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WHAT IS THE WAVE?
The Wave is a platform of tools, education, and community to dramatically accelerate the speed of engineering for teams who develop machines, hard goods products, & devices. If you are a mechanical engineer, R&D engineer, process development engineer, mechanical design engineer, product development engineer, or similar, you've found your new tribe here at The Wave.
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Articles
The Elegant Art of Keeping It Simple: A Tale of Overengineering and Redemption
Back in the days when Pipeline was pretty much a one-man show starring yours truly, I got this gig to whip up a cleaning fixture for a medical device. Picture this: it needed to snuggle right into an existing ultrasonic bath housing like it was made for it, be crafted out of 316 stainless steel to avoid rusting away to oblivion, and play nice with a bunch of different device setups. No pressure, right? Diving into this project, I ran headfirst into the usual design drama—challenges popping
Knowing When To Ask For Help
Knowing when to ask for help can mean the difference between a successful project and an unsuccessful one. It can be the difference between managers wanting you on their projects, and teams actively blocking you from participation. So how do we know when it’s time to ask for help? A few weeks ago, we were in Anaheim for the MD&M West show. It was day 2 and we were leaving our Airbnb just after 9am to travel to our booth at the convention center. We were driving Eleanor (my beloved Rivia
Hustle Culture
This may be a controversial topic. I like hustle culture. I like working a lot. I feel proud when I see that I put in more than the “40 hour minimum” each week. I like putting in the time needed to get things done. There is a lot of talk these days about work life balance. It’s true, I don’t want to lose my family over working too much, but I also don’t want to lose my work over recreating too much. It’s a balance (I find myself using that word more and more as I get older…) There
SMAC Voice Coil Motor Product Review
Introduction Voice coil motors (VCMs) are a mechanical marvel, seamlessly merging actuators and sensors into a single powerhouse. These devices deliver blistering speed, pinpoint precision, and unwavering long-term performance. They've earned their stripes in tasks requiring surgical precision, such as product testing, autofocus systems, and even the delicate mechanics of hard disk drives. (Fun fact: The term "voice coil" originates from one of its initial applications, in which it was used
A Lesson From Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on Leadership
Let me be clear, I'm not very good at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), but I love it. One might even say I have an addiction to it (this is not part of the leadership lesson). One of the reasons I love it so much is the life lessons I learn from the sport. Last week I was rolling (BJJ speak for "sparring") with a partner when my foot started to cramp. Eventually the pain was so sever that I had to pause and stretch it out. During this pause coach Steve (who is awesome, despite how you may feel af
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Recent Activity
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Mastering Onshape: Practical Fundamentals for Modern Engineers Webinar, August 22nd @ 9am Pacific
Join us for an immersive webinar, "Mastering Onshape: Practical Fundamentals for Modern Engineers," led by Michael LaFleche, Director of Technical Services at Onshape. Designed for engineers eager to enhance their CAD skills, this session focuses on the core strengths of Onshape that set it apart from traditional CAD platforms.
In this hands-on crash course, you will:
- Discover the unique advantages of Onshape in a cloud-native environment.
- Learn practical skills through real-world examples, starting from scratch to create a simple part.
- Gain insights from a seasoned professional on how to effectively use Onshape in your daily work.
- "Ask Me Anything" Q&A at the end to get answers to your specific questions.
Whether you're considering cloud CAD for personal projects or professional use, this webinar will equip you with actionable knowledge to improve your engineering workflow immediately!
Sign up for a free Onshape account before the webinar to follow along and experience the cloud platform firsthand. Plus, take advantage of the opportunity to evaluate Onshape Professional for free for 6 months!
Free- Product in Webinars -
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Extrusion Inspection device based on 3D printers
We've used in in our CAD Club program (https://teampipeline.us/cadclub/) and young students have picked it up very quickly. The concurrent use and sharing features have worked well for them.- 1
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Extrusion Inspection device based on 3D printers
I have shared Onshape files with a perspective client (onshaoe makes it easy with links). I haven’t shared branches as I only have the Free version -
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Burnout as an Engineer
@Aaron Gebauer I have been shifting my focus to what I can change and also have a conversation with my manager. Some changes were implemented but the biggest change is adapting Adam Savage’s advice of deciding when to make a focus of things- 1
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Burnout as an Engineer
@manandwala From your comments, you seem to have a mind for continuous organizational improvement, besides being a good engineering contributor. I've seen in several cases where high-performing individual contributors get promoted into management roles by virtue of their achievements and not necessarily because of their aptitude for organizational improvement or managing people. On the other hand, it can be difficult for people who have those qualities to actually end up in those leadership roles. I share your interest in affecting organizational change, and so have been deliberately seeking roles and assignments with elevated management responsibility. Perhaps a shift in focus in new areas that leverage your "management potential" could alleviate the sense of burnout?- 2
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