3D Printing Services

Richard Wand on August 5, 2019

MJ Engineering now offers 3D printing services, and we are proud to show off our latest acquisition—a Markforged Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printer.

What is 3D printing?

3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is a process of making three-dimensional solid objects from a digital file. To build the object, the printer lays down one layer of material at a time, precisely following a design in a computer program. The object can be made from a variety of materials, including plastic and plastic reinforced with carbon fiber or Kevlar. It can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 24 hours to print a part—much faster than most traditional manufacturing methods.

Benefits of 3D printing

The number of companies choosing to use 3D printers is adding up! Being able to quickly print a part to solve a problem can be a big time and money saver. Some advantages of 3D printing include:

Speed at which parts can be produced
Complexity and design freedom
Customization
Increased flexibility in production flow
No wasted material
No need to create specific tooling or use several tools

Let MJ Engineering 3D print it for you

Our 3D printer has already revolutionized the efficiency and efficacy of how we do things here at MJ Engineering, and now we want to share it with you. After all, not every company has enough know-how or need for a 3D-printer to justify buying one. No problem! MJ Engineering has already made the investment. Whether you need to rapidly assess if a part will work before committing it to production, or you know the part you want and need it to be produced quickly—we can help. With our 3D printer, we can create parts as needed, much faster than a machine shop. Read a Dunlop Systems case study and how they produce custom tooling for their facility, saving tens of thousands of dollars with their own Markforged 3D Printer. This case study is very similar to the work MJ Engineering is doing with their own Markforged 3D Printer.

Watch our 3D printer at work

Our engineers are always finding new practical uses for the 3D printer; they use it to solve problems practically every day. In fact, it has hardly stopped running since we got it!

“It’s fascinating to sit and watch; it’s a beautiful machine.”
–Richard Wand, President of MJ Engineering

Engineering “The Frenzy” Amusement Ride

Richard Wand on January 3, 2019

While you are dangling in the air, staring straight down at the pavement 60 feet below (getting closer every second), it is not the time to worry whether the ride you are strapped into is safe. However, it is a legitimate concern—one that most likely more people have had since the Fireball tragedy at the Ohio State Fair in 2017.

After all, so many of these rides roll into town, are set up, taken down, and roll out again before you can finish your cotton candy. One can’t help but wonder: “Can these rides possibly be safe? Are they soundly constructed? Is anyone making sure they are up to code?” Rest assured that the answer to all of these questions is “Yes.” MJ Engineering uses its years of experience to help make sure of it. We have been working on amusement park rides for about 10 years, advising on ride repair procedures, performing failure analyses, safety and risk assessments, and code compliance testing, plus helping with ground-up designs.

MJ Engineering’s client A.R.M. (USA) Inc. put the finishing touches on the second evolution of its popular pendulum-style thrill ride, Frenzy, which MJ Engineering has been involved with from its conception. The new Frenzy was unveiled in November 2018 at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Expo in Orlando, FL to screams of enthusiasm from riders as they got above 90 degrees from vertical.

“Hundreds of hours of engineering go into these rides,” says MJ Engineering President, Richard Wand.

In fact, amusement manufacturers must meet a federal code that is hundreds of pages long for amusement park rides, taking into account everything from patron (rider) safety, ride dynamics, storage, transport, and anything that could possibly affect the ride related to its structure, controls, performance, life, or environmental conditions like wind and ice.

Shripal Bhavsar, of MJ Engineering, helped to certify Frenzy. “Our process is to do the analysis and calculations for each individual part of the ride, based on the codes that are available,” says Bhavsar. “We usually determine a factor of safety, depending on what part we are looking at, which is critical to the structure and the patrons.”

To verify ride strength, MJ Engineering uses a combination of hand calculations and finite element analysis (FEA), which is a computerized method to help predict how the ride will react to real-world forces to determine whether it will break, wear out, or work the way it was designed. “In a nutshell,” says MJ Engineering’s Phil Snyder, who worked on both versions of Frenzy, “it needs to be designed to sound engineering principles.” Safety is one of those principles.

“Safety is extremely important to us,” says Wand, “And if we think that the safety of the patron has been compromised in some fashion, we’re required—we’re bound—to say something and shut that ride down.” For that reason, states should have more professional engineers involved in the inspection and approval process of these rides. Ultimately, it is the manufacturer’s responsibility. However, MJ Engineering supports the manufacturer by providing our professional opinion on what they should do.

“The Amusement industry is held to very high standards—manufacturers understand this better than anyone,” says Mike Gill, of A.R.M. “Generally, we approach MJ Engineering with a task, whether it be a conceptual design, a design change of an existing ride, or a repair. Then we collaborate on the task until it meets all requirements.”

For example, A.R.M. asked MJ Engineering to help the new Frenzy lose some weight to make it easier to transport and build. The challenge was controlling the dynamics of Frenzy, which is a big pendulum that swings riders back and forth. MJ Engineering managed to figure out how to reduce Frenzy’s weight while securely keeping all four feet on the ground at all times.

To achieve a higher level of safety, we spend a lot of time doing “failure mode analyses,” which means looking at everything that could possibly go wrong with a ride. We assign a risk assessment to it, and if it turns out to be high, we will put other steps in place to make sure it is mitigated, and the risk is even further reduced. Most of the time, we are looking at stresses in the structural members, specifically fatigue.

Generally, amusement park rides are very dynamic in the way they move, not just during every ride cycle, but as the ride moves, due to changes in the loads and stresses, which affect the structure. For example, the left side of the ride might be heavily loaded, and then the right side might be heavily loaded as the ride moves, due to centrifugal and dynamic forces. This situation leads us to look at fatigue, which examines the number of cycles of load changes a ride has. We determine what the minimum and maximum load cases are, then we look at the number of times it fluctuates between them, which enables us to calculate a fatigue life and predict when that metal is going to fail.

We also look at the ergonomics of seat fit and the patron restraint, such as the shoulder harness or lap bar, and the adjustability of it, to make sure we capture the patron as easily as we can while still keeping them safe. Restraint design also depends on the dynamics of the ride, how many inversions it has, and how harsh those inversions are. When we design the harness, we try to take into account how much force the patron could physically exert, plus the patron’s body weight, to make sure the harness is going to stay where it is. We spend much time making sure the restraint is capable of doing its job.

We do get to engineer fun, too. You know that stomach-drop feeling? A lot of it has to do with g-forces. Most of the time, the manufacturer who is designing the ride describes to us the experience they want riders to have, and we then assist them with achieving it—within limits (back to our safety standards). For example, if we’re applying a lateral g-force and a down g-force, there are limits on how long the patron can be exposed to that feeling—and staying within the limits of safety is always MJ Engineering’s and A.R.M.’s number one goal.
At the end of the day, we want to make sure that Frenzy or any other amusement ride we design or analyze gives its riders the thrill they are seeking while keeping them safe and returning year after year.

According to Federal code, amusement park manufacturers are required to make rides last 35,000 working hours, which equates to approximately 20 years. Federal guidelines also dictate patron loads and how the restraints must be designed, based on the dynamics of the ride. Fortunately, patron load can usually be determined by seat fit and what the restraint will do, which saves patrons the embarrassment of being weighed as they are standing in line. The general rule is if the restraint locks, you can ride.
We also look at the ergonomics of seat fit and the patron restraint, such as the shoulder harness or lap bar, and the adjustability of it, to make sure we capture the patron as easily as we can while still keeping them safe. Restraint design also depends on the dynamics of the ride, how many inversions it has, and how harsh those inversions are. When we design the harness, we try to take into account how much force the patron could physically exert, plus the patron’s body weight, to make sure the harness is going to stay where it is. We spend much time making sure the restraint is capable of doing its job.

Click here to see an edited version of this article on the Amusement Today amusement industry news website.

2018 Fall Newsletter

Richard Wand on December 21, 2018

Meet the Team!

Two of the newer members of the MJ Engineering team, Corey Caldwell and Shripal Bhavsar, both agree that a few of their favorite things about working at MJ Engineering are the variety of projects and industries they get to work with and the assistance and knowledge they gain from the helpful, more experienced engineers.

Corey Caldwell is a controls engineer responsible for programming the automation equipment that MJ Engineering designs and develops. He is currently working on a project for DuraShield, an Ohio-based company that creates paint protection film. Corey is helping to create a barcode scanning system for bakery pans to determine when they need to be recoated. The Ohio native earned a Mechanical Engineering degree in 2014 from Cedarville University near Dayton. He says his background in mechanical engineering helps him on the job, and he is learning some of the electrical side as well. Corey, who started at MJ Engineering last April, says he enjoys working as a team and the challenge of figuring out how to make things work for new applications he has never done. “I am excited to be here, grow in my role, and learn some new things,” says Corey. Fun fact: Corey enjoys woodworking and playing basketball—he does skills coaching with a group in Columbus!

“Most of the time, I am trying to analyze something,” says Shripal Bhavsar, a mechanical engineer with a passion for finite element analysis (FEA). Shripal recently worked on MJ Engineering’s latest amusement ride project (see the next article for details), doing hand calculations to confirm whether the ride setup was sufficient to handle a particular load. Shripal helps with platform certifications, and he is also involved in design. Shripal earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (ME) from India and a Master’s in ME from California State University, Fullerton. “I wanted to be in a field in which I can give the answers to engineering issues that we face in day-to-day life,” says Shripal, who likes to use creativity and precision to solve challenging engineering problems. Fun fact: Shripal comes up with his best answers in the shower!

MJ Engineering Helped Create a Frenzy This Fall!

MJ Engineering has a decade-long relationship with amusement ride manufacturer A.R.M. (USA) Inc. This fall, A.R.M. put the finishing touches on the second evolution of its popular pendulum-style thrill ride, Frenzy (original version pictured at left), which MJ Engineering has been involved with from the beginning.
Hundreds of hours of engineering go into these rides. In fact, they must meet a federal code that is hundreds of pages long, taking into account everything from patron (rider) safety, ride dynamics, storage, transport, and anything that could possibly affect the ride related to its structure, controls, performance, life, or environmental conditions like wind and ice.
“In a nutshell,” says MJ Engineering’s Phil Snyder, who worked on the original Frenzy as well, “it needs to be designed to sound engineering principles.” Safety is one of those principles. “Safety is extremely important to us,” says MJ Engineering President Richard Wand. “If we think that the safety of the patron has been compromised in some fashion, we’re required to say something and shut that ride down.”
“The Amusement industry is held to very high standards, and manufacturers understand this better than anyone,” says Mike Gill, of A.R.M. “Generally, we approach MJ Engineering with a task, whether it be a conceptual design, a design change of an existing ride, or a repair. Then we collaborate on the task until it meets all requirements.” (See the next article to find out how the new Frenzy did at its recent debut.)

Trade Show News—IAAPA in Orlando, FL

“Excellent show—it made my feet hurt!” said MJ Engineering President Richard Wand about the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) trade show he attended last month in Orlando.
The show encompassed more than 10 miles of displays, booths, and rides—not the least of which was the new Frenzy, which was located outdoors and giving rides every day during the expo. “It was a pleasure listening to the squeals of patrons once they got above 90 degrees from vertical,” said Richard.
Trade shows are a great way to meet current and potential clients and learn about what’s happening in the industry. MJ Engineering employees are encouraged to attend, when possible.
While at the IAAPA trade show, Richard spent a significant amount of time talking to other ride manufacturers, including one for whom MJ Engineering helped get a ride approved for the Chinese market. Another satisfied customer Richard ran into was Majestic Rides (https://www.majesticrides.com/back-spin-roller-coaster—mini.html) who reported that their customer was extremely happy with their new ride—one that MJ Engineering assisted with in the past.
Other good contacts at the expo were an Italian manufacturer, Moser Rides, who wants to bring another of their rides to the U.S., and a major manufacturer of U.S. trampoline parks and soft play activities. In addition, Richard talked to several other engineering firms, inspectors, fabricators, family entertainment center (FEC) manufacturers, and owners. So the possibilities are seemingly endless for MJ Engineering to help make the world safer and more fun!

Robots Are Here to Enhance—Not Replace—Your Jobs

Richard Wand on December 3, 2018

Quality control, improved efficiency, and increased throughput are all good reasons for companies to automate their processes. Look at MJ Engineering’s Oral Syringe Filling Machine, for example. Automation takes over repetitive, mundane, or dangerous tasks (thereby increasing precision and consistency), while freeing its human counterparts to do safer or more fulfilling jobs.

Perhaps you have been considering bringing more automation—robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), or autonomous processes—into your manufacturing production, but you are finding resistance with your employees. Or maybe you’ve seen the recent statistics of robotics in the workplace, the typical rant being something about robots replacing good workers. And, depending on whom you talk to, you’ll find advocates for both sides of this conversation.

What do we, as automation experts, think? That doomsaying needs to stop.

Automation is ambivalent

The first thing to remember when dealing with any automated process is that it does not think for itself—yet. Therefore, the AI you might be adding to machines in your production processes to “think” like a human or even mimic human actions can only do what it has been programmed to do by a human. And most manufacturers have no interest in programming an uprising. The point is that automation isn’t an evil waiting to be unleashed on our economy; it’s a tool just like any other in getting things made and inspected more efficiently.

“Robotic integration is not about reducing head count; it’s about repurposing your head count,” says MJ Engineering President Richard Wand. “And being able to produce more with the same number of people.”

Often, as is the case with many of our customers, robots and automation are a welcome addition to a weary and beleaguered team. In fact, once it is up-and-running, employees often rave about the enhancements brought about by automation. Fears of job loss or technological overthrow are long gone within the first few weeks of installation.

On the website “Save Your Factory,” MJ Engineering robotics supplier FANUC discusses how robots allow businesses to remain competitive without offshoring.

The truth about automation is in the potential

Since the Industrial Revolution began more than 250 years ago, we have been putting tools to work for us in assembly processes—and we’ve come a long way since the Luddites destroyed machinery in the textile industry that they believed was threatening their jobs. These days, the term “Luddite” is used to describe anyone who is opposed to increased industrialization or new technology—and it is typically not a compliment.

Despite all of the technological advances since the first Industrial Revolution, more people are working than ever before. Assembly lines have become more efficient and more automated. Just think injection machines, CNC routers, and even conveyor belts, at their core, are all automated systems. And what have those automations brought us? The Industrial Age, mass manufacturing, and nearly everything you use every day. But, most importantly, it has brought us to a greater level of potential than ever before in human history. Automation enhances human potential.

The way this plays out on an assembly line, for instance, is best represented by automation working side-by-side with humans. The robot or automation handles the processes it is best suited for, and the person does the rest. This system takes physical strain off the worker while enabling that worker to handle the process they are given with more focus, maximizing their potential for output.

The future is now

Another advantage of adding automation to your manufacturing process, which you might not have considered, is that of hiring more specialized staff. If anything, adding a robot will increase the number of higher-level jobs within your company. Robot mechanics, automation experts, and CNC programmers are some of the positions for which you will likely be hiring, once your automation has been installed.

This idea may seem daunting now, but keep in mind the metrics of adding automation. Precision, quality, efficiency, output quantities, safety, and order fulfillment (all profitable elements of your business) increase almost exponentially with the appropriate addition of automation—which brings us to the caveat.

Robots are brutally honest

Just because robots will make your production line faster, better, and safer, while adding higher-level jobs and freeing up employees to do other work, it does not mean you should just slap any old robot onto your line. A thoughtful, intentional evaluation of your process is absolutely necessary before adding automation. And MJ Engineering is the perfect partner to help you create a system or line that incorporates robotics and automation. If the right machine does not already exist, MJ Engineering can custom-design it to suit your company’s needs.

The reason you need to put time and thought into your automation is two-fold: first and most obviously, it costs money to set up automation. It’s an investment you will see repaid in dividends, but a hefty sum nonetheless. Second, whatever problems you have in your current process—no matter where in relation to the automation they exist—can be exacerbated by adding automation. So, you want to get it right. In fact, if you struggle with your internal process, robotics can help because they expose weaknesses in your upstream process. Robotics perform the same exact action over and over again, so any variance will stand out.

This is a good thing when dealing with manufacturing. And it makes sense, because robots enhance potential. No other investment will give you the guaranteed results time and time again as adding automation. But you will want to think of how to integrate the automation as an augmentation of the process and people you currently have—not as a replacement. Only then will your addition be met with enthusiasm from everyone in your company, and your robots will automatically be welcomed with open arms.

Creating Technology Through Design Innovation

Richard Wand on September 21, 2018

By MJ Engineering & Consulting Inc.

MJ Engineering’s CAD software vendor, Computer-Aided Technology Inc. (CATI), knows we do amazing things with their product.

So, they asked company president, Richard Wand, to share his expertise about design innovation on video. The result is a fast-paced vignette where Richard chats about the potential that exists within technology.

The video got us thinking about some other aspects of technology as well…

Technology is in the eye of the beholder

The word technology is often tossed into conversations that deal with anything from smartphones to spaceships, but when it comes to design innovation, technology can be harnessed to complete tasks on a daily basis in new and different ways. For this reason, what technology means can vary for whoever is using it at the time. “If you think about old-school typewriters,” says Wand, “technology was a ribbon that had the ink on the top half and the eraser on the bottom.”

We’ve come a long way since then, but it underlies the point that yesterday’s cutting edge could be today’s ho-hum. And today’s probably could have been yesterday’s impossible. Wand cites, for example, “Vision systems for quality control have different capabilities today than they did a year ago. One of our strengths is being able to review those new technologies, understand how they work, and incorporate them into customer equipment to do things that were unheard of two or three years ago.”

At MJ Engineering, we are not afraid to try new things. However, we approach this potential power with trepidation, so we don’t overstep our bounds. Whether new training classes, new hardware, new robots, or anything that we implement in our business, we tread carefully, because we are responsible for that technology working properly.

But when we take tech by the reigns, some really incredible things can happen. Our company uses design innovation to create cutting-edge hardware and software, advanced FEM evaluations, and combine common off-the-shelf (COTS) materials with new technology for cost-effective solutions. In our hands, design innovation is the magic we use to make things happen. By understanding how—and when—to integrate technology in the equipment and processes we help improve, we keep this powerful magic in check.

Depending on the application, MJ Engineering can use technology to automate a manufacturing process, integrate robotics into a line to work seamlessly with human counterparts, or even add high-resolution optics for part evaluation that no one has seen before. All of this adds up to creating even more technology for other people to use.

The role of design innovation and technology

Of course, this technology doesn’t just show up. It isn’t a case of throwing a computer into the mix to see what happens. There has to be a plan. A design, as the term gives it, to the innovation. And it’s through the application of design innovation that we can make technology do what we want.

To put this in perspective: with the right application of design innovation, we can improve automation equipment to do whatever our clients ask (within reason, of course). And embracing design innovation enables us to stay ahead of the competition in the industry. Design innovation also crosses language and cultural boundaries for international collaboration. Without design innovation, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.

Applying design innovation in today’s market

As technology becomes commonplace—a computer or tablet in every home—the ability to innovate seemingly diminishes. But with design innovation backing technology in the realm of manufacturing and part sorting, there is still much to be discovered. New processes are being created every day that will require design innovation. It’s in this blue-sky environment that MJ Engineering exists—and excels.

Accomplishing this kind of innovation is not a linear path. The direction our design takes can sometimes run back on itself through iterations, split into parallel solutions, and even slam into dead-ends when the technology needed to accomplish the next step hasn’t been invented yet. All this convolution is not for the faint of heart.

Our ability to adapt to new challenges is what makes design innovation so valuable to us. Without this flexibility, the unknown would put us out of business. However, as we face the void where technology has yet to go—and push against it with design innovation—we forge a path for manufacturers to follow, anticipating technology will eventually catch up.