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8 Creative Ways to Recruit Skilled Mechanical Engineers

Recruiting skilled engineers is a daunting task — factors like job security, income, and benefits are a good start in attracting mechanical engineers, but you need to go the extra mile to attract highly skilled, passionate, and motivated engineers. Engineering candidates typically use logic when deciding to take a job and will often utilize a […]

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Consumer Electronics Certifications: FCC Regulations, EMC Testing, and More

You and your team have a killer consumer electronics product idea and the necessary skill set to bring it to market. But 50% of consumer electronics products fail EMC testing during their first pass. A failure in certification testing can stop your product development process dead in its tracks, resulting in large costs and significant […]

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Problems with MCAD-ECAD Integration and How to Solve Them

Designing complex PCBAs for external enclosures requires meticulous attention to detail, ensuring compatibility between both mechanical and electrical aspects. In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of this integration and common problems that often arise during the process, then provide ways to avoid them.  Why MCAD and ECAD Integration is Important  Electronics and mechanical systems […]

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Understanding the Finite Element Method

The Finite Element Method (FEM) is a numerical analysis technique used to obtain approximate solutions to complex engineering and mathematical problems. It involves dividing a complicated object or system into smaller, more manageable parts, known as finite elements. These elements are connected together by nodes, and the governing equations for the entire system are expressed […]

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ENGINEERING FUNDAMENTALS Refresh: Ductility, Strain, and Toughness

Ductility, strain, and toughness are fundamental concepts in the field of engineering, particularly in materials science and mechanical engineering. Ductility is a measure of a material’s ability to deform plastically (permanently) before fracture. In other words, it’s a measure of a material’s ability to stretch or bend without breaking. Ductile materials, such as copper and […]

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Engineering Fundamentals Refresh: Bernoulli’s Equation

Fluid mechanics is one of the four branches of mechanics, the study of how fluids behave at rest or in motion — and you’re likely to use this knowledge as an engineer in real practice fairly often. I have used fluid mechanics to design heat exchangers for airplanes, to predict the flow of chemical solutions […]

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Types of Springs and their Applications: An Overview

Springs are common in all kinds of machines — from consumer products to heavy industrial equipment. Take apart anything that involves a mechanism, and chances are, you’ll find a spring inside. Springs are storage devices for mechanical energy, analogous to the electrical storage capacity of batteries. The earliest spring-driven clocks appeared in the 1400s. Fast-forward […]

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5 Tips for Developing People Skills as an Engineer

Let’s face it, engineers aren’t often known for their people skills. In fact, there is a connotation with engineering professionals that says we’re socially awkward, introverted, and just plain nerdy. Now there may be some truth to that — in my decade as an engineer, I have had many many awkward meetings, elevator rides, and […]

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A Guide to Rivet Types and Their Common Uses

Rivets are a versatile and low-cost method for fastening two components together. They’re typically used to attach sheet and structural members, and in some cases only require access to one side of the joint to install. Rivets are low-cost and come in a range of different materials like aluminum, stainless steel, and copper. This article […]

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How to Modify and Import STEP Files

What good is having the best design in the world without the ability to share it? Luckily, we have STEP files to make distributing designs easy. STEP files allow designers and engineers to share their designs in a neutral format compatible with many different CAD programs. These 3D models may also contain information about the […]