Hydrofoil Sailboats are one of the most impressive watersports out there!  There are not many sailboats that can go faster than the wind.  C-Class Catamarans are a very open class of Sailboat Racing with only a few limitations (same hull used on both sides, a width and length limitation).  Other than that, it is completely up to the designers.  Materials, weight, and sails are un-regulated.

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MatWeb is easily the most comprehensive materials database freely available on the web.  When I used to work as a deign engineer I probably went to MatWeb at least a couple times a week.

As of this post, MatWeb has over 77,000 materials in it’s searchable database, and they are all free to access, although there are advanced features (advanced search, side-by-side material comparisons, data download capabilities) that require you to register for a free account.  Premium accounts cost $100 per year and give you increased search and comparison functionality and the ability to download materials right into your favorite design software. Read the rest of this entry »

Robotbox is a site to share and collaborate on do-it-yourself robotics projects. I know there are a lot of engineers out there who have half completed projects sitting in a box in the basement or garage.

Check out the top rated projects already in the system.

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10) Double check your drawing.  Often the default on some design software is actually a very difficult feature to make.  Do you really need a bottom tapped hole?

9) Spend a few days with the QA department the first time they qualify your new part.  It will be eye opening.

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8. Machinists will often need to alter your part to machine some of the features.  Work through this together and you’ll both be happier.

7. When you first bring your drawing to the machine shop, it’s common to scribble notes and explain what’s “not that critical.”  This is a valuable exercise, but take the time to alter the drawing in your design software before giving it back to the machine shop.

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When I worked as a design and manufacturing engineer, I did a lot of 3D design work in SolidWorks, AutoCAD, and various other packages.  It didn’t take me long to look for an alternative to the traditional mouse to manipulate my designs in the digital 3D environment.  After a little searching, I found the 3D Connexion line of products, and purchased a SpaceBall 5000 (replaced by the SpaceExplorer). Here’s why you should get one immediately.

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