waste fluids produced by metalworking processes are available. Some of these... Publish date: August 14, 2003
	Inline Process auditing : Moving beyond random sampling By: Bruce Johnson, Contributing Writer Sound familiar? What are the options? Today's Audit Today the most widely accepted practice for checking part or process quality is... Publish date: June 12, 2003
	Improving the bottom line in automotive applications : How to reduce the total cost of weld quality By: Jeffery Noruk, Contributing Writer Total Cost of Quality Most people think only about the costs associated with internal failures, such as rejects or scrap, and external... Publish date: April 24, 2003
	Slash maintenance inventory costs : Five steps for managing MRO parts By: Johanne Kelley and Karen Schneider, Contributing Writers Typically, managers hesitate to initiate a cost-cutting project in this area because they fear that critical parts may not be available... Publish date: April 10, 2003
	Merging research with manufacturing : Making technology grow through university-industry partnerships By: Wojciech Z. Misiolek, Pawel Kazanowski, and William H. Van Geertruyden, Contributing Writers It doesn't take vast financial resources, though, to gain access to modern research. By partnering with a university's engineering program,... Publish date: November 7, 2002
	Longer slabs, lower costs : Long-span composite decks could offer designers new flooring options By: Lincoln Brunner, Contributing Writer When it comes to unshored steel floors in their buildings, structural design engineers are used to thinking about the world in certain... Publish date: August 8, 2002
	Production economics : Your client wants fast turns and small quantities; so do you! By: Gerald Davis, Contributing Writer I'd be willing to bet that if I sent you a request for quote (RFQ) that specified various quantities, your quoted unit price would decrease as the... Publish date: September 26, 2002
	Welding Watch - Managing Your Welding Operation: The basics of welding management By: Don Lynn, Contributing Writer Welding management is a concept that should be mastered by any shop or business that has a welding operation. But just what welding management is... Publish date: March 5, 2001
	Is Your Welding Lean? By: Dick Holdren, Contributing Writer Following World War II and during the rebuilding of the Japanese industrial base manufacturers recognized that to restore production of... Publish date: March 26, 2002
	A parting of the (inclined) ways : U.S. shipbuilding sails toward modern fabrication, assembly By: Phillip S. Waldrop, Ph.D, Contributing Writer Object Even though boat and ship construction dates back to ancient times, some production technologies have been slow to change, illustrated... Publish date: September 12, 2002
	Establishing quality systems for welding By: Tony Anderson, Contributing Writer Using a quality system for welding that is developed according to welding code or standard requirements, may be an opportunity for the welding... Publish date: May 16, 2002
	Committing to consistent preventative maintenance : Why you should do more than pay it lip service By: Peter Vannice, Contributing Writer Why do we pay lip service to preventive maintenance but seldom practice it? Performing routine maintenance tasks on a predetermined schedule can... Publish date: June 27, 2002

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