Bolted joints are a staple of modern engineering and manufacturing practice.
Modern life is modern because of our mastery of materials and bolted joints.
I would be hard pressed to name a technology that does NOT depend on bolted joints in some aspect of its construction and operation.
Here are two videos that describe the challenges faced by bolted joints.


When you see that piece of heavy equipment, man lift, or structural application, you can be assured that the engineers have evaluated the risk.
For those of us in manufacturing, these are great tutorials to stoke our “Mastery of our craft.”
In maching, bolting that secures our tools and fixtures is subject to the same challenges as shown in these films.
Enjoy.
Hat Tip to Jeff Remaley of Motch and Eichele for the find.
Do you have a favorite video explaining some aspect of engineering, machining, or manufacturing? Send us a link  in the comments so we can share it.
 

As a Lab supervisor in a Metalurgical Lab, quality pictures through the microscope was all in a days work.
Obtaining an appropriate sample.
Sample prep.
Using the tools at hand to create an appropriate image.
It was easy to desire better tools, more powerful microscopes etc.
But the proof of the image was more about our mastery of our tools and craft than it was about equipment.
As you will see on the Nikon Small World Competition site, these photos are “out of this world” and go far beyond what would be considered routine.
These folks have mastered their tools.
I am waiting for a high res photo of #18 by Gerd Guenther of Dusseldorf to add to this post. Believe it or not his image is of soap film-LIKE WE USE TO CLEAN OUR HANDS- OR WASH OUR PARTS.
Enjoy the images. Its a different world under the microscope.
Be amazed at the elegant complexity and order revealed at the smallest levels visible to us with light.
Enjoy!
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