Stop Product Failures: An Engineer’s Guide to the 4 Types of Silicone
e use “silicone” as a catch-all, but that’s like calling everything with four wheels a “car.” A Formula 1 race car and a sixteen-wheeler cargo truck are both “cars,” but you would never use one to do the other’s job. So it is with silicone. The gummy sealant you use to caulk your bathtub shares […]
Stop Rust & Pitting: An Engineer’s Guide to 18/10, 18/8 & 18/0 Steel
It’s one of the most common questions I get, and it comes from everywhere—from startup founders designing a new piece of kitchenware to plant managers trying to figure out why a new stainless steel tank is showing rust spots after a month. They all point to a number stamped on the metal, a code like […]
What is Nylon? An Engineer’s Guide to Avoiding Costly Failures
Quick Answer: What is Nylon? Simple Definition Nylon is a family of synthetic polymers known as polyamides. It is a thermoplastic, meaning it can be melted, processed into a final shape, and then re-melted. Is it Plastic? Yes. In its solid form, nylon is a high-performance engineering plastic used for gears, bearings, and structural components. Is it […]
Prevent Catastrophic Failure: Why Poisson’s Ratio Isn’t Just Theory
Quick Answer Description What is Poisson’s Ratio (ν)? It’s a measure of the “squish factor” of a material. When you stretch a material in one direction, Poisson’s ratio tells you how much it will shrink in the other two directions. When you compress it, it tells you how much it will bulge sideways. Simple Analogy […]
Stop Meltdowns: An Engineer’s Guide to Heat Sinks & Thermal Paste
Quick Answer Explanation Is it heatsink or heat sink? Both are widely used and understood, but “heat sink” (two words) is the more traditionally correct and formal term. It describes the object’s function: it acts as a sink for unwanted heat. Why is it called that? The term is an analogy. Just as a kitchen sink is a basin for […]
Stop Costly Rework: Why CAD is More Than Just “Drawing”
Stop Wasting Money on Rework: How CAD Ensures Your Parts Are Right the First Time Quick Answer What It Is: Computer-Aided Design (CAD) is the use of specialized computer software to create highly precise and detailed two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) digital models of physical objects. It is the modern equivalent of a drafting board, […]
How Much Carbon is in High Carbon Steel?
Carbon: The Magic Ingredient That Defines Steel The question “How much carbon is in high carbon steel?” seems like it should have a simple numerical answer. And it does. But asking that question is like asking how much yeast is in bread; the number is less important than understanding what that ingredient does. In the […]
TIG vs MIG for Aluminum: A Pro’s Guide
This guide is written from my personal perspective as a professional engineer and a partner at RM (Rapid Manufacturing). It’s the question that separates the novice from the journeyman. Aluminum is a miracle metal—light, strong, corrosion-resistant—but on the welding table, it’s a temperamental artist with a very specific set of demands. It doesn’t forgive mistakes, […]
What is poka-yoke and examples?
This guide is written from my personal perspective as a professional engineer and a partner at RM (Rapid Manufacturing). Of all the lean manufacturing concepts we use, from Kanban to 5S, none is more elegant, more powerful, or more fundamentally human than Poka-Yoke. It’s a Japanese term that translates to “mistake-proofing,” but I prefer to […]
What is Nitride? An Engineer’s Guide
This guide is written from my personal perspective as a professional engineer and a partner at RM (Rapid Manufacturing). When you spend your life working with metals, you develop an obsession with performance—making things stronger, harder, and longer-lasting. And in the world of high-performance materials, few concepts are more important, or more misunderstood, than the […]
