Mechanical Design

I am a Certified Engineering Technologist, specializing in mechanical design. I am a member of OACETT. As of April 2024, I am back in as OACETT's Toronto West Chapter Chair. I hold a Lean Manufacturing White Belt certificate.

Articles

Most of the following articles are written in LaTeX, and converted to a readable format by the various LaTeX tools. Adobe no longer supports GNU/Linux, but there is lots of PDF support for the OS. Some of my PDFs are up on Google Drive. Primus.ca only gives me so much disk space. I have finally figured out how to make LaTeX generate HTML pages without messing up the graphics.

Calculating Locational Tolerances — HTML PDF: As a mechanical designer, I prepare fabrication drawings. I apply a lot of dimensions to holes, and I have to work out tolerances. Finally, I sat down and did the math. If you prepare or check mechanical drawings, this article should be useful.
Design For Manufacture and Assembly — HTML PDF: These are my notes on the subject. Shoddy design is a non-value added cost. Let's do design properly!
Design for Vibration — Google Drive: I have almost forty years experience designing assemblies that operate in an evironment with shock and vibration.
Document Management — HTML: I have been working with engineering documentation in some form or another since the mid-seventies. This is an opinion piece, based on all my experience. Here is a cute link from Seth Godin in the same vein.
Positional Tolerances — PDF: Positional tolerances as per ASME Y14.5, and some ISO specification, are supposed to provide 50% more allowance, compared to plus/minus tolerances. Do they? Also, note how the scatter diagrams are generated randomly, every time this website is updated.
Office Suite Abuse — HTML: Your office suite is your slave. It must do whatever you want.
Parametric Threads in SolidWorks — HTML: You can model a threaded assembly and create fabrication drawings of the parts, and make it so that all the thread specifications update. It does not absolutely have to be a metric thread. Let me show you how. This was written in straight HTML.
Robot LiDAR — Google Drive: Can a motor vehicle operate on public roads using LiDAR to detect stuff around it? Some other details of Robot vehicles are discussed.
Screw Torques — HTML: This is a screw torque calculator, written in JavaScript. As of 2018/11/20, I think I have everything working, and it explains the engineering it is doing. I need to add materials. I need to test the hell out of it. The pull-down menus do not work on my cellphone. I am learning JavaScript! :)
3D Printing — HTML: This is not a technical article. The subject came up in a history and philosophy Meetup I belong to. Is 3D printing (rapid prototyping) a Threat To Society As We Know It? Will it help the robot overlords and/or the anarchists take over? Alternately, is it just a new tool we can fabricate stuff with?
More on 3D Printing — HTML: I now have a 3D printer!
Weights and Measures MDCCCXXXV — HTML: This all comes from The Mechanic's Calculator, by William Grier civil engineer.

External Engineering Websites

Engineering.com: All sorts of engineering stuff.
Engineering Tips: This is an engineering forum I found on the internet. You can log in and ask technical questions. You can be helpful and answer some of the questions if you know what you are talking about.
SimpliEngineering: This is a site similar to Eng-Tips.
Matweb: Here is a very useful database on engineering materials.
Tips on Designing Cost Effective Machined Parts: Most of my stuff gets machined. I do not agree with everything in the article, but most of it is good to know.
Engineering and Technology: This contains all sorts of articles on engineering related topics, maintained by Dr James B. Calvert. The website has been shut down, but it is interesting, and archived on the wayback machine.
Slide Rule Era: All sorts of old engineering stuff. I still have an old slide rule lying around somewhere. SlideRuleEra is a member of Eng‑Tips and SimpliEngineering. He has shut down his website. The link is to the internet wayback machine.
RoyMech: All sorts of more engineering stuff thanks to the late Roy Beardmore. This site has been taken over by Andrew Wade, a mechanical engineer with over thirty five years experience. He has emailed me and asked me to update my link to the site.
Bolt Science: A UK based consulting firm with a very informative website.
Bad Human Factors Design: This is an interesting website by Michael J. Darnell.

Finally...

Never be caught without your Machinery's Handbook. You never know when you have to flatten out a panel for dovetailing.

Next time, I buy the large print version, which weighs more.