Engineering skills can be used to create or improve almost anything, from boxes and bags to toasters for sausages. Frequently though, the process requires more perseverance than revelation. The twists and turns of a long development program mean that the ability to work as a team is often as important as technical ingenuity. Happy reading.
The Unwritten Laws of Engineering
Not just temporarily fashionable, the guidelines in this article have stood the test of time, having been originally published in 1944. The insights here relate to the management of engineers.
Mechanical Engineering Magazine, November 2010
What the Beginner Needs to Learn at Once
Junior engineers and new graduates need to follow unwritten rules of professional conduct to be successful.
Mechanical Engineering Magazine, October 2010
The Culture of ABS
Thomas Edison stated that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. When marketing campaigns feature engineering, they tend to emphasize the inspiration part of development. This is the story of the development of anti-lock braking for cars – a story about the perspiration side of genius.
Mechanical Engineering Magazine, September 2010
Developing Boxes
The humble box is apparently far from the end of its development cycle. By adopting mechanical analysis and computer simulation, a juice box company has been making their designs faster and cheaper. On the other foot, a shoe company has taken box development a step further – and developed a bag.
Design World, September 2010
Unboxing Shoes
Mechanical Engineering Magazine, September 2010
The Wurst Use for a Toaster
Without featuring too many nationalistic stereotypes, this article is about poor British cuisine and a triumph of German engineering. It may also be an example to show that just because an engineer can develop a novel solution, doesn’t mean that there is a real problem.
Reuters, November 2010