Tag: industry

  • The Lost Art of Mechanical Design?

    The Lost Art of Mechanical Design?

    David Helmers

    I think this may be becoming a lost art… hope I’m wrong. 😶 One skill that I feel is gradually being lost is the ability to design a machine without the use of PLC automation. People used to make machines where everything was mechanically timed instead of programmed. There was not an absolute need for… Read more

  • The Spirograph & The Cycloidal Gearbox

    The Spirograph & The Cycloidal Gearbox

    David Helmers

    ,

    This common toy actually demonstrates one of the biggest flaws of a well-known piece of modern machinery. The cycloidal gearbox– whose most significant limitation is well-demonstrated by the beautiful patterns that the Spirograph creates. Did you grow up using the Spirograph? It’s a tool for creating geometric art, pictured below. I remember being really impressed… Read more