Mechanical Engineer's Wishlist 1

[Remydon]

So I'm in an interesting situation. My project has an excess of funds, and my program manager has asked me to put together a wish list of equipment for the mechanical engineering team to purchase before the FY is out.

Problem is, we're fairly well equipped as it is. The type of work we do is quick design, modification, and prototyping projects to get stuff out to our guys in the field quickly. We manufacture most of our own stuff in house in low quantities. Here is what we currently have in addition to a well stocked standard toolbox:

CNC Mill and Lathe
Eden 500 3D Printer
Benchtop Mill / Drill
HALT/HASS Chamber
Bandsaw, Grinding wheel
Mobile A-fram crane
ANSYS Mechanical with CFD
Solidworks Premium
MathCAD, MATLAB, Labview
IR Camera

I'm thinking about picking up a FARO arm for QA and reverse engineering, and maybe some more instrumentation for field testing.

So, given what we have, what kind of cool / useful stuff would you guys put on your wishlist?

Thanks!

 

[Walterke]

Unless you don't to any sheetmetal a punch/laser/punch-laser machine seems interesting.

NX 7.5.5.4 with Teamcenter 8 on win7 64
Intel Xeon @3.2GHz
8GB RAM
Nvidia Quadro 2000

 

[KENAT]

Do you do any sheet metal work? If so maybe some tools for that.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[1gibson]

3D scanner, laser cutter, ping pong table

 

[dgallup]

Send me a Malvern Spraytec – Droplet Size Measurement machine. I've never had problems with excess funds.

----------------------------------------

The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which depends on a feature that isn't included in this version of Windows.

 

[Twoballcane]

A Stereolithographer (

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereolithography)

would be a cool toy to have to impress customers and also do first pass prototypes.

Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."
“Luck is where preparation meets opportunity”

 

[Remydon]

Some good ideas here. We're somewhat space limited, our facility is already getting pretty full, so smaller machines are better. I like the laser sheetmetal machine idea, I'll look into that.

What would you do with stereolithography equipment? MEMS type work?

 

[KENAT]

Twoballcane, I figured the "Eden 500 3D Printer" probably covered that but maybe not.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[HDS]

training
computer equipment
a scanner/faro arm/ CMM is nice to have. If you want something to work in the field look at something like the Creaform scanner. Don't forget the software like Raindrop Geomagic.

 

[Twoballcane]

I think your right Kenat

Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."
“Luck is where preparation meets opportunity”

 

[btrueblood]

Sheesh. Can I come work for you?

A small manual ("tool room") lathe with a grinder attachement could be handy - for grinding form tools, sharpening cutters, and the little odd jobs that are just too small to warrant cranking up the CNC. It's also easier to fit vacuum pickups and cleanup a small lathe (and less costly when they eventually break due to grit getting into everything).

Waterjet cutter, laser cutter, CNC plasma cutter...depends on what materials you work with the most (waterjet is probably most versatile, but most $pendy).

Welding equipment?

Heat treat furnace?

Injection molding machine?

Investment casting foundry equipment?

Good parts washing equipment might be important, depending on what you are building...but likely not as you don't list a laminar flow bench in your existing list.

 

[KENAT]

Space mouse/mice for the CAD PC's.

PDM/PLM system and it's implementation?

Dedicated high speed CAD server & network if PDM/PLM isn't an option.

Newer PC's with more RAM and better graphics?

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[JohnRBaker]

While this is an albeit BLATANTLY BIASED suggestion, perhaps a more capable, and fully integrated, CAD/CAE/CAM system, such as NX.

Well, I warned you that it was going to be biased

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[Remydon]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

I omitted it from the list but I just added three more monster CAD/simulation workstations to the network, so we're good on machines.

Again, we're almost completely out of lab space, so if we're going to buy equipment it needs to be benchtop size stuff. If I could buy lab space then I'd buy an injection molding machine in a heartbeat....

 

[trashcanman]

Get a new Interociter from Electronic Supply Unit 16.

 

[Oldhydroman]

On a similar theme, you could consider getting the latest Turboencabulator with the WOM upgrade (write only memory).

 

[1gibson]

Shelves, cabinets, storage system for the ceilings.

And the engineer in me says the obvious answer is to just spec a few high dollar items that don't take up much space, and hold their resale value well.

 

[ajack1]

A Jura coffee machine, or if you live in a civilised part of the world a china tea pot and tea cups.

 

[dgallup]

electron microscope

----------------------------------------

The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which depends on a feature that isn't included in this version of Windows.

 

[KENAT]

If we're gonna get silly how about an Atomic Force Microscope, just so happens I could line you up with a vendor...

Marginally more realistic, surface profilometer if you often care about surface roughness.

I guess the real question is what frequent tasks do you currently have to sub out or do work arounds for etc. where you could benefit from performing the function in house?

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​