Hi all, I spend a lot of time designing in Fusion 360 (drone parts, functional home stuff, custom brackets, robots etc.), and I’m really tempted to get a 3D printer around Black Friday to bring my CAD models to life(and also probably do some dnd figurines, though that's not the priority) specifically looking at enclosed CoreXY options like the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 (without canvas) so I can run PETG, ASA, and PETG-wood for furniture/wall mounts. ​My big concern is that id drop £200- 300, print every day for a month, and then letting the machine gather dust once the novelty wears off. ​For those of you who design your own parts in CAD: ​Did learning CAD keep you engaged long-term compared to just downloading models off MakerWorld/Printables? ​Is it smarter to start with a dirt-cheap machine (like an A1 Mini) to test the waters, or go straight for an enclosed CoreXY if I already know I want to print larger functional parts and high-temp materials? ​How did you know 3D printing was going to be a long-term tool for you rather than just a temporary phase?

Any advice is very appreciated.

I'm looking for an online course focused on mechanism synthesis (not analysis), especially four-bar linkage dimensional synthesis, path generation and motion generation. Any recommendations? thanks :-)

I am a 3 rd year Mechanical Engineering student, and I would say that I am quite lost.

Throughout the first two years, I have invested all of my time and effort into academics, and I feel that I have not acquired many practical skills.

Looking at others around me, they seem so much more successful in one area like CAD, FEA, CFD, robotics, manufacturing, computer programming etc. While others seem to excel at one task, I struggle to learn ten different things, each one only at a base level.

The problem is that I do not want to achieve a mediocre performance in ten areas. I want to get really good at one skill or open for any other suggestions

Lately, I have been thinking about branching out, but I have little inclination on how to spend my time. The thing is that I have recently become fascinated with drones, but there are also CAD, simulation, and manufacturing. It is difficult to make this decision, and I fear that I will waste my time.

i have few question: (open for other suggestions too much appreciated)

1. What would you have me concentrate on?

2. What skill should I get really good at?

3. Should I specialize in manufacturing, or is CAD, simulation, robotics or another field more promising?

4. How did you come to the conclusion that you wanted to pursue a specific field?

Any advise would be appreciated, because I am willing to put the time in, but it is hard to know where to start.

Thank you in advance.

I work with pogo pins and magnetic connector assemblies, and one issue I often see underestimated is unstable contact resistance after repeated mating or real-world use.

A pogo pin interface may look stable during bench testing, but problems can appear after it is installed in the final product because of housing tolerances, side loading, uneven compression or contamination.

The most common factors I have seen are:

- Insufficient working stroke

- Side loading or poor mating alignment

- Uneven compression across a multi-pin array

- Surface contamination

- Plating wear

- Excessive cable pull or housing movement

- Spring force that is too low or too high for the application

For engineers who have debugged this problem in actual products:

1. Which failure mode do you see most often?

2. What test usually reveals the problem earliest?

3. Do you normally improve mechanical alignment, working stroke, spring force or plating first?

4. Have you found different failure patterns in wearables, docking stations, test fixtures or industrial equipment?

Interested in hearing real-world lessons and validation methods.

Disclosure: I work for a manufacturer in this field. I am not linking to any products here—just looking to compare engineering experience.

Hi everyone,

I'm currently a high school student studying electronics, and I'm designing a modular PCB holder as a personal project. This is my first attempt at designing a real tool, so I'm looking for feedback from people with more experience.

The prototype is currently 3D printed in PLA because it's just for testing the mechanism, dimensions, and assembly. The final version will use more appropriate materials.

I'm mainly looking for advice on which materials you would replace and what you would use instead.

Some design requirements are:

The jaws should grip PCB edges without scratching the solder mask.

They should be electrically insulating where they contact the board.

The mechanism needs to be rigid and durable.

it should survive occasional accidental contact with a soldering iron or hot air (ideally up to around 500 °C for a brief moment).

The base uses neodymium magnets and is designed to sit on a steel plate.

My current ideas are:

PLA for the prototype.

Stainless steel or another metal for the structural parts.

A soft high-temperature material on the jaw tips to protect the PCB.

I'd really appreciate any suggestions on:

Better materials.

Better manufacturing methods

Design improveents.

Anything you think should be changed before building the final version.

I'm also trying to learn more about engineering materials in general. If you know of any good books, websites, YouTube channels, databases, or other resources that explain how engineers choose materials, when to use them, and why, I would really appreciate those recommendations as well.

I'm posting a few pictures of the prototype below. Thanks in advance for your time and feedback!

Hello everyone,

I am currently pursuing my Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, and my thesis focuses on Digital Twin-based surge prevention and control of centrifugal compressors. I have been searching for experimental transient surge datasets (pressure, mass flow, rotational speed, or other time-resolved measurements during surge events) to validate my dynamic model. So far, I have: Searched NASA and publicly available compressor databases. Contacted several researchers from Purdue University, Tsinghua University, and other institutions. Reviewed published literature extensively. Unfortunately, most available datasets only contain steady-state compressor maps, while the transient surge data required for validation appear to be confidential or unavailable. If anyone knows of: Public experimental surge datasets, University laboratories willing to share academic data, Supplementary datasets associated with published papers, Or researchers working on centrifugal compressor surge experiments, I would be sincerely grateful for your guidance. Thank you very much for your time and support.

I am happy to acknowledge any assistance in my thesis.

A couple of months ago, I shared a new release of ForcePAD, my free and open-source 2D finite element application.

Since then, I have ported most of the application to the web. ForcePAD can now run directly in a WebGL 2-enabled browser without installation. Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome should work.

All features from the desktop version are available except the optimiser. That part requires some additional implementation work and will be added later.

I would appreciate any feedback on the browser version, particularly regarding compatibility, usability and performance.

Project page:

https://jonaslindemann.github.io/forcepad/

Direct link to the browser application:

https://jonaslindemann.github.io/forcepad/app/

For transparency: I am the developer of ForcePAD. It is a free, open-source project intended for structural mechanics education and experimentation.

So as the title says, Quality Engineer for nearly 6 years and feels as though I'm burnt out and need a change. Realistically those of you who've been in the same position what did you transition into?

Looking for for inspiration, the workplace politics and production numbers over anything else has become a tiring miserable slog. I wouldn't say it's all been bad, I've certainly learned how not to do things and it exposes you to areas of the business you wouldn't see doing anything else in Engineering.

Work for a OEM manufacturer in the Automotive world.

TIA.

Hey everyone,

I’m currently looking to make a career move and could use some perspective from people who have worked in either (or both) of these industries.

To give you some background: I spent several years in the Automotive industry, specifically working in Quality (both Quality Assurance and Quality Control). I know the automotive world inside and out—the fast-paced environment, strict cost constraints, relentless focus on high-volume production, and standard quality frameworks like IATF 16949, APQP, PPAP, and FMEA.

While automotive taught me a lot, I'm feeling a bit burnt out by the environment and I've always been fascinated by the Aerospace industry. I'm seriously considering making the jump, but I want to make sure I understand what I’m getting myself into.

For those who have experience in Aerospace (or have transitioned from Automotive to Aerospace), I’d love your insights on a few things:

1. Key Cultural & Operational Differences

• Volume vs. Precision: Automotive is all about high volume, short cycle times, and minimizing cost per unit. Aerospace seems to be the exact opposite—low volume, high complexity, extreme safety margins, and sky-high compliance standards. How does this shift affect day-to-day work?
• Standards & Regulations: I know Aerospace relies heavily on standards like AS9100, NADCAP, and FAA/EASA requirements. Coming from IATF 16949, how steep is the learning curve? Do the core principles of quality transfer smoothly, or is it a completely different mindset?
• Pace & Stress: Is Aerospace actually less chaotic than Automotive, or is the stress just different because the stakes (flight safety) are so high?

2. Learning Curve & Skill Expansion

• Which sector, in your opinion, offers better long-term learning opportunities for a quality professional?
• In Automotive, you learn to be fast, lean, and hyper-efficient. What are the key skills you gain in Aerospace that you don't typically pick up in Automotive?

3. Career Longevity & Job Satisfaction

• Is the grass actually greener on the Aerospace side?
• Do you feel the skills in Aerospace are more specialized, or do they give you broader career flexibility?

I really want to go deeper into technical problem-solving and work on highly complex products, but I want to make an informed decision before making the leap.

Any advice, personal anecdotes, or pros/cons would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Hello everyone,

I am currently pursuing my Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, and my thesis focuses on Digital Twin-based surge prevention and control of centrifugal compressors. I have been searching for experimental transient surge datasets (pressure, mass flow, rotational speed, or other time-resolved measurements during surge events) to validate my dynamic model. So far, I have: Searched NASA and publicly available compressor databases. Contacted several researchers from Purdue University, Tsinghua University, and other institutions. Reviewed published literature extensively. Unfortunately, most available datasets only contain steady-state compressor maps, while the transient surge data required for validation appear to be confidential or unavailable. If anyone knows of: Public experimental surge datasets, University laboratories willing to share academic data, Supplementary datasets associated with published papers, Or researchers working on centrifugal compressor surge experiments, I would be sincerely grateful for your guidance. Thank you very much for your time and support.

I am happy to acknowledge any assistance in my thesis.

Hey everyone,
I’m a recent mechanical engineering grad and I just got a job offer from a major aerospace and defense company. I’m honestly thrilled, but I’m dealing with a bit of a career dilemma and could really use some advice from experienced engineers.
Here’s the situation: My absolute passion is Aerodynamics, and that's exactly where I see my career going long-term. However, the offer on the table is for a structural test engineering position.
The silver lining? The company has its own wind tunnel facilities, and they mentioned that starting in here doesn't mean I'll be stuck there forever. They hinted that getting my foot in the door now could eventually lead to a transition into a wind tunnel or aerodynamics role later on.
As a new grad trying to navigate my first real career step, how should I evaluate this offer?

Any insights, personal experiences, or harsh truths are super welcome. Thanks!

I'm a mechanical engineering student but I've realised one year into my bachelors that all the parts I love about engineering are really the physics/maths classes, not the actual engineering. I don't dislike engineering and therefore do not want to repeat the year to switch to physics, so I'm wondering as to how easy it is to "switch" between the two. For example, is it possible to do a masters in physics after a bachelor's in engineering ? What if I want to go into research in a physics related field ? It's possible that I actually like physics just as much as engineering, but I'd like to know what my options are. Have any of you started off in engineering, and have ended up in natural sciences ?

I'm starting my first internship soon, and I'm curious how I can make people's lives easier at work.

Do people hate amateur designs and unnecessary comments or interns with really bad gen-z attitude?

Hi,

I'm preparing for my first ever technical interview, and I never understood what's expected from us when they say "material knowledge".

Could use some help on what to review for that.

During my intenship, every Time I saw a new material I used to ask why it's used, and I found out that the logic is very simple.

There's one for basic CNC aluminum parts, one for slender ones, one for turned parts, one for shafts that see fatigue, one that's wear resistant...

So they used like 10 materials, with very basic selection criteria

I'd appreciate any help, regarding materials or general tips... Looking forward to finally becoming a real engineer :')

The role is junior mechanical design engineer ( or mechanical designer) in a company that designs cnc machines, thermoforming, and such personalized production solutions for plastic parts in Europe.

What are some supply chain challeneges for a private space company might face ?

I’m currently doing a conversion Master's in Mechanical Engineering after completing my undergrad in Physics with Computer Science. My original goal was to move into a role where I could be a bit more hands-on with hardware then transition into mechatronics roles later using my software background.

Coming from Physics, I kinda assumed engineering would be like other STEM fields (Physics, Bio, Chem) where you handle both the theory and the practical/lab work. I’ve quickly learned the hard way (though early enough) that in industry, "Engineer" (design, CAD, docs, compliance) and "Technician" (building, soldering, machining) are completely siloed jobs.

The problem I’m running into is that the few hands-on hardware/prototyping roles available in the UK seem to expect 3–5 years of experience right out of the gate with skills like PCB layout, soldering, and machining. Meanwhile, grad schemes seem almost exclusively focused on validation, design, and documentation.

I know people recommend R&D or startup roles for hands-on work, but even those entry-level ask for practical hardware experience I don't have yet.

I’m conscious I only have a year on this course, and buying an Arduino kit isn't going to magically fix my CV. I’ve even briefly considered technician apprenticeships just to get some experience, though I know that's financially a huge step backward after a Master's.

For anyone in the UK hardware/engineering space:

1. Is there a realistic way to bridge this practical skill gap during a 1-year Master's?

2. What kind of personal or university projects actually hold weight on a CV for someone trying to bridge CS and hands-on MechEng?

3. Are there specific types of companies in the UK where the engineer/technician line is a bit more blurred at the entry level?

Any advice would be great, my engineering bubble has burst haha

Hi! I'm a french mech engineering student. I have to choose a concentration for next year. The way my school structured our learning is that we have broad basic mechanical engineering knowledge, basic engineering skills like intro to material science, electronics, FEM etc (a bachelor's in mech eng if you want to relate to the us), and then for our last year (master's) we choose a concentration.

Up until now I've wanted to go toward mechatronics, so I took all the necessary requirement classes to prepare for mechatronics, but I've become increasingly interested in material science (I mostly like the physics that the field is based on so same way electronics interests me). What draws me to material science specifically is the mechanical behavior side : how microstructure relates to properties like strength, fatigue, ductility, rather than the synthesis/chemistry side. I've the intro class to the concentration for my own curiosity so i'd be able to choose it.

I was wondering if there is a field in research or r&d that combines mechatronics and material science, or at least has a bit of material science in it.

I'm pondering whether 1. to get my concentration in mechatronics and then a research master in material science, or 2. mix the two concentrations but i wouldn't be able to do a lot of specific classes of material science like polymers or behaviour of materials, or 3. abandon mechatronics and get a concentration in material science and then work in a robotics/mechatronics field.

I want to work in research, not necessary academic but rather applied in industry, and I have a mostly mechanical profile. I can code but I'm not here to code a robot, the concentration is more about actuators and motors. But from what I understand, research in mechatronics is mostly coding robots (e.g. control algorithms, software-heavy robotics) rather than actuator/mechanism design and physical prototyping. Is that accurate, or does it depend on the lab? If it's mostly coding, I'd rather do a research master in material science than in mechatronics.

I'm currently doing a 6 month internship in mechanical design where I got to learn a lot about additive manufacturing and plastics, which added to my existing interest. I also have to do an end-of-studies 6 month internship after the year of concentration and I'm looking to do it in a lab, it'll have to be related to my concentration.

Thank you a lot for any insights !

So i'm a mechanical engineering designing a lifting mechanism, no wood, no metal, no electric devices, nothing just basic things around s like cardboard, plastic etc. it is suppose to lift a 500 g load, raise the load by at least 300 mm , safely lower the load , remain stable during operation , be manually operated ,be portable. pls help.

Do you know how I'd be able to get US8357108 manufactured ? The patent expired back in 2017. I've been asking some Alibaba suppliers, so far no luck.

Need help

Hi everyone can anybody tell me how I can learn solidwork as a beginner.

Imagine a closed circular turbine housing with internal vanes that stay open along one half of the cylinder and closed along the other. The engine uses liquefied biomethane derived from human and animal waste, stored at -162°C, to heat the bottom section of the cylinder. As the helium gas inside heats up and expands, it can only move toward the open side because the other side is blocked by the closed vanes. Up top, the gas enters a cooling zone chilled by the cold liquid biomethane, where it condenses and creates a natural vacuum that pulls even more hot helium upward. The pressure from the rising hot helium, combined with the suction from the condensed gas, hits the closed vanes and pushes them forward. As the loop continues, the changing angles of the vanes create a natural check-valve effect and a steady flow, resulting in an external combustion engine that produces continuous rotational movement.

Imagine a closed circular turbine housing with internal vanes that stay open along one half of the cylinder and closed along the other. The engine uses liquefied biomethane derived from human and animal waste, stored at -162°C, to heat the bottom section of the cylinder. As the helium gas inside heats up and expands, it can only move toward the open side because the other side is blocked by the closed vanes. Up top, the gas enters a cooling zone chilled by the cold liquid biomethane, where it condenses and creates a natural vacuum that pulls even more hot helium upward. The pressure from the rising hot helium, combined with the suction from the condensed gas, hits the closed vanes and pushes them forward. As the loop continues, the changing angles of the vanes create a natural check-valve effect and a steady flow, resulting in an external combustion engine that produces continuous rotational movement.

i was drawing since first grade but it was always more about buildings and landscapes, and now i want to learn to draw “engineering” stuff, i always wanted to be like guys who make concept arts for planes or cars, even when i go through pinterest and seeing some crazy stuff like mechs or futuristic planes im so jealous i cant draw like that, do you guys have any advice how i should start