Archives: Blog

Planetary gear systems can be intimidating to understand. There are so many types of motions and reductions possible that it can be overwhelming. The motion of planetary gear systems is expressed...

Unlike the Lego gears and shafts shown below most motors have perfectly round shafts. This makes attaching gears, pulleys and sprockets difficult. The main methods of attaching gears to...

Never guess again what hose size to use! Automatically the proper hose size for any application. Simply input a few measurable variables and click Calculate. This calculator adjusts for oil type...

Even though my engineering career is far from over, I wanted to look back and reflect. I realized that midway through my career is probably the right point to do this because if I wait too long, I'm...

Steel design seems to be moving in the direction of self-fixturing where the weldment or assembly components will align with each other. When a tab or slot is added to a part, the stress flow is...

Connecting multiple valves together is always a challenge. You want to have individual valve functionality, but not loose sight of the overall system characteristics. Open center or through...

Beam tables give information on and assume that the deflection calculation is based on a constant cross section.  So, what do we do if our beam has a cross section that changes over the length...

Two stage pumps, often called log splitter pumps, are a great way to get better performance without increasing horsepower. A two-stage hydraulic pump is two gear pumps that combine flow...

Reading a hydraulic schematic for the first time is a daunting and confusing thing.  There are so many symbols to identify and lines to keep track of.  I hope to impart to you a systematic...

This article is going to be a bit more technical than the previous article about fasteners, “The Magic of Fasteners.”  I’m going to try to keep it as simple as I can, but this topic is so...

https://youtu.be/5kJnxOPIgy4 Welcome to Finite Element Analysis (FEA) with SOLIDWORKS Simulation for Beginners. This course is designed to take you from zero to confident in running meaningful...

Buckle up for the wildest ride in the backyard coaster universe! Tilley’s Terror has leveled up with a 20 MPH launch that hits hard and not one, but two ejector airtime hills that'll have you...

After months of design, building, and testing, we finally took the first ride on Tilley's Terror, our backyard launch coaster! Powered by a custom launch system, this ride already hits around 20 mph...

In this video, we explore how to control the speed and motion of pneumatic cylinders using meter-in and meter-out flow control techniques. You'll learn the key differences between these two methods,...

Originally live on Sunday, June 1st, 2025 at 2:30 PM EDT Ever wondered how roller coasters pull off thrilling loops, smooth turns, and jaw-dropping drops? In this fun and interactive webinar,...

https://youtu.be/ktiWPf64Oi8 In this episode of our DIY backyard launch coaster project, Tilley’s Terror hits a major snag—our Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) keeps internally blowing up...