Engineering guides

How to calculate peak contact pressure and sub-surface shear stresses for point and line contact, with engineering limits for bearings and mating gear teeth.

Compare deterministic worst-case methods against statistical Root Sum Squared (RSS) and Monte Carlo models to optimize assembly yield and manufacturing cost.

A step-by-step engineering guide to VDI 2230 systematic calculation of high-duty bolted joints: compliance, load sharing, settlement factors, and torque margins.

A structured look at where AI-generated CAD goes wrong — geometry, tolerancing, and manufacturability — and how a responsible pipeline should catch each failure before it reaches a machine shop.

The practical difference between boundary representation (B-Rep) solids and triangle meshes — and why the distinction determines whether a generated model can be edited, toleranced, or machined at all.

The specific ways generative CAD tools mishandle tolerance — from silently defaulting to nominal dimensions to ignoring fit relationships between mating parts — and how to catch it before a part reaches the shop.

An honest, feature-by-feature comparison of CADAGEN and Zoo.dev's Zookeeper for text-to-CAD generation — what each is actually built for, and where each one's approach is genuinely stronger.

A practical, example-driven walkthrough of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing: the 14 symbols, what datums actually do, and when GD&T is worth the extra drawing complexity versus a plain ± tolerance.

Why standard mechanical components need a different generation strategy than custom geometry — and what to check before you trust an AI-generated bolt, gear, or bearing callout.

How to read a metric thread designation like M10x1.5, what coarse vs fine pitch actually changes, and how to pick the right size and property class for a real load — not just a lookup table.

A concrete, step-by-step workflow for going from a described part to a printed or machined prototype — where text-to-CAD genuinely saves time, and where it doesn't.

Why specifying a standard bolt, bearing, or gear is almost always cheaper and faster than a custom-designed equivalent — and the specific situations where custom geometry actually pays for itself.

A working reference for the vocabulary that shows up across text-to-CAD, mechanical design, and manufacturing — from B-Rep to DFM to GD&T — with plain definitions and links to deeper guides.

A balanced, category-by-category look at text-to-CAD options for mechanical engineers — what each type of tool is actually built for, and the specific questions worth asking before you pick one.

What AI-assisted CAD is genuinely good at today, where it still struggles, and how engineers should set expectations — with concrete examples on both sides.

Design for manufacturing basics for engineers using text-to-CAD — wall thickness, internal radii, hole sizing, draft angles, and how to prompt with the target process in mind.

A practical, step-by-step workflow: write a clear mechanical prompt, preview the solid, verify dimensions, then export STEP — plus the specific mistakes that produce a wrong first draft.

Short answer: it depends entirely on the part and the tool. Here's how to tell whether a text-to-CAD file is actually manufacturable — and what separates a demo from a usable STEP.

How plain-language mechanical descriptions become editable CAD solids, exactly what to include so the first draft is usable, and where a human still needs to step in.

STL is great for meshes and some 3D printing. STEP is what you want for editable mechanical CAD and most machining — here's how to decide, with the specific cases that trip people up.

AI 3D mesh tools look impressive in renders. Mechanical work needs editable B-Rep solids — here's the practical difference, and how to tell which one you actually have.

STEP (ISO 10303) explained for mechanical engineers: what it stores, when to use it, and how it differs from mesh formats.

Text-to-CAD turns a written description of a part into an editable CAD file like STEP. Here's how it works, what it does well, and where it still falls short.

A practical decision guide for text-to-CAD: which part classes are safe to automate, which need heavy verification, and which should go straight to a human engineer.

Demo-quality geometry vs. manufacturable solids — the specific, repeatable failure modes and how to actually verify AI-generated CAD before it reaches a machine.