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Engineering Library
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The Engineering Library has topics from Product Design & Development, to Business, to Startup, Trailers, Manufacturing, Custom Machines, Engineering Case studies, and more.

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The Product Development Process
What Makes Good Trailer Design?

Interested in trailers?  Trailer design?  or Trailer Engineering?  This article touches on all of those subjects.

Creo - Great Power, Silly Problems
Creo, by PTC, is powerful CAD, maybe the most. Yet, they have wrapped this beautiful gem in a mire of mixed paradigms and inconsistency, making it hard to learn and slow-er to use.
Inventors:  Read This Article First

The “Inventor's Lab” is a collection of articles to help inventors bring their concept to market.

These articles come from many years of working with inventors of all types, answering questions, and seeing where they have stumbled.  This is real-world advice to make the journey successful.

Non-Disclosure Agreement

At Synthesis we respect your Intellectual Property.  However, if you need an NDA, but don’t have one, this is available.

NDA, Non-Disclosure Agreement

Synthesis Confidentiality Agreement ... aka … NDA

By downloading the document, you assume responsibility for its use.

For a specific topic, use the search (above)  —  It is the best way to find things in this Engineering Library.  Try keywords.

All Engineering Library Resources

Engineering Services – Product Design & Development

At Synthesis, one of our Services is transforming ideas into useful products – aka, Product Development.  This is our domain, our expertise, and a primary focus of our Engineering.  It's who we are, and we're good at it.

Learn More on the Product Development Page

Innovative Thinking

"Creative Thinking" and “Innovation” go hand in hand.  This is an attribute that enhances all our Engineering Services.

At Synthesis we use it as a springboard to our customers competitive advantage, as we seek the "Elegant Solution" in every project.

Learn More on the Innovative Solutions Page

Here are some of the ways Synthesis has helped find the "innovation" for our customers. Check out the Long List of Patents we assist with.

The Product Development Process - Articles

A multi-page article about new products, and the process of getting them from Bright Idea to Final Customer.

This article from our engineering library is now published in multiple languages, and used in University courses.

The Inventor's Lab

The “Inventor's Lab” is a collection of articles to help inventors bring their concept to market.

These articles come from many years of working with inventors of all types, answering questions, and seeing where they have stumbled.  This is real-world advice to make the journey successful.

Startups:  Avoiding the Sand Traps

In every new venture there are spots where entrepreneurs get bogged down.  For product based ventures, here are some common sand traps — for both new companies, and new products of an existing company.

If you stay in the entrepreneurial quicksand too long, it can drain the life blood of enthusiasm, so here’s the antidote.

Non-Disclosure Agreement – NDA

At Synthesis we respect your Intellectual Property.  However, if you need an NDA, but don’t have one, this is available.

NDA, Non-Disclosure Agreement

Synthesis Confidentiality Agreement ... aka … NDA

By downloading the document, you assume responsibility for its use.

What Makes A Good Trailer Design?

Interested in trailers?  Trailer design?  or Trailer Engineering?  This 4-part article touches on all of those subjects.

Choosing The Right Utility Trailer

This is a short article with lists of things to consider when choosing a trailer – any trailer – but, especially a utility trailer.

Choosing the Right Utility TrailerA quick read may give insight to help in your search for the right utility trailer. Think of the contents as the practical side of what we think about, as a trailer engineer, after all the consulting and design we’ve done.

Read the Trailer Choice Article.

Custom Trailer Design – by Synthesis

At Synthesis, one of our fields of expertise is trailer design.  If you need a custom trailer chassis, we are happy to help.  Also, for upper portions of structure (cranes, load bridges, tank support, etc.).  However, we do not design living space enclosures, like for a Tiny Home. See these Articles:

Trailer Towing Tips

We’ve all see them . . . the nut cases towing a rickety contraption down the road . . . you try to pass quickly so you’re not there as a witness to, (or worse, a victim of) a pending disaster.

Of course, you are not “THAT” person — you wouldn’t be here reading this if you were. That being said, we can all learn, so these are the right things to make your trailer trips enjoyable, productive, and to stay safe on the road.

Trailer Towing Tips

Trailer Design & Building Tips

We have another website with a lot of tips and helps for building trailers (and a lot of other shop projects).  And all kinds of projects, not just trailers.

Visit the Mechanical Elements engineering library to and read the many articles and tips we post “From The Mechanic”.

Trailer Plans – Designed at Synthesis

Are you looking to build a trailer?  We can help!  Great trailer plans are available at Mechanical Elements .com — a feature of Synthesis Engineering — where we sell Do It Yourself project plans — including Trailer Plans.

As you might expect, the plans are fully engineered, by us, for awesome performance.

Engineering Services – Custom Machines

We design and build Custom Machines of all sorts, as well as Custom Tools like Jigs and special Fixtures for manufacturing.  Large and small, simple and complex, manual and robotic.

For some customers we provide just the design.  For others, we also build and prove the machines.

Learn More on the Custom Machines Page

Select Custom Machine Articles

A few articles in our engineering library about Custom Machines at Synthesis.

This is one of our core areas of focus.  We build a lot of machines and tools, so visit the Slide Show to see samples.

Engineering Services – Consulting

Leverage our Knowledge and Experience to conquer questions and issues in your business.

We work with customers in Evaluating Designs; Diagnosing causes of failure; and in manufacturing, to optimize processes.

Learn More on the Engineering Consulting Page

Select Engineering Consulting Articles

Prototyping is an integral part of Engineering, and especially Product Development.  Here are several articles on the topic.

We encourage you to use the search feature (top of the page) for more articles and information.

Categories:
@ Synthesis — Working with Synthesis
Business Sense
CAD
Case Studies
Engineering Reasoning
News
Patents
Satisfositive — Satisfying / Positive
Social Causes
Videos

Here is a partial list of Videos in our engineering library.  Most of these are contained in various Articles.

Video Pages

There are a lot more in the SyEnsability YouTube Channel especially relating to creating things in the shop.

Synthesis Policies
Fun / Historical

Derby Magazine CoverA magazine article highlighting how Synthesis went Pro/Extreme in a no rules, veterans version of the classic Cub Scout Pinewood Derbyaluminum CNC chassis, SLA body, balanced rubber ‘n aluminum wheels, 18V motor and 3-speed automatic transmission.  Is that extreme?

Download the PDF (2.2 Mb)


Accelerating Pro/E Design — Part 1  &  Part 2

Design faster!  Get through the menus quickly.  Reduce frustration and make tasks easier.


Pro/E Tips Library — For several years, Synthesis published a Pro/E Tip-of-the-Month newsletter, then archived the tips in the engineering library for visitors to view. Though many are now outdated, these short technical articles still get a lot of visits. Many of the tips are still applicable in Creo.

Visit the Pro/E Tips Library.


FTPFTP,  or  File Transfer Protocol is an efficient method of moving files. Here are some Easy Directions for Command Line FTP.

Links & Preferences

Our capitalist society votes with words and dollars for things we want.  If you're interested in these topics, please take our vote, then use the links to check them out.  You may enjoy them too.


Lightning BoltWe found Lightning Bolt years ago when looking for some special fasteners, and they knew just where and how to get them.  Besides great prices, they offer excellent customer service, so we keep going back.

I've never been promised something that wasn't delivered, and I've never felt like an imposition when asking for a small quantity or something weird.  Just an excellent company.


Links to Just ServeHave you ever wanted to make the world a better place?  I mean really a better place?  This organization has set out to do just that, and they're doing it in a way that just might work.  Follow the links.  They're asking all of us to volunteer!

Donate just a little time helping others - But, most of all, they're helping us find just where our service is needed.  Go there, look for opportunities, and get involved.  Helping others in a meaningful way is the BEST way to live a fulfilled life.  JustServe.org


Links & Mechanical MechanismsOne of the coolest sites.  Lots of mechanism ideas and many are animated.  Also, many have links to some history about how these have been used in industry.  Lots of mechanical and hydraulic fun.  Mechanical Mechanisms is a great place to get your mind rolling as an Engineering Library of its own.

The above is a good sampling of categories in our engineering library resources.  We recognize there are overlaps, so use the Search for specifics.  Thank you for visiting the library.

Synthesis Engineering Services

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