7 Ways to Avoid Crap Traps
If you’ve ever cleaned dog poop out of the sole of a boot, you already know something about crap traps – in that case a literal crap trap. We really use crap trap as a metaphor, but they are areas of a rugged design that hold dirt or water
6 Things to Know When Choosing an ID Firm
With a new year come new projects, and good or bad, what happened last year is done. It’s time to look forward, learn from the past, and make good choices. There’s much to consider when assigning a project to an outside group or inviting in support for your internal
Playing Nice: The Power of an Integrated ID and Engineering Team
Fall is not pumpkin spice latte time, it’s college football season with its wonderful rivalries. As much as Buckeyes despise Wolverines, we have to admit the game would not be as rich without worthy adversaries. Great design teams have rivalries too, although they have a lot more mutual respect and
Connectors in Rugged Design
High-quality rugged connectors are complex and expensive. Connectors can be 1/3rd or more of the total BOM cost on some rugged products. Selecting a connector wisely is a crucial step in rugged design. Even when the connector type is predetermined by legacy or mating equipment, there are usually trade-offs.
Effective Use of Physical Models In Product Development
The surprise… It was about 10 minutes through a design review. All eyes were fixed on the projector screen evaluating the newly presented concepts. My voice was the only sound in the room and everyone was still. Going into the review I was excited to share these new concepts
Rugged Design for Public Property
An eighth-grade sewing class can do an amazing amount of damage. One of my childhood summer jobs was repairing sewing machines at the local middle schools and high schools. I saw more broken plastic covers than I can remember. Gum was shoved in places that should only contain a