Forum Makeover!

I've been doing a spot of redecorating here this weekend :D I hope you all like the changes I've made. Please tell us what you think here and do please let me know if you have any problems or find any bugs. Below is a summary of the makeover:

1) New, more cheerful forum logo that doesn't take up half the page!
2) New toolbar in the header - you'll never get lost in the forum again! The toolbar gives instant access to "hot topics", "what's new?" (I.E. New postings), and a few other things including hotlinks to our LinkedIn group, Twitter and Blogger.
3) The entire forum has been widened slightly. Wider images can now be posted (max 700px wide)
4) A new favicon - a nice friendly "M" for "Mechaical Design Forum" (the little icon that appears in your browser bar). This has replaced original wacky, incomprehensible one.
5) Forum rules now written. Please read them!
6) An "About" page (accessible from the toolbar).
7) I've tidied up the header and got rid of some useless tools/links that nobody would ever use.

Win a SpaceNavigator 3D mouse!!

THIS PRIZE DRAW IS NOW CLOSED!

The Mechanical Design Forum is now 6 months old! To celebrate this here’s your chance to win a SpaceNavigator 3D Mouse from our friends at 3Dconnexion!

To enter the prize draw all you need to do is write at least 3 meaningful posts in the Mechanical Design Forum (www.mechanicaldesignforum.com) between now and the 19th March! Please click here for more info and the full terms & conditions.

A 3D mouse is perfect for 3D CAD! Redefine the way you work with 3D applications. Pan, zoom and rotate as if you’re holding the model in your hand or fly like a helicopter through three-dimensional worlds. It’s a level of control that’s simply not possible with a traditional mouse and keyboard. Whether you’re creating dazzling 3D models or exploring virtual worlds, SpaceNavigator’s superior navigation experience sets your imagination free!

You can find out more info in the SpaceNavigator 3D mouse (worth £99 ex VAT) at the 3Dconnexion website: www.3Dconnexion.com

Happy posting and good luck!

Prize draw sponsored by 3Dconnexion

Amazing robots

We have a popular thread about robots on the Mechanical Design Forum. Please visit it here:

Below are some of the highlights from that thread. There are some really incredible things out there!

1) Snake robot (Hirosi Fukushima Robotics lab, Japan)

Here is a link to an amazing video of this robot in action.

2) Big Dog (developed by Boston Dynamics)

Developed by the military, this robot is designed in terrain that's too rough for conventional vehicles. Watch the video below and read more about Big Dog on Wikipedia. Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BigDog



3) Real terminator robots of the future
A video with a mixture of science-fiction and science-fact. The boundaries between the two certainly seem to be blurring!



4) Monkey brain control
Not technically a robot as it's a cyborg, this amazing video shows that a monkey can control a cursor on a screen by the power of thought alone:



Please visit this thread for more amazing robots. If you've come across any other interesting robot videos, images, news articles etc, please contribute to the thread and share them with us!

We’ve got 200 Members! …and other news

200 MEMBERS!

I’m pleased to announce that we’ve now got 200 members. The great thing is that they’re all genuine because I’ve ruthlessly deleted the accounts of all the bots, spammers, Viagra salesmen and general nuisances who constantly invade the forum!

Things are looking pretty vibrant these days – with 203 members, 185 topics and 541 total posts. It’s really great to see that so many members are keen to share knowledge (I’ve highlighted a few interesting topics below). It’s also wonderful to see that we’ve got some regulars (hi to Pete and mvalenti especially). We’re also averaging almost 5000 page views per week, which makes me think that I’ll be upgrading the forum hosting package soon for the extra bandwidth.

NEW: THE NEWS FORUM

The Mechanical Design NEWS! section is a new forum section (thanks to matt_decat for the suggestion). Please use this section to post interesting articles that are relevant to the subject of mechanical engineering / product design / industrial design.

QUESTIONS THAT REALLY NEED AN ANSWER – PLEASE HELP!!!
It must be a bit frustrating for some members if they post a question and nobody answers it. Therefore, here’s a few that haven’t been answered yet. Perhaps you can offer an answer…

• Can anyone help Pete source an 8000N In-line Linear Actuator?
• Wizardofid wants to know about die casting a pressure pot
• Cyberking asks “Are there any jobs in China for British mechanical designers?”
• MechEngineer wants to know how to Calculate CREEP of a material
• sachin.akp wants to know if “Link shape will matter for torque transmission”
• martindetuede wants to know about Mechanical improvement during rowing

INTERESTING FORUM SECTIONS / TOPICS
Thanks to all the members who have posted some great material on the forum. Here are some links to one or two areas of the forum that you may find of interest:


* The Leisure Lounge – An ever-popular part of the forum. Indeed, the only internet pub for mechanical design engineers. Why not drop in for a beer?

* there is a great thread on robotics here
* An interesting article on Conformal Cooling For Injection Molding Application
* Some really useful links to good anthropometric data here:
* Show off your mechanical design work. I have added some examples of my own work in this new section. Please share pics and details of your own work too!

FINALLY - Tell us what you think!
Please use this thread to tell us what you think about the Mechanical Design Forum. Don’t be shy - I really value your feedback. After all, this is YOUR community, so I want everyone to feel entitled to have an input on how it’s run.

We've reached 100 members!

Here's a quck newsletter of how things are going at the Mechanical Design Forum...

WE'VE REACHED 100 MEMBERS!
Firstly, I'm pleased to announce that we've exceeded 100 members - actually at the time of writing, it's 110 members to be precise! The Mechanical Design Forum officially started just over 8 weeks ago, so we're averaging 14 new members a week right now. I'm also pleased to inform you that all forum members are 100% genuine - I have gone to great lengths to filter out the hundreds of spam-artists that artificially boost membership of many forums.

NEW FORUM SECTIONS
Here are a few special sections of the forum that you may find of interest. Some have been around for a while, some are relatively new, and some have been suggested by forum members.

* Manufacturers of mechanical parts - Use this part of the forum to recommend & discuss suppliers/manufacturers for mechanical components anywhere in the world.
* The legal and IP section - discuss patenting or any legal aspect of mechanical/product design.
* Employment opportunities - Please use this section to advertise if you're looking for work, or to post positions that are available.
* The Leisure Lounge (Off topic) - A popular part of the forum. Think of it as a pub for mechanical designers. Anything goes here!
* 3D rendering gallery - This is one of the most popular parts of the forum. Please use this section to show off your best work.

Got an idea for a forum topic? Please post your ideas here
A bit thank you to members stewlenox and Pete for their suggestions so far

QUESTIONS THAT NEED ANSWERING!!!
Here are a few threads that have so far gone unanswered. Can you help with any of the following?
* Kenny82 need some help finding Adhesive backed washers
* josetorero wants to know How to calculate an agitated vessel?
* Peteneeds info on Anti-Microbial Coatings
* Wizardofid wants to know about die casting a pressure pot
* Kenny82 asks "Will India be the next China for manufacturing?"

FINALLY - Tell us what you think!
Please use this thread to tell us what you think about the Mechanical Design Forum. What can we do to make this a better or more successful place? Any suggestions or comments will be greatly appreciated.