Jeremy Fielding made a very nice video in which he shared his advice that might be of interest to any mechanical engineer out there.
A quick list of his tips and tricks:
π© Define the problem and ask probing questions
π© Define your constraints (Time, Quality, Cost, Size,…)
π© Do your research
π© Do your brainstorming on a paper
π© Simplify your 3D models (especially catalog and standard parts) for better CAD performance
π© Make symmetrical parts whenever possible
π© Drawings should make sense to those who don’t know the design
π© Talk to a machinist, welder, or fabricator in advance
π© Make a list of parts that should be replaceable and make those parts easy to replace
π© Check if your design fails safe
π© Think about how your product will be used and how it could be misused
π© Control the cost (you as the engineer define how much the product will cost)
π© Use “off the shelf” parts whenever possible
etc.
For more check out his video: