Essential Skills For Mechanical Engineers

The climate crisis isn’t just an environmental issue - it’s an engineering problem. And solving it starts with how we think. As an automotive engineer, I’ve worked on everything from advanced safety systems to cutting-edge electrical and software architectures. At the core of it all? Solving complex problems through collaboration, analysis, and innovation. Whether it’s optimizing vehicle systems or launching new tech, the engineering process stays the same: - Understand the problem - Identify areas to improve - Build smarter, more efficient solutions This Earth Day, I’m thinking about how those same principles apply to our biggest global challenge: climate change. Designing a fuel-efficient car means understanding thermodynamics and aerodynamics. Tackling climate change means understanding Earth’s systems - and how we impact them. It’s another engineering challenge. A big one. And like any tough project, it calls for: 📊 Rigorous Analysis: Study the data, the interactions, the consequences 💡 Innovative Solutions: Tech, policies, and practices that actually move the needle 🤝 Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Learn fast, iterate faster My shift into sustainability wasn’t a career pivot - it was a progression. The same mindset that builds better vehicles can help build a better world. The auto industry is already changing - with EVs, hybrids, and new thinking. But we have to go faster. In every sector. This Earth Day, let’s approach climate action like engineers: test, refine, and build better - together. Because that’s what it’s going to take. 𝘐'𝘮 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘜𝘮𝘮 𝘈𝘭 𝘘𝘶𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘈𝘳𝘢𝘣 𝘌𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘖𝘗28. #EarthDay #EngineeringMindset #ClimateAction #Sustainability #Innovation

Key Results for Finite Element Vibration Modal Analysis Beam Natural Frequencies Converge at Order 4. In this post, I use insights into the finite element method to answer the practical question of the optimal order of convergence of beam bending vibration with mesh refinement. Taking advantage of symmetry and antisymmetry, closed-form solutions for both frequencies and mode shapes are obtained for beam finite elements with consistent mass. Asymptotic frequency error rates are verified numerically and shown to be of order 4 in element size as the number of elements is increased. What’s Inside:  1. Basics of Vibration Modal Analysis  2. Derivation of the exact beam stiffness matrix using three methods         - The first is not shown in finite element books (or any books that I am aware of)         - The last is shown in structural analysis books.   3. Derivation of Consistent Mass Matrix using fundamental principles of virtual work and d’Alembert’s mass inertia  4. Derivation of analytical benchmark solution        - Frequency-dependent bending wave speed           - Explanation of 1/L^2 scaling  5. Closed-Form Finite Element Modal Analysis  6. Study of Frequency Error with Mesh Refinement  7. Summary of standard error estimates for frequency and mode shapes  8. Validation of Convergence Rates and Monotonic Convergence  9. Discussion for practical modal analysis 10. Conclusions and key takeaways 11. Exercises included Feel free to reuse the figures for your classes or posts; tag me so I can see how you extend the discussion! Enjoy! P.S. Learned something new? Tell me which part.

🚀 MechCADemy Notes: Undamped Modal Analysis: From Theory to Finite Element Practice (simple, clear, powerful (Enjoy!)) This new document takes a comprehensive look at undamped modal analysis, bridging the gap between theoretical foundations and practical FEA application. 📘 Inside the document, you’ll find: - Why is modal analysis needed? - Step-by-step computation of natural frequencies and mode shapes - Description of pre-stress modal analysis - Derivation of lumped and consistent mass matrices - Physical interpretation of modal response - Detailed explanations of participation factors and effective mass - Insights into how different types of excitation activate different modes - Several examples with detailed solutions - Connections to real-world engineering scenarios, software tools like ANSYS, and code compliance requirements 🧠 Pro Tip: One of the best ways to learn and understand buckling is through modal analysis! Because eigenvalue buckling is mathematically formulated almost identically to undamped modal analysis — just with a geometric stiffness matrix replacing the mass matrix. This deep connection helps build intuition for stability, critical loads, and mode shapes associated with buckling. This release is part of an exciting new initiative called MechCADemy Notes — a growing collection of downloadable, high-quality learning documents that complement MechCADemy videos. 🧠 The first MechCADemy Note covered Nonlinear FEA, introducing large deformations and the Newton–Raphson method. 🎯 The long-term vision is to create a powerful synergy between these notes and the MechCADemy YouTube videos — turning each topic into a rich, multi-format learning experience. 📺 Check out my YouTube primer on Finite Element Analysis here:  https://lnkd.in/gV_p_WeT 🙌 Please support MechCADemy by: ✅ Subscribing to the channel ✅ Sharing this with your students, colleagues, or friends ✅ Commenting with your feedback and suggestions 🌞 Summer will be a busy and exciting time for MechCADemy — more videos and more notes on Finite Element Analysis, CAD, Design and Manufacturing, Mechanics of Materials, and Education. 🔖 #MechCADemy #MechCADemyNotes #ModalAnalysis #FEA #FiniteElementAnalysis #NonlinearFEA #MechanicalEngineering #StructuralDynamics #StructuralEngineering #CivilEngineering #NuclearEngineering #TransportationEngineering #EigenvalueProblem #ModeShapes #NaturalFrequencies #MassMatrix #HarmonicResponse #DynamicResponse #DynamicExcitation #EffectiveMass #ParticipationFactor #FEsoftware #ANSYS #Abaqus #COMSOL #CAD #CAM #Simulation #EngineeringEducation #EngineeringPedagogy #STEMeducation #EdTech #DigitalEngineering #EngineeringDesign #AcademicResources #StudentSuccess #SummerLearning #Vibrations #OnlineLearning #MechanicalDesign #EngineeringTheory #EngineeringSimulation #TeachingWithTechnology #PreStressModalAnalysis #GeometricStiffness #MaterialStiffness #Buckling #ShapeFunctions #DropTest #Impact #AIinEducation #CodesAndStandards

A lot of products fail to meet customer expectations because there are too many layers of translation and hand-offs between the people talking to customers and the people building the product. This tends to happen gradually as organizations grow. People are added to the team bit by bit, and a division of labor occurs. Someone starts taking responsibility for talking to customers, someone else strategy, someone else development, someone else testing, and so on. We think this division of labor is "efficient" because we all grew up with visions of factories and assembly lines in our heads as our primary metaphor for "work". Very few of us grew up with innately creative and collaborative activities, like product development, as our main idea of what work is like. We just sort of accept the assembly line mindset as "normal". However, it usually leads to some kind of Frankenstein product that fails to satisfy any customers particularly well. The solution is to work together as a team to navigate the product design and delivery continuum. Working together to discover customer problems, and working together to test different solution ideas, and then working together to validate that your solution works and scales. Here are some key insights: 1. The customer is not always right about the solution they need, but they are usually right about the problems they have. Approach customer feedback gathering from the perspective of a problem search, not validating a particular solution. Solutions can be validated later. 2. Everyone on the team should be exposed to customer interviews, and especially the engineers. Software engineering is a design process, and design must crystalize empathy with the user or customer. Engineers need to build that empathy first hand. Transferring customer needs second hand through a product manager, customer service rep, or sales person to an engineer loses too much valuable context. 3. The more rigid the roles and responsibilities on a team ("I own this, and you own that"), the less likely the team will be good at collaboration. True collaboration requires a sense of shared ownership within the team, even if specific responsibilities appear attached to people from outside the team. What all this really amounts to is that the product is developed as a team, not as a disparate group of individuals that happen to work together on a project. Teamwork is hard, and it requires real commitment, not just from the team, but from its leaders. We offer training for product development teams of all kinds (spanning discovery and delivery challenges). If your team is struggling to make progress, give me a shout and we'll see if we can get you unstuck.

🍃♻️ How Engineering Simulation Drives Impact for #Sustainability ♻️🍃 For decades, engineering #simulation has been the engineers 'Swiss Army Knife' for improving the speed and cost of developing new products and bringing product performance to the next level. A new #report reveals that while simulation has already made a significant contribution to advancing sustainability, there is still so much potential to make an even greater #impact. The following insights were uncovered by applying the methodology for measuring the impact of simulation on sustainability in three use case examples at different companies: Infineon Technologies AG, where simulation of an optimal traction inverter configuration helped with doubling the #efficiency, cutting total electrical losses by 50%, and enabling a 2-3% reduction of scope 3 downstream emissions of electric vehicles. Danfoss Drives, where simulation helped its new drive platform achieve a reduction in use phase #emissions compared to the previous generation. Mars, where — in their aim to redesign more than 12,000 packaging types for enhanced sustainability — simulation has made a significant impact by reducing the plastic required for #physicalprototypes and finished products. Learn more and read the report here: https://lnkd.in/ecfTzGSF Ansys #ansys #technology #innovation #engineering #cae #sustainable

📈 Our research shows that companies have invested in several key areas of manufacturing sustainability initiatives, from wastewater recycling and sourcing cleaner fuels to reducing energy usage. A lot goes into large-scale #manufacturing initiatives like these. 🗜 But there's relentless pressure on companies to show continued #sustainability improvements. CEOs turn to their sustainability chiefs for ongoing gains. Many have checked boxes in manufacturing and are now turning their eye toward product engineering. Designing sustainable products? That's not on the list of straightforward initiatives, partly because multiple design process variables merge with ongoing #engineering challenges. It's like combining the ongoing traffic problems of L.A., Austin, or Atlanta with a flock of flamingos loose on the freeway after a trailer overturns. Getting where you're trying to go wasn't easy, and now there are flamingos. To appreciate what some solutions provide, here are some challenges engineers face: 🔩 Design process variables: if a product component isn't designed by engineers and they're tasked with integrating "off the shelf" components into a design, it's often challenging to access carbon footprint or efficiency data for that component. 👷♂️ Workforce and production crunches: engineers already navigate tight schedules. Understanding a product's sustainability profile doesn't relieve any schedule pressure: what's on the critical path is often the only thing engineers get to do. Integrating product sustainability must be quick, intuitive, or automated to meet deadlines. 🐢 Steady, reliable [late adopters]: You want engineers who are careful, thorough, and consistent. The flip side? Great engineers can be slow to let go of their established methods, habits, or even user interfaces. Compartmentalizing sometimes lets engineers tune out hassles they don't have the authority to fix or have gone unaddressed. 👍 The good news is that many solutions and tools are emerging to help engineers gauge the sustainability profile of their products. Bill of material (#BOM) tools: These can be consulted, such as a catalog, providing a grade or rating for a product or component. #Informedengineering tools provide integrated, dynamic information for engineers comparing sustainability metrics as they swap out one design component for an alternative component to measure sustainability impact. Are you exploring how to integrate sustainability gains into the design process? What challenges or benefits are you discovering along the way? How are you herding flamingos? I'd love to hear your story and what you've learned. #sustainabilityexecutive #manufacturing Follow Lifecycle Insights for #research and guidance on #digitaltransformation for #engineering and #manufacturing #executives. We'll be sharing more insights like this one from our interviews, studies, and publications. Stay tuned!

A few years ago, an engineer on my team suggested rebuilding one of our core systems. His reasoning? “It will be easier to maintain in a new language.” On the surface, it sounded reasonable. But when we dug into the details, the problem wasn’t the language at all. It was that we couldn’t easily identify customer data during debugging. The “rebuild” would have been a huge effort—and it wouldn’t have solved the real issue. This is exactly why the “working backwards” approach at Amazon is so powerful. You start with the customer, clearly define the problem, and only then explore solutions. Skip straight to the solution, and you risk building something impressive but ultimately irrelevant. For engineers, this process can feel unfamiliar. We’re trained to think about capabilities: new frameworks, architectures, and technologies. But the real value comes from understanding the customer and the specific impact of the problem. How long does a process take for them? How does it affect their experience? How can we measure improvement? Once the problem is clearly defined, multiple solutions can be explored and compared. Each comes with its effort, benefits, and trade-offs. This makes prioritization much clearer, and ensures that the work you invest actually delivers measurable value. Working backwards also helps your team claim credit for the impact they create. When you tie your work directly to improvements for customers, everyone sees the value added, and the team can continue focusing on the things that truly matter. I go into this process in more detail in my article, with examples and practical steps for applying it in engineering teams. If you want a structured, practical way to ensure the work you do actually solves real problems, it’s worth checking out.

Here are a few management lessons I've learned from SpaceX engineers: 🙌 Empower Teams with Transparent Communication SpaceX values transparency at all levels, especially in management. Leaders are expected to communicate openly about challenges, timelines, and technical obstacles. This creates an environment where teams have clear expectations and can make informed decisions. Adopting transparent communication ensures alignment between teams and leadership, enabling more effective problem-solving. When everyone understands the priorities and challenges, it reduces bottlenecks and fosters a culture of accountability and collaboration. 🥇 Push for Aggressive Timelines Without Sacrificing Quality One of the distinguishing management practices at SpaceX is its ability to push teams toward aggressive timelines while still maintaining a focus on quality. Elon Musk famously sets ambitious (even crazy) deadlines to push the limits of what teams believe is possible, but it’s paired with an uncompromising commitment to technical excellence. Setting high expectations can drive innovation and rapid progress, but only when coupled with a clear focus on ensuring quality. Managing this balance is key to driving both speed and reliability in product development. 💡 Encourage Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration Teams work closely across different domains—avionics, propulsion, software, GNC, and more. This close collaboration ensures that all subsystems are optimized not just for individual performance but for the whole system. Promoting cross-disciplinary teamwork helps break down silos and ensures that every team understands the broader context of the product. This approach results in more integrated, cohesive systems, as well as faster identification and resolution of issues across departments. Cross-disciplinary collaboration also fosters new solutions by combining different perspectives and expertise. #venture #deeptech #spacetech #managment #engineering #product

🔧 Forging vs. Machining: Why the Process Changes the Properties If two parts have the same geometry, does it matter how they were made? ✅ Yes. The material remembers. Let’s break it down. 🔨 Forging: Shaping Under Pressure In forging, the metal is compressed and deformed at high temperature or pressure. This refines the grain structure, aligns it along the shape, and eliminates internal voids. 👉 What does this mean for properties? Higher strength & toughness Better fatigue resistance Superior impact performance Common in crankshafts, connecting rods, and aerospace components 🛠️ Machining: Subtractive and Precise Machining carves out the shape from a block or billet. There’s no grain refinement, and the internal structure remains as-cast or as-rolled. 👉 What does this mean? Good dimensional accuracy Can introduce surface stress concentrations Lower fatigue life compared to forged parts (if untreated) 💡 Key takeaway for industry professionals: If your component faces cyclic loading, shock, or high stress, forged parts often outperform machined ones, even if they look identical. Design isn’t just geometry. It’s microstructure, too. 👀 Ever switched from machined to forged components in your industry? What improvements did you see? #MaterialsScience #Forging #Machining #ManufacturingEngineering #FailurePrevention #FatigueLife #GrainStructure #Metallurgy #IndustryInsights #MechanicalEngineering #MaterialsMatter

Customers often ask me how engineers and manufacturers can work together to minimize errors and delays, and the answer is surprisingly simple: Bring manufacturing into the design process early. A huge percentage of manufacturing issues can be avoided by designing for manufacturability (DFM) from the start instead of fixing problems later. When manufacturing knowledge is involved early, potential issues get flagged before bits get turned into atoms and become costly mistakes. When done correctly, this will lead to: —> Cheaper parts with optimized materials and processes —> Fewer revisions since manufacturability concerns are addressed upfront —> Faster production with designs that align with real-world fabrication constraints How can engineers involve manufacturing earlier? 1️⃣ Send initial design concepts for feedback before finalizing designs drawings. A quick review can prevent manufacturability headaches. 2️⃣ Ask about machining process achievable tolerances. This avoids over-engineering and unnecessary complexity. 3️⃣ Coordinate regular check-ins with manufacturing teams. Early collaboration leads to better decisions and fewer late-stage surprises. Quit waiting until the end of the design process to consider manufacturability, the best designs come from collaboration from day one. Engineering community—any tips and tricks for bringing DFM into your design process?