Reading Material
One advantage to serving multiple industry sectors is the exposure to new problems, which means new solutions.
Manufacturing Outlook Magazine - Top Industrial Engineering Services Provider in Canada - 2024
January 2024 - Manufacturing Outlook Magazine announces Profile Services as one of the top service providers in Canada
(Link to Manufacturing Outlook article, or Read More, below)
Thesis Presentation: A Self-Reflective Design Study of Three Visio and Visio-Haptic Artifacts For Use in Mechanical Engineering Design Education
This is a VERY abbreviated summary of the thesis, and some of the thinking behind it. It includes BONUS content on Limits and Fits, and an elegant design for one of the artifacts.
NOTE: PDFs of the artifact design files are available upon request.
Thesis: A Self-Reflective Design Study of Three Visio and Visio-Haptic Artifacts For Use in Mechanical Engineering Design Education
Why do a Master's of Science degree? In my case, it was to validate my career and knowledge, and to share some insights as a senior mechanical design engineer. There are insights of my "why", starting in my childhood, progressing to my questioning why engineering education is still primarily theoretical when most graduates go into industry, not further academic pursuits. The technical design focus is on the creation of three artifacts for use in teaching micron-scale dimensional magnitude to undergraduate mechanical engineers.
NOTE: PDFs of the artifact design files are available upon request.
Tolerance Comparisons
Thousandths and ten-thousandths of an inch. Microns. They're not meaningless numbers, though they may be incomprehensible until you have points of reference for comparison. This graphic shows a relative comparison between common metric and inch tolerances, and compares them to relatable items ... like blood cells and cockroach feces!
Chapter 17: Dimensioning and Tolerancing
from Injection Mold Design Handbook
What do you do when an old friend and colleague asks you to contribute a few paragraphs to a 200-page textbook that he's working on? You provide about 30 pages and dozens of graphics to explain why GD&T is the only effective way to document mold designs ... and the book ends up being about 800 pages.
Though the discussion is focused on injection mold design, the tolerancing considerations are equally valid for any mechanical engineering design.
Discussions about whether or not to implement GD&T will typically start with a discussion of the inherent problems of conventional dimensioning and tolerancing practices. This sample content, Section 17.2: Limitations of Conventional Dimensions and Tolerances, provides an understanding of the issues.
Injection Mold Design Handbook by B. Catoen
Hanser Publications ISBN 978-1-56990-815-0
Advanced Graphical Communications - A Course Evolution
by James Sykes, P.Eng, EiR, University of Manitoba, from Proceedings 2020 Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA-ACEG20) Conference.
Jim was scheduled to present this paper at the CEEA Conference in the Spring of 2020. Though the conference was cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic measures, the proceedings were published.
GD&T - Dumbing-Down Your Tolerances
GD&T, when done properly and when understood throughout the supply chain, adds value. That value may not be immediately visible and is often not quantifiable, but it is there. However, because many companies are reluctant to compel their supply chain to meet training requirements, the value of GD&T is not always attained. Instead, tolerances are often increased randomly, and designs are changed to accommodate suppliers' "best effort" manufacturing.
GD&T Will Cost You - An Industrial Myth
There is an industrial myth that adding GD&T to a drawing will result in increased workpiece cost. If your supply chain doesn't understand GD&T, it will cost you. On the other hand, if your supply chain understands GD&T, you should reduce costs in manufacturing and inspection through field service and warranty.