SolidWorks Simulation and the fine art of skim boarding

SolidWorks Simulation and the fine art of skim boarding

I got to the beach at last this weekend. There was sun, sand, and the perfect family day out (with two kids under ten).  I also brought along my nemesis—a skim board that I purchased in a moment of madness.  I could surf in my youth, so I figured how hard could it be?  Turns out it was very hard—what just call me “Mr. Face Plant.”  To make matters more embarrassing, my 9-year-old son had a go, and after a couple of tries, he was successfully riding the board.  That got me thinking.  Apart from my son’s youth, stamina, flexibility, better balance, and all-around natural ability, what was keeping him up and me flat on my face?

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National Pi Day: A True Holiday for Engineers

National Pi Day: A True Holiday for Engineers

So I’ve just found out it's National Pi Day here in the States because they write today's date as 3/14 rather than 14/3. I guess that means Pi Day back in Europe should be July 22nd (22/7).  It's a somewhat serendipitous event, as I'm analyzing an assembly which is a mass of screw thread, spheres and cyclic mechanism.  When you stop and think about it, pretty much the whole of engineering is built upon that two-letter constant. 

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