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How to Prepare Your Request for Quote Package

Seven hundred years ago, Marco Polo returned from the Far East with tales of wonder and exotic goods, like silks, fine porcelains, and spices, which would set the trends for the upper classes of Europe for centuries to come. These days, importing products comes with less fame, but it has also never been easier: Manufacturers […]

Webinar

On Demand

DC Motors and Motion Control Systems

In this on-demand webinar, Simplexity CTO Doug Harriman teaches on DC motors and motion control systems, for mechanical engineers working with motors who want a better understanding of these systems. During the webinar Doug will discuss: Overview of motor types Recommended applications Deep dive on brushed DC motors Important considerations around motor selection

Teardown

Sphero R2-D2 Teardown

In honor of Force Friday, we teamed up with the engineers over at Sphero to bring you two exclusive teardowns of Sphero’s just-released-today Star Wars toys featuring R2-D2 and BB-9E, a brand new character featured in the upcoming movie. As one of the most popular characters in the Star Wars universe, there’s certainly no shortage of R2-D2 products […]

Teardown

Sphero BB-9E Teardown

In honor of Force Friday, we teamed up with the engineers over at Sphero to bring you two exclusive teardowns of Sphero’s Star Wars toys, R2-D2 and BB-9E. When we first unboxed the little black droid called BB-9E, we thought to ourselves, “Is that an evil BB-8?” There’s no mistaking which side this mysterious new character plays on–even its […]

Article

Mechatronica: 3D Printing Gears and Robots

Designing and building robots and other mechatronic designs has been simplified by the continued evolution of 3D printing technology, but it’s not without its challenges. 3D printed parts aren’t quite the same as their more expensive machined and molded cousins, and we need to take into account the tolerances, surface finishes, and other limitations of […]

Article

How to Handle ECOs

Engineering Changes (ECs) are fulcrums: They’re powerful, and a small mistake one day can have incredible consequences for weeks, or even months, afterwards. When companies mature, they need systems to limit the impact of potential unintended consequences, but you’ll always hear engineers grumbling about the red tape required to make this “one tiny, obviously logical […]

Teardown

Ultimate Lightning Mcqueen Teardown

As robotics technology becomes more advanced and more accessible, we’ve seen an increase in robotic companion products come to market, intended to simulate human interaction. Sphero’s latest product, Ultimate Lightning McQueen, displays the company’s engineering and design mastery of life-like robotics technology. Similar to the BB-8 Droid, this new product in partnership with Pixar is packed with […]

Article

How to Design Assemblies to Be Self-Locating and Self-Fixturing

There’s a reason kids love Lego. When I was a kid, nothing was more valuable to me than my big blue bucket of the multi-colored bricks. Even when my parents encouraged my interest in engineering with more complex Fischer Technics, nothing replaced the joy of quickly snapping pieces together in increasingly complex shapes. Wouldn’t it […]

Article

An Introduction to Solenoids

Like cavemen did thousands of years ago with fire, you might have just struck upon an incredibly revolutionary idea. As you coin down your concept and think of ways to make it as simple as possible, you’ll probably come across mechanical functions that require linear action. Energy can be converted into linear motion by an […]

Article

Keeping Copycats Away: A Guide to Patents for Hardware Products

As an entrepreneur, you’ve probably heard this many times: “Ideas are worthless until you get them out of your head and see what they can do.” Every big idea starts with a small first step and many leaps of faith to get it realized. However, you’ve probably also seen big Kickstarter projects get funded, only […]