While many have been incredibly shocked by the news that General Motors will shutter multiple factories and lay off thousands of workers, some in the auto industry could see this coming. That doesn’t make the shift any less difficult for the families who now wonder what the future holds for them financially. Read more
I visited Italy several times as a young child and was fascinated by the Italian technique of paper marbling. I begged my parents to buy me the marbled-paper-covered notebooks and pencils sold in Italian stationery stores. Read more
All branches of the armed forces have a watchword central to their core missions: self-sufficiency. Because soldiers venture into some of the world’s harshest environments – foreign battlefields, or deep in the ocean aboard a ship or submarine – they often lack support from others, and from equipment and supplies to help them in a needed situation: to create structures or make repairs to an existing one. Read more
“The only thing that is constant is change.” Heraclitus 500BCE I live and work in what is known as “Silicon Valley.” Not really any different than any other densely populated industrial high-tech area, other than the fact that just like the Hollywood of the 1930’s, Silicon Valley has a national reputation for “opportunity.” If you have an idea for a service or a product that might fill a need (even if it is a very narrow niche need), there is enough money floating locally to create a “startup.” Read more
If you’re thinking of studying design in school, you’ll want to do everything you can to maximize your chances of gaining a place in a good course. If you’re aiming high, you may want to do everything you can to secure a seat at one of these prestigious institutions and elevate your career prospects. Most courses are non-specific in what subjects prospective pupils study in high school, though some may ask for a top grade in an art or design related subject, which could include art, design and technology, graphic communication, textile design or photography. Read more
There’s no need to “dumb” your CAD files down to an STL format any longer if you’re a 3D printer user. Building upon GrabCAD Print’s ability to read CAD files natively, our new Advanced FDM feature enables fine level control over how FDM parts are manufactured. Advanced FDM enables highly customized control of part builds by simplifying the process and eliminating the need for highly skilled application engineers to build high-quality parts. Read more
It’s becoming increasingly apparent the future of automobiles is electrified. Exactly what form or shape that will take is most definitely up in the air. While Tesla has been disrupting the market and rattling major automakers, other startups are quietly creeping in to grab some of the spotlight. Read more
If you’re a Workbench user, you probably already know that the CAD collaboration tool is a convenient PDM solution for teams working on complex projects or product designs. Workbench is ideal for distributed teams working across multiple departments, locations or even timezones. It allows you to track and control any version of your project, the ability to restore previous files or even work directly inside your favorite CAD system via an add-on. Read more
One of the biggest weaknesses of electric cars is the limits of lithium-ion batteries. Some EV advocates get bent out of shape about this fact, but it’s absolutely true. Most consumers have second thoughts about buying an all-electric vehicle when they learn that even with rapid charging options, which they likely won’t have at home, the car needs to stay plugged in for about half an hour or longer just to achieve an 80 percent charge. Read more