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...

After months of hard work, its finished. I've reworked my backyard coaster the Black Widow in to the Widow's Revenge. I designed the Black Widow to be intense and I double downed to be the most...

While it may not be glamorous, programming the PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and HMI (Human Machine Interface) is an integral part of the Tilley's Terror Project. This coaster is going to rival...

In assisting a young enthusiast with the creation of a backyard roller coaster, I provided guidance for three fundamental aspects of the project: cart construction, support structures, and basic...

If you want to implement some automation at your business, PLCs are the way to go, but it can be super difficult to get started. Let's dive into some basic commands our PLCs understand using Ladder...

A few months ago I commented on a post of a very impressive wooden bridge contest (LinkedIn post below). I made the comment: "Excellent use of the vertical 'zero force members' in the center..." ...

I'm often asked the question, "It is so difficult to troubleshoot my wiring. Corey, is there any way to clean it up?" Yes there is! Traditional wiring schematics have all of the inputs and...