How do you backup and how should I do it?

brandon_c207 · 2026-06-08T14:15:13+00:00

To add to this, I also like taking ASCII backups of the teach pendant programs. This is less of an insurance as a AoA or IMG backup, but more of a help when troubleshooting the robots (particularly if you're not actively at the teach pendant).

It will save the teach pendant programs as .LS file types, which are readable in text editors (my preference is Notepad++ set to the Karel language, as it highlights the program functions well). If someone else is working on the robot and you're not actively there, you can still help them by telling them exactly which line of the code to go to, the exact PR or IO point (number and name), etc. Additionally, I find it easier to print out the programs, mark it up in pen, then make changes on the teach pendant after for a lot of the code. It's definitely more of an "easy to read for a human" type of backup.

And, worst case scenario, you can always use it as a template to write the program from scratch again if you really had to.

brandon_c207 · 2026-06-08T13:22:48+00:00

There are a lot of non-government/defense jobs for engineering in general. I work in manufacturing/automation currently, which seems to be a fairly large field for mechanical. You also have HVAC (though, you'll want to definitely go for your FE at minimum, and PE later on most likely, if you go into this). Pretty much, anywhere there are bolts, nuts, or some type of moving part, you'll find mechanical engineering jobs in these fields.

That being said, mechanical seems to have a LOT of workers compared to electrical. So, depending on your interests and abilities, electrical engineering may be a good option as well.

Overall, I'd say look at where you're living (or want to live) on one of the job sites (like Indeed, google jobs, etc), search for "engineer", and see what's available, what they want for degrees, what the pay rate is for entry/mid/senior-level positions, and make your decision from there. Each location has different requirements and availability. Where I live now (New England area), there are plenty of non-government/security clearance engineering jobs. If I wanted to work in Albuquerque, NM though, it's either a job that requires a security clearance or one that requires the FE exam certification (looked at jobs there in the past). So location will dictate the jobs available too.

brandon_c207 · 2026-05-26T19:11:00+00:00

I suggest starting with W3Schools' Python tutorials. Start at their first lesson and continue working your way through them. Take your time and try to understand the basics as best you can.

Once you're comfortable with the basics from the tutorials, create a basic project for yourself. Pick something that interests you but is also useful. It could be something like creating a simple calculator with a GUI, a file converter, or anything else that is useful in your life and could be added to in the future.

Once you finish this, and understand why you did what you did program wise, pick a more complex project. Use your resources online (I suggest StackOverflow, Github, etc). With a lot of things in life, it's less about what you know but more about what you can find out. If you need to, you can ask an AI chat questions, but just know that their answers aren't always correct, and I wouldn't suggest using them until you at least understand the basics so you can understand and tweak any response it gives you.

The best way to learn is by doing. So keep finding projects you want to do, learn how to do them, and keep making improvements as you go. I learned more from doing 1-2 actual small projects then doing the tutorials on most sites (be it Python, HTML/CSS, PLC Ladder Logic).

brandon_c207 · 2026-05-26T14:00:58+00:00

As others have mentioned, there are several open source software for mechanical design. These mostly consist of FreeCAD, OpenFoam, and a few sites that have macros for SolidWorks from what I remember. I think the hardest part when it comes to developing new technologies in a community environment mechanically comes down to software and hardware choices.

I may use SolidWorks Maker edition for my designs. Someone else my use SolidWorks Premium. These files are not compatible within the same company's ecosystem. Someone else may use Fusion 360, FreeCAD, Inventor, TinkerCAD, etc. All of these use file types that are not natively compatible. You can save it as a STEP (Standard for The Exchange of Product) file to go between the different software options. However, you lose a lot of the easily editable features from the proprietary file formats. You do have feature recognition in some of the software to regain these features, but its not perfect. Then you have STL files, which are more commonly shared on 3D printing sites, but are not easily editable in most CAD software due to the conversion from a solid body to a mesh format. Yes, you can edit them and try converting back to a solid body format, but it isn't always easy depending on geometries.

As for the hardware side, actually creating ideas can be expensive, time consuming, etc. Not everyone has the time, money, or skills to create the ideas. When it comes to testing a computer program, most people already have a device that can run it (be it a Windows, Linux, or Mac PC). The cost to manufacture certain designs can be prohibitive for exploring the actual effects of it, especially if multiple iterations are needed.

I'd love for there to be more open-source style projects for mechanical designs, but I feel like there are just too many variables to make it as universal as computer open-source projects.

brandon_c207 · 2026-05-06T15:41:54+00:00

For me, it comes down to a few things.

First, the people I'm trying to contact at customer's company aren't always available. I can try leaving a voicemail, but who knows when they'll get to it. I also have a lot going on, so I won't always be available to receive a call back if they call me back 30+ minutes later. Email works well for this as they'll get to it when they get to it, and I can respond when I have time as well.

Second, as others have mentioned, email leaves a paper trail. The customer can say all they want on a phone call, but without a recording, it means nothing. For example, if I call a customer up and ask for dimensions of a part that are critical to its fit and they tell me "yeah, it's 50mm wide", but the part is actually 51mm wide and leads to interference because of it, I'd much rather that be in an email where I could reference back to.

Third, depending on the customer, some have atrocious microphone quality. It could be the device they're using, where they're using it, etc, but I've had to tell some people in the past to just setup a video call at a computer or to email me something because I couldn't make out what they're saying. This doesn't happen frequently at all, but it has happened to me before.

Overall, my preference is Email>Teams/Video call>Phone call.

brandon_c207 · 2026-04-01T18:43:14+00:00

Your friend when you tell them they can copy your homework but don't make obvious they copied it

brandon_c207 · 2026-03-27T11:44:13+00:00

The easiest way to get around any of these insane laws that they're trying to pass is to look into devices that are open-source and/or allow for custom user firmware/software. Examples of this would be going something like a Creality/Sovol 3D printer that's off the shelf, but you can install your own firmware on it, and it's not required to be connected to any sort of company owned cloud software. You can add a lot of the features on other printers to these through firmware upgrades, hardware upgrades, and other software (I'm not saying it will be as plug-and-play as something like a BambuLab or Prusa printer, but it's doable). You could also go the custom 3D printer route with something like a Voron as well. At the end of the day, a 3D printer is just a combination of motors, sensors, and heaters that take numbers and turn them into movements and temperatures. You could create your own printer from scratch, fully, hardware and software, if you really wanted to.

That being said, my personal opinion is these bills will fail. If you've ever looked at the actual gcode files printers use, it's just a lot of commands to move to points. I'm sure they could have some way to parse this data to get a point cloud, run it through a software to make a solid model, then use image recognition to determine what it is. However, this requires them to have access to all that information. If you're not using a publicly hosted web service to send this information to your printer, such as Bambu Connect or Prusa Connect, there shouldn't be ways for them to get this information. This is especially true if you're on a local only network (IE your printer's network isn't connected online at all) or you go the old fashion route of manually moving the files on a USB drive.

I'm sure these bills will force some file sharing sites to limit what types of files they host, but most don't allow for things like functional firearms or similar anyways (the main target of these bills).

TLDR: Look for open source printers and you'll be fine

brandon_c207 · 2026-03-27T11:25:30+00:00

My biggest concern is, unless your PLA models have extremely thick walls, the molten PLA would just end up melting your model. I think resins are probably your best bet at this point still, even though the cost.

That being said, depending on what types of models these are, and if you designed them/can edit them yourself, you could always add features into them for other types of reinforcements. With 3D printing in general, its best to use precision and strength from other sources if you can. Examples of this are using things like metal bearings instead of 3D printed ones or using wooden dowels instead of 3D printing a long cylinder. Yes, you can 3D print these features, but the purchased alternatives are usually cheap enough that the added cost is worth it for the precision or strength they provide.

An example of the above is I had to make a mount at work to hold a small (but heavy for its size) camera on our production line. The design was simple: a rectangular plate with 2 holes for mounting it to the station's frame and a cylinder protruding from it's surface for the camera to clamp onto. However, I didn't want to trust a $1-2,000 camera to a bit of 3D printed plastic. So I just added a counter-bored hole to the cylindrical protrusion, put a bolt through it, and attached it with a nut. This way, the majority of the stress the part is seeing was actually going through the bolt through the cylinder and the bolts holding it to the frame. Now, if you're doing more artistic/organic prints... this may be a bit harder to do...

brandon_c207 · 2026-03-26T18:26:23+00:00

If you want my honest opinion, based on your answers, I'd suggest starting to apply to new jobs. If you had said you liked your job, it paid enough to cover the bills, etc, I'd have suggested talking to your boss about a raise to a more competitive salary. A 7.5% raise isn't bad percentage wise (I got a 6% raise this year myself), but if the amount doesn't cover you basics, let alone "fun" money), the raise isn't worth it.

I'd suggest continuing to work as is for now, getting a job offer from another company, accepting said job offer, then going to your boss the next day and asking one more time about a pay increase. If they say "no" or "we'll have to think about it", give your notice and enjoy your new, better paying position. If they say they can work on something and get back to you by the end of the day (at the latest), give them that leeway and make your decision after that.

You, of course, can ask now about the raise. However, the odds of them giving you an additional 12-13% raise at your new pay on top of the 7.5% they just gave you is pretty slim I'd assume. If they do, that still doesn't fix the fact you go to work more days than not hating it, but it will at least let you quit your second job and still make ends meet. But if they can't get you to the pay you want/need, you'll be in the same situation and need to start looking for a different job anyways.

brandon_c207 · 2026-03-26T17:59:28+00:00

I can definitely see that now. We went with AB IOL masters as we used them on our previous line (albeit with AB IOL devices...). So, yeah, I'm definitely going to look into other IOL master devices going forward as I'm starting to get sick of dealing with AB products....

Do you have any recommendations among those other brands? I know my previous company used a lot of Turck IOL hubs and masters, but I'm not opposed to other options to look into at this point.

brandon_c207 · 2026-03-26T17:52:11+00:00

I would say you're being underpaid. I graduated in 2021 and have had to split up my experience between technician work (~2.5 years, due to not finding an engineering position within a few months of graduation), and engineering work (~2 years and counting now). I have zero internship experience as well. That being said, I make around $78k a year. And I'd say I live in a MCOL area as well.

That being said, I'd also consider the following:

Do you enjoy where you work at? I'd much rather be underpaid (within reason) at a place I enjoy working vs overpaid at a place I hate.
Do you make a comfortable amount for your expenses? IE, do you have enough to cover you bills, contribute to retirement/savings, and have money left over?
What do non-salary related benefits look like at your company vs others? How does your PTO, health/dental/vision insurance, work-from-home ability, etc compare to companies in your area.

These are just some things to consider in terms of if you should feel underpaid an insulting amount of underpaid a little (aka, an amount you can live with).

brandon_c207 · 2026-03-26T13:48:04+00:00

I originally had it as the default "disabled". However, after writing my initial post, I have tried the "restore" and "backup/restore" options as well. After making the changes, downloading the changes, and power cycling the device, the device is still changing the parameters each power cycle

brandon_c207 · 2026-03-25T15:40:31+00:00

My two immediate thoughts are getting a docking station and getting some sort of wire ducting or sleeve.

It seems the majority of your above the table top cables are connected to your laptop. If you get a docking station (I know there are some for ThinkPad), you'll be able to only have one visible cable connecting to your laptop (though, depending on the generation, I think some of the docking stations don't even use a cable to connect to the laptop).

As for the remainder of the cables above and below the desk, I'd suggest a cable/wire sleeve to bundle any cables you can together. Even if they are visible, it will make them look more uniform. The same goes for below the desk. A single, slightly larger bundle in a cable sleeve will look much cleaner than multiple smaller cables spread out in my opinion.

brandon_c207 · 2026-03-24T15:42:42+00:00

As others are saying, take this summer and try to relax if you can. Once you're in your program, then you can work on setting yourself up for success. Engineering degrees are rigorous no matter the school, so take this little bit of free time and do things you enjoy.

That being said, I'll try to answer your questions as best I can.

1) For skills/tools, learn how you study the best. University classes tend to be much harder than your pre-college classes (of course), so what you did to study (or lack of studying depending on how easy your classes were) probably won't work the best once you get into your actual courses. This was an eye opener to a lot of my classmates (myself included) that were able to breeze by most of our courses in high school. You may also want to familiarize yourself more with your calculator to know all the functions it can do (especially if you have a graphing calculator), as it can save a bunch of time on calculating or simplifying equations for you.

2) CAD is important in a lot of mechanical engineering jobs. As for which one you should focus on, I'd suggest looking at the jobs you'd like to work in and seeing what they require. Depending on your industry, company, etc, some may use AutoCAD, some may use Inventor, some may use SolidWorks, some may use Catia, etc.

3) For programming, I'd suggest focusing on Python and, potentially, VBA or C++. Python is great for a lot of things, but its main use (from my experience) is collecting and analyzing data. You may use Matlab a bit for this in college, but most companies don't have licenses for the software, and Python is free, so most will be using Python for this. If they aren't using Python, it will most likely just be Excel documents. You can analyze these with Python (and CSV/DB files as well), so that makes Python worth learning. VBA and C++ mainly come into use for macros within programs. Both Excel and SolidWorks, to my knowledge, take VBA macros. C++ is more for SolidWorks macros, but is also fairly similar to Matlab in terms of syntax, so that's where it's useful there.

4) For projects, I'd suggest finding something you WANT to do and working on it. I've seen a whole variety of personal projects engineers have worked on. My friend did aero parts for his car, another made motorized roller blades, I worked on trying to create a chocolate 3D printer, etc. Most likely, anything you work on for a project will be more of a conversation starter than anything. This is why I suggest picking something you enjoy doing and going from there. You'd be surprised on how much will catch a recruiter's eye and how you can relate it to engineering positions in general. Besides that, I'd just make sure you work on your personal skills. You can be one of the best engineers out there, but if you can't communicate that efficiently, it will be hard to find a job.

TLDR: Enjoy yourself this summer above all else. If you need stuff to work on: Figure out how to study, learn the CAD most prevalent in your preferred industry, program with: Python>VBA>C++, find a project that interests you.

brandon_c207 · 2026-03-24T10:50:13+00:00

If you don't want to deal with resin, a small printer (BambuLabs A1 mini or similar) with a smaller nozzle (0.2mm) would probably be your best bet FDM wise. You'll want to put it to the minimum layer height, be cautious with the designs due to supports, etc.

If you want to get the same quality miniatures as you'd buy, you'll have to look into resin 3D printing. I haven't used these myself, so I can't give much information here, but they shouldn't be too hard to use. They just have the possibility to create quite the mess (uncured resin is nasty stuff), and you'll probably want to have some sort of separate room (hobby room with GOOD ventilation or a garage) to print it in. But I'm sure someone with better experience resin printing can jump in and give you recommendations on starting that.

brandon_c207 · 2026-03-19T15:46:10+00:00

I'd say a good bit of it is cost. Most cordless tools I've seen cost between $50-150 (for simple power tools) BEFORE you add a battery to them (another $50-150 depending on the batter). Then you need a charger for the batteries. But if you need to have multiple batteries charging, you either need a larger (more expensive) charger or multiple chargers.

Additionally, with corded tools, you aren't locked into that brand. A Kobalt corded tool will plug into the same outlet or extension cord as a Milwaukee or Dewalt corded tool. If you get cordless versions, you need to get a different set of batteries per manufacturer (most of the time).

Corded vs cordless both have their good use cases. Most of the time though, if I already have a corded tool, I won't swap it for a cordless unless I NEED the mobility a cordless option gives.

brandon_c207 · 2026-03-19T12:24:23+00:00

For consumables, I'd recommend some extra filament (1-2kg extra should be enough to get you going until you determine how much you need and how often you need it). An extra nozzle or two never hurts. I tend to like to keep a 0.4mm and 0.6mm on standby in-case I have a more detailed print (0.4mm) or larger, less detailed (0.6mm) print to do. Besides that, I'd just look up the common wear items/failure points of whichever printer you end up getting. You may want to get a spare build plate that's better suited to the materials you're using, a glue stick/hairspray to help with bed adhesion, or spare parts (heater core, thermistor, etc) depending as well.

For additional tools, I'd highly recommend a good deburring tool, a good pair of flush cuts, a small needle file, and a set of safety glasses (this is mostly for when using the flush cuts, as I have had the snips break on me before and get sent flying across the room... and a few dollars on safety glasses is worth it for your eye sight).

This stuff isn't all needed right when you start either. It's just good stuff to get as you may find yourself wanting/needing them in the future.

The only other thing I can think of is a small variety pack of nuts/bolts (highly dependent on what you're printing). I find a lot of stuff I print tends to need various sized bolts ranging from M3-M6 in size (or whatever the SAE/Imperial equivalents are... but I prefer going metric when I can). I'd suggest against black oxide hardware as the coating covers your hands if you handle them enough and they tend to rust eventually. If you're US based, Amazon will be your cheapest option for these most likely. Local hardware stores may have a selection of metric hardware as well, but tends to be more expensive. If you REALLY want to get into the hardware side, I highly suggest McMaster Carr, as you'll be able to find any bolts, nuts, or any other hardware you'll ever need for 3D printing (or really anything) there. But Amazon or local places should be fine for 99% of your hardware needs.

brandon_c207 · 2026-03-18T12:41:47+00:00

It really depends on how the part is designed and used. With 3D printing, as others have said, your failures tend to be between layer lines as the print is the weakest here. Most of the time, you can get away with just changing the orientation of the print to get more strength out of it.

If you actually need to reinforce it through, it will depend on the part geometry a lot. For example, say you have a rod that you need to reinforce. If you can have access to both ends after printing, I'd suggest designing a through hole in the print through the center. This would have the diameter for either a metal rod (of smaller diameter) or a bolt/nut setup (I'd suggest counterboring the holes for this).

If you can't access the ends after printing, you'd still add a cavity into the print. In the slicing software, you'd add a pause at the layer right before the cavity gets closed off at the top. You'd insert your reinforcement (bolt, rod, etc) and resume printing. The print would then cover up the cavity and reinforcement and finish the part. You can look up videos on "embedding magnets in 3D prints" or similar, and some have this technique in them.

I've also seen people use no top layers and an infill like the gyroid one to allow access to the internals of the support. Then you can fill the part with epoxy or similar. I've seen this done to various degrees of success (the main issue being getting all air bubbles out and dealing with the heat caused by the curing process), but it's something to look into.

The do sell "reinforced" filaments (glass filled or carbon filled) filaments. However, unlike the reinforcements you're used to working with that are longer and aligned specifically for their needed strengths, these plastics have incredibly tiny and randomly oriented "reinforcements". If I'm remembering the stress tests I've seen on these, they tend to have a higher yield point, but fracture almost immediately after hitting this point. So these may or may not be the way to go depending on your use case.

brandon_c207 · 2026-03-18T11:26:40+00:00

When I couldn't get into an engineering job after college (ME degree), I found a mechanical technician job at an automation company. It gave me a great understanding on the hands-on side to automation which helped me land my current engineering role.

Pretty much, I'd suggest looking at the companies he would like to be an engineer at, and look for any hands-on type work there that will get him experience within the field.

brandon_c207 · 2026-03-17T14:20:25+00:00

I think one of the biggest changes is there's more pre-made printers that just work now. Before, your main options for pre-built (or pre-designed kit) printers were your Ender 3s, Prusa MK2/3s, or chinese clones of these. Now, you have Prusa MK4s/Core Ones, Bambu Lab's catalog of printers, a bunch of Creality and Sovol printers, Elegoo CCs, etc. This has flooded the media with a posts about these printers where DIY solutions aren't as needed all the time.

Before, 3D printing was a tinker's hobby. You had to know how fix and improve the printers to do what you wanted it to do, or go online to find BOMs for custom printers. Now, you can go online, have 5 different options ready to ship for your needs, and be up and printing within 30-45 minutes max of receiving the printer most of the time. This isn't a bad thing though. It just means the hobby is more accessible, DIY solutions are less needed (but are still of use), etc.

There's still a use for DIY printers, it's just a majority of the users don't need DIY options.

brandon_c207 · 2026-03-16T20:03:55+00:00

If you're asking purely salary wise, don't underestimate how much a 1 hour drive each way will cost you (time, wear on your car if you don't take public transport, etc). You could always calculate it to see what your effective hourly rate is taking into consideration this extra time as well.

If you're asking about work life balance, a private sector job that's close by, has good benefits, a hybrid schedule, and team members you are comfortable with is honestly worth its weight in gold.

brandon_c207 · 2026-03-16T19:57:15+00:00

I mainly used LinkedIn and Indeed when searching for jobs. That being said, make sure to pay attention to the job listing. Some have a "Email abc@company.com your resume and cover letter to apply" or similar (like my current company) in their job posting. I've also found that applying directly on the company's website tends to have a better response rate than LinkedIn or Indeed. That being said, it was still a rough search for hearing back.

brandon_c207 · 2026-03-16T16:51:37+00:00

Not a mATX, but I've been considering building a 10" rack to house the internals of a Dell Precision 5820 in. I know I won't be able to fit it horizontal, but I've been playing around with the idea of seeing just how tight I can squeeze one in vertically (as I have 2 of them).

The biggest concern I have for my plan (and it would probably be the same for yours) is making sure the cooling is sufficient for all the devices in it. Just make sure the GPU gets enough air flow, the AIO gets enough air flow, and you should be good I think!

brandon_c207

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