I have a TAD screw chart and use it all the time it replace an old Unbreako I had that wore out years ago. That said virtually any of the information on it is in Inventor in the Content Center and the Bolted Connection generator is great! The sheet metal styles are a bit weak out of the box but you can complete it for your applications very easily and on the fly as you go. You should learn these tools if you are using Inventor. IMHO, Inventor is better tool than SWX but often sorely underated; I own and use both but do prefer Inv.
One simply cannot have too much reference material within arms reach. I still regularly use my H.O.T. Book that Zonk & Associates (Richardson, TX) used to publish. Combining the inch and metric is a great idea and one of these will have to be added to my collection post haste! :-)
Even so, this one looks better than the original TAD, so I'll be making a purchase soon. One question though: is this made from plastic like the TAD slide, or cardboard?
Two huge benefits of a physical slide chart are: First the thing does not need IP manager approval to be added to ones computer, and Second, it will not be rendered unusable by those pesky OS revisions that pop up whenever micro------ needs to boost income again. Besides that, they probably hold data that would consume several hours of web searching, and are much more convenient to use.
The Slide-Chart may be called archaic or “old-school” but I’d consider it valid and a basic everyday reference to just keep handy in my work area.No different than the Machinery’s Handbook also referenced in the article and a quicker reference to use, considering MH’s 1500+ pages. (Side note on the value of the Machinery Handbook:I’ve had 3 disappear during my career - - - does repetitive theft indicate value-?)
But here’s a much deeper thought about the point that all this information is "included" in CAD systems today.I have often struggled with specialized routines offered in CAD applications, finding them lacking.I account for this fact as the app intended for advanced mechanical design work is designed by SW engineers.
Accordingly, I submit this point: often, advanced ME solutions found in design software (i.e., sheet metal bending radii, or calculating thread torques) are provided as a SW algorithm quite probably created by a SW engineer, who is a professional with a different expertise trying his very best to interpret the detailed needs of a discipline for which they have no background.(Ever use ProSheetMetal, for example? Journeyman sheet-metal guys turned CAD jockey struggle with the interpretations of that SW-app).
( . . . OK:I’m bracing myself for the onslaught of counterpoints to this blasphemy . . . )
So easy slide-charts for mechanical apps designed for ME’s, and created by ME’s, just makes sense.Just as I wouldn’t expect a SW developer to happily perform their daily duties using a mechanically designed abacus to keep track of 1’s & 0’s in coding . . . .
My boss had one of these and with 20 engineers around it was constantly being borrowed. So he got one for everyone. I use mine at least weekly, if not more. It is certainly the most handy resource and the way it slides it makes it much smaller than a chart that would list all the information that is contained in a 8-1/2 x 11 tool! If you don't have one and you ever need to use fasteners in your design it is money well spent!
For 3D printing to make the jump from rapid prototyping to manufacturing, engineers will need to find easier ways to move products from their CAD screens to their printers.
Gigabit and PoE are two networking technologies moving ahead in tandem as industrial users power remote Ethernet devices such as IP security cameras at 1,000 Mbps over existing CAT5 cable.
New versions of BASF's Ecovio line are both compostable and designed for either injection molding or thermoforming. These combinations are becoming more common for the single-use bioplastics used in food service and food packaging applications, but are still not widely available.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
2 
