How hard is it to get into Mechanical Engineering with a Software Engineering Degree?
Finished university with my degree in 2020 and since then just been loving CAD and Design, currently work at an Events Company as a CAD Designer, been trying to break into a Mechanical Engineering role.
Am I wasting my time?
Noob here, beware
I have a bed(blue) fitted between two stands(gray and green) that I want to rotate using a screw/wheel(pink). I also want it to stay in the position you release the knob at without an external locking pin and holes.
How do I go about the threading here? Only threads in the blue makes it rotate properly but not stay in specific angles.
It’s all just small 3D printed petg parts, the bed doesn’t weight more than 200grams. (210x70x15mm)
It’s about 150mm tall
An object is supposed to be placed on the bed and be able to rotate smoothly between -45 and +45 degrees under a mikroskope
I’m working on an early prototype around Ansys Fluent/Workbench, but the main reason I’m posting is not to showcase it.
I’m trying to understand what Fluent users would actually want something like this for.
The current demo is very limited and controlled, but this is what it does:
I press Ctrl+Shift+L and the assistant opens.
It has Ask mode and Execute mode.
I connect it to an already-open Workbench project using the StartServer() port.
In Ask mode, I can ask:
- “What is the current CFD state of this project?”
- “List the current boundary conditions and zone names.”
- “What values do I need to set for the velocity inlets and pressure outlet?”
It reads the project/Fluent state through APIs and gives a CFD-oriented answer instead of just raw Workbench cell states.
In Execute mode, I can give a controlled one-shot prompt for a mixing elbow case:
- set both velocity inlets
- set the pressure outlet
- run hybrid initialization
- run 100 iterations
- display a velocity magnitude contour on the symmetry plane
I’m using Workbench/Fluent APIs where possible, not trying to do everything through GUI automation.
My current hypothesis is that a lot of Fluent work is not always “hard physics” — sometimes it is knowing where to click, remembering the setup sequence, checking what state the case is in, repeating the same setup actions, cleaning/preparing geometry for meshing, and making sure the right zones/BCs are actually being used.
But I may be wrong about which part matters most.
So my question for Fluent users is:
What part of your Fluent/Workbench workflow feels most painful, repetitive, or unnecessarily manual?
For example, is it:
- cleaning CAD/geometry before meshing?
- setting up the mesh?
- figuring out zones/named selections?
- setting boundary conditions?
- checking whether the case is solve-ready?
- convergence/debugging?
- creating the right contours/reports after solving?
- something else entirely?
Also: what would you trust an assistant to do, and what would you absolutely not trust it to touch?
I’m trying to decide what the first real problem should be before I keep building.
Blunt feedback is welcome.
Hello guys, I am building an autonomous go kart, for which I need to calculate force at the tie rod linkage of my vehicle. But I am not sure on how to calculate and get an appropriate motor for it, I need your help to know how to calculate the amount of torque the motor requires.
Photos are attached below. The motor in the picture wasn’t sufficient torque, so we were struggling to calculate it. Need inputs.
Pic1: existing setup
Pic2: How the motor will be mounted and installed
Looking into component selection for a saltwater environment. Since stainless steel is a baseline requirement, what are the specific material grades (like 316L vs 304), internal specs, or specialized seal compounds that define a true marine-grade stainless gas strut? Want to ensure maximum resistance against salt spray pit corrosion and seal failure.
Hi all, I know probably lots of engineers face this issue post graduation but man I am finding it really tough mentally. I graduated a couple weeks ago and am a few days into my new job at an aerospace defence company. I have 0 experience in the aerospace industry project/internship wise and actually never even took aerodynamics senior year (it was elective, was thinking about it but ended up taking another course).
Any who, a lot of the coursework and internships I did was actually MEP/HVAC focused and I think mentally I was preparing to be in the world of HVAC as it seemed to click for me better then other subjects in school. During the winter time I applied and interviewed at a couple HVAC places but unfortunately nothing stuck, as we all know the job market is TOUGH, so I started just spraying my resume out, landed an interview at this company and within a week heard back with an offer.
So now I am in an aerospace design role that I just feel so useless in and I feel like I don't know anything. There is so much technical lingo and acronyms used on the daily that I am trying to pick up and I'm trying to understand all the different design choices/materials, its just a lot I guess.
Any suggestions to introducing myself to the aerospace industry? Anyone else feel this way when they started in whatever role they had fresh out of university? I am currently doing extra research/learning outside of working hours to try and get myself up to speed but I am feeling like I may burn myself out by working 9 hours a day, coming home, and looking at more aerospace stuff.
Your comments on my previous post inspired me to investigate further. Proper tools. Meticulous photographic documentation at every step. Timestamps intact.
Gearbox accessed.
I expected yellow lubricant. Maybe brown. Coffee-colored at worst.
Negative.
The failure-state sludge (black/grey metallic marbled appearance) was significantly darker than anticipated. If it weren’t observed in a food-and-beverage appliance contamination event, I’d almost call it pretty.
Is water ingress through a failed seal the likely mechanism — water breaches first, lubricant follows the same path upward into the auger zone, and abnormal wear begins from there?
Or does lubricant breach first, with the appearance change occurring after water exposure and mechanical breakdown?
Sample submitted to an independent laboratory today.
I also received communication from the company again. They stated I should receive a report by the 22nd. I hope so.
When I first registered what I was seeing, my immediate thought was:
“Dear Saruman, I found your Mordor Nutella. Looks delicious. Tysm.”
I have a bs nuclear ms meche, been working thermal fluid analysis in aero industry 6 years. FEA+make my own tools.
Some experiences I’ve had in job searching:
I’ll be applying to a job that wants exactly what I have experience wise but they also need someone who’s exclusively worked on boilers for 7 years.
Trying to get into a nuclear hydraulics role, something I specialized in college and have the technical ability for but they need you to also know the exact industry specific tools they use as well.
The companies posting these jobs seems so picky you need the exact criteria for what they list even if the job is in my subspecialty let alone something adjacent like structures, CFD, mech design which seem impossible to land.
Built a system that generates native parametric feature trees in Solidworks from a text description/commands. The tree is fully editable - change any parameter and it regenerates. No AI/LLM involvement. Works across other CAD software besides Solidworks - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acPxTcLB0iM
Need all the seniors and people with any knowledge about the branch to step in for this one please help me🙏🏻.Down 4 years, is this btech degree in mechatronics worth it?? Is it very hectic or hard to manage 3 different subs(electrical mechanical and cs) compared to other branches like core mechanical, maybe cse or ai and robotics, or are the levels way higher? Also, during my research, I found out that pursuing this degree, u basically become " a jack of all trades and a master of none," and idk how I feel about this. Does india have a job market for this type of degree and personally speaking I dont really wanna go for the mechanical or electrical side of this degree I wanna land an IT realated job so does a market like that even exist for this degree? Also what kind of median placements and most importantly what kind of jobs/work can u expect after finishing this I don't really plan on a masters yet might change my mind after working a few years, for now I just want to be really clear of what I'm getting myself into. Also, on every student asking for BRANCH UPGRADES, let me ask this on behalf of everyone. Before sem3, is it realistic to think ab achieving them say i push myself will i b able to get into maybe eee or ece? Also, im pretty sure this sounds dumb but maybe Cse? Please guide me as I'm lowk clueless rn. Thank you
Are you also huge fans of the Gridfinity system, but struggle to create the perfect layout for your drawers, boxes, or storage spaces?
That is exactly the problem GRUND.DEV (aka MakerWorld creator Xc1Captain) and I wanted to solve… so we developed (drumroll please 🥁🥁🥁)
A FREE WEB APP that lets you create Gridfinity layouts for ANY drawer size — with simple mouse clicks and a live 3D preview:
Gridfinity Studio
https://gridfinity.ftdesign.at/
Built entirely on FTDesign’s parametric Gridfinity model, the app generates STL files directly in your browser for fast and easy printing.
If you want to support the project and FTDesign with MakerWorld Creator Points, you can use the in-app “↗️ Print on MakerWorld” button — every download, print, or boost helps a lot ❤️
With the app you can:
✔ Define any grid size (drawers, boxes, storage areas, etc.)
→ Even dimensions that do not fit the standard 42 mm Gridfinity grid
✔ Plan your layout interactively with your mouse
→ Individual bin heights per bin
✔ Automatically split grids and bins
→ Optimized for your printer build plate size
✔ Export ready-to-print STL files directly from the browser
✔ Use everything completely free
→ No login, no cloud, layouts stay locally in your browser
✔ Preview everything in 3D before exporting
We are continuously improving and expanding the app and would really love to hear your feedback:
Feedback, criticism, and feature ideas are highly appreciated!
I volunteered to speak at my daughter’s elementary school for career day. Rather than interacting with multiple grade levels, they’re having parents generally stay within their own child’s classroom for a 15-20 minute block.
I’m looking for suggestions on how to explain mechanical engineering as a job to 6-year-olds in a way that won’t be too opaque or boring to them. Any thoughts? I’ve worked in defense and consumer electronics.
So far, I’ve thought of bringing a poster board of entirely pictures and a plastic part that lights up with LEDs for visual interest. Like “mechanical engineers help make all these plastic pieces and team up with other kinds of engineers to make it work,” or something.
I want to design a wedge / lock mechanism similar to a gun trigger mechanism where I want to lock a linear shaft, but require very little rotational force from a servo or something to unlock it.
Is there some sort of a simple 2D or 3D software for not only modelling it, but simulating forces that will then animate the motion? eg: 10Nm of force is applied to the rod when locked and then once the motor rotates, the rod unlocks and pushes out due to the force applied or something?
Je partage ces ressources au cas où ça pourrait aider des étudiants en licence, master ou ingénierie. On a passé les 2 dernières années à rassembler et organiser des dizaines de gdrive universitaires (cours, TD, exercices corrigés, examens…) pour plusieurs filières : Génie mécanique Génie civil Génie électrique / électrotechnique Informatique et autres Tout est regroupé et classé par modules/semestres pour faciliter les révisions.
I worked on the 3D printed wheels and chain guard. The tire is 85a TPU, and the hub is ABS. The tire membrane gets pulled over the inner diameter of the hub, creating a hard on soft seal, keeping iron dense regolith simulator out of the limit switches.
We use a drum to mine and deposit remote piles (berms). Here you can see the robot mining and traveling to another location via teleoperation for deposition.
We drove to Florida (UCF) from New Hampshire to compete. Unfortunately, during our second run, the robot did not move. In the first run it did, however the linear actuation for the drum to move close to the regolith didn’t work and we couldn’t mine. A poor performance for this year, which was quickly corrected after competing, as seen here.
I’m dealing with an interesting problem trying to design a system (U-cell perhaps?) that can automatically sort magnets in an aluminum housing and run some physical tests and kick to a pass or fail bucket.
Interesting issue is what would be a good way to automatically sort the magnets to do so if they were all dumped into one place in the beginning? Looking for some ideas and inspiration.
A lot of structural analysis reviews treat FEA/test correlation like a pass/fail check:
Simulation close to test result = model validated.
But sometimes the model matches because it’s wrong in two ways that cancel each other out.
Examples:
Each can make one metric look “right.” Peak displacement matches. Max stress looks reasonable. The contour plot looks convincing.
But the load path can still be wrong.
That’s the dangerous part. The model may match the first test, then fail on the next design change because it never captured the real physics.
A better check is to perturb assumptions one at a time: fixture stiffness, friction range, contact behavior, preload, mesh density. If several different assumption sets can all be tuned to match the same test number, that number didn’t really validate the model.
Good correlation should be pattern-based, not just scalar-based. It’s much harder to fake displacement, strain distribution, reaction forces, failure location, and deformation shape all at once.
The better question is not “does the number match?”
It’s “which assumption is driving the mismatch?”
Matching one test result should be the start of validation, not the end.