OK, Convince me!

[Keith]

Jimmy, I am not in anyway an engineer or even capable of being one but I do err on the side of the creative, and engineering to me is the ultimate expression of creative processes. (In other words I am awestruck at some major Victorian engineering projects) A well thought out designed and manufactured part or machine is both practical and somewhat beautiful all at the same time.

These new machines are brilliant but I do hope we never lose those basic skills to push button knowledge as seems to be happening today. The UK has always produced brilliant 'modelers' in that we have the capability to produce functional one-of-a-kind engineering with mass production not our bag. I suppose Formula 1, for example, demonstrates the pinnacle of those skills.

As, when the sh1t hits the fan, we'd be screwed (and probably by a large Whitworth)...

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

Dumber ? - probably.
Luddite ? your not alone.
This picture shows what I am doing at home this morning.
You would be surprised how many times a CAD designer has asked me what this piece of equipment was used for.
I also get regular comments on my neat block writing and it still amazes me how many people cannot write properly in an engineering office.
This protractor was my grandfather's and is dated 1890. It has a vernier calibrated to 5 minutes.
Incidentally, I used this to draught all of my casting pattern drawings.

Jimmy, interesting comment about your neat writing, there is a move afoot by
our (so called) education department to discard writing and use keyboards only:shrug:.

 

[JimmyMac]

Some so-called educators are proposing the same over here Pete. Could it be a "soft" solution to varied literate and multi-cultural classes ?

In our time sending someone a handwritten letter provided a more personal contact with the addressee. A love letter or a journal for example.
Remember this and the inkwells ?

Cursive Writing Worksheets

 

[BenL]

What I couldn't buy was the laser scanning. How can the scan possibly pick up points in the Cressent wrench's worm gear that light couldn't reach?

Very cool demo, but count the number of threads (teeth) in the worm gear. On list, someone pointed out that the original has four threads, the red plastic worm gear has three. Obviously, they skipped the stage were someone cleaned up the data and redid the worm gear mechanism.

 

[Mike Pass]

This technology is very neat stuff. I usually visit the Autosport show every year and always spend time in the Race Engineering section. Two or three years ago there was a small stand doing demos of this type of technology. They were however making parts in many metals including titanium using the laser fused layering method. They were making many parts with complex internal structures which could not be made by any other technique. They also had a new technique for polishing parts using a laser.
One of the demos was an aircraft wing section in titanium with all the triangulated internal ribs and braces totally sealed inside it - no joints , no welds etc. It was light enough so I could blow it across the glass counter top.
If you get the chance visit this show as there is always amazing stuff on show - ceramic bearings, 5 axis milling machines, laser part scanning, etc. and this is the stuff they let everybody see!
Cheers
Mike

 

[Dave Bilyk]

They were however making parts in many metals including titanium using the laser fused layering method.

Mike, now that is awesome; seems to me that this moves rapid prototyping up a level, since components made this way should be strong enough for production apps- a quick search shows that this method, (also called laser sintering) can be used for a range of materials. I guess there is a size limitation, but ideal for small lightweight honeycomb type structures.
polymers
nylon
polystyrene
metals
steel
titanium
and alloy mixtures.

Dave