Author Archives: Marie Planchard
Modeling a Butterfly
My colleague Come sent a report to me this week on the extensive use of SolidWorks in design schools. As a mechanical engineer, I spent a great deal of time in the machine shop with machined and sheet metal parts.
... ContinuedACTE, National Robotics League, and Howe and Howe Premiere
It's been a busy week. Congratulations to Bay Path Regional Vocational High School who won the National Robotics League Brawl at the Mall competition last Saturday. The students from Assabet Valley did a great job to set up the
... ContinuedCAD Certification – Fundamentals of Engineering Design with the CSWA
The Certified SolidWorks Associate (CSWA) exam tests a designer's knowledge in the fundamentals of engineering design using SolidWorks. The CSWA exam is the first of eight SolidWorks certification exams. SolidWorks provides qualified schools the ability to give the CSWA exam to
... ContinuedProduct Design for a Multi Sport Practice Cage
Teaching product design concepts to students can be a challange. One educator contacted me to say he is using the Let's Go Design TV Project 1 series to show students the examples and challanges engineers face during the design process
... ContinuedInterview on Engineering Education, Dassault Systemes, SolidWorks and more
At the US Science and Engineering Festival in Washington DC, I was able to share my thoughts on engineering education, inspiring young girls and boys through innovation with Dassault Systemes and SolidWorks. 3Dvia Shape (www.3DVIA.com ) introduces 3D modeling to students
... ContinuedPumpkin Chunkin with Wright State University Team Ethos and SolidWorks Simulation
Can SolidWorks Simulation be used with Pumpkins? Engineering students from Team Ethos and Wright State University say YES! They produced this video covering 5 years of their development and design changes using SolidWorks Simulation to analyze structural members and drag
... ContinuedJETCAR – SAE A World In Motion K12 Project with DraftSight DWG File
I was fortunate to meet the SAE Foundation "A World In Motion" ( AWIM.org ) team in Maryland a few weeks ago and they gave me the JET CAR kit project. So I modeled the car in SolidWorks and placed the
... ContinuedDesign Project for Students, Teachers, Engineers, and Mentors
Educators are always asking me for help in creative project for their students. How do you hold a virtual event allowing anyone from 8 to 80 to participate that focuses on creativity and inspires those who dream of becoming an
... ContinuedSolidWorks Tutorial: Robot Parts inside of SolidWorks for FRC, FTC, VEX, LEGO and more
If you design robots with parts from FIRST (FRC), TETRIX from Ptisco, GEARSEDS, LEGO, MATE, VEX you can get started right inside of SolidWorks software. We have placed models in the Design Library. Follow the video tutorial to download the
... ContinuedSolidWorks Model: Tetrix Mantis Robot for FTC (First Tech Challange)
Sometimes getting starting with a robot model is a challange, so here is a Tetrix robot assembled to help you get begin. Download the zip file and unzip to the Tetrix folder. Create a New Assembly. Select Add File Location
... ContinuedUSA Science and Engineering Festival – Day 2
Two full days of being surrounded by Science and Engineering makes you just feel great. Being at the USA Science and Engineering Festival has been an amazing experience this weekend in Washington DC. Today we had over 2000 kids racing miniature
... ContinuedUSA Science and Engineering Festival
I am fortunate to be in Washington DC this weekend at the USA Science and Engineering Festival right on Pennsylvania Avenue. What a great time to be an engineer Dr. Rubrik (yes the cube). There are hundreds of exhibits here. In
... ContinuedSolidWorks Tutorial: Toy Car LEGO (R)
Educator Jack van den Broek told me that he has not met a student too young for SolidWorks. Thanks to Jack, I am fortunate to share a new Toy Car tutorial that is written for young students. I am not
... ContinuedSolidWorks Tutorial: So you want to design a robot
The SolidWorks EDU team put together a series of video tutorials to help students learn to design and assembly a robot. In nine units with multiple lessons, you will work through your first part, to a simple assembly, compression spring, mechanisms,
... ContinuedGenius grant goes to outstanding engineering educator
Deepest congratulations to Amir Abo-Shaeer, inspiration to the next generation of engineers and new recipient of a $500,000 no-strings-attached MacArthur Genius Grant. Abo-Shaeer was selected for his ground-breaking work as a physics teacher and founder of the Dos Pueblos Engineering
... Continued