Hardware Podcasts

S2E55 Greg Trees | FEA, EHD, and Other Useful Engineering Acronyms

Being an Engineer · 31 Dec 2021 · 46m · Episode 55

What this episode covers

Greg Trees, a mechanical design engineer with nearly 30 years of experience in medical devices and railroad instrumentation, discusses the practical application of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Electrohydrodynamics (EHD). He explains how FEA serves as a critical validation tool against physical testing, detailing the nuances of linear versus nonlinear material modeling and the common pitfalls of boundary conditions. Trees also describes his work at Battelle on EHD for drug delivery aerosols and offers career advice on structured problem-solving and risk management for engineers.

Most relevant to

established companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Battelle, McMaster Carr, Proto Labs, Amazon Web Services
Tools
SolidWorks

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 36m

    An Interview with Matt Berggren

    Matt Berggren, Director of the Fusion 360 team at Autodesk, discusses the integration of electronics design into the Fusion 360 platform and the history of the Eagle acquisition. He details the technical shift from mesh-based models to solid-body geometry for PCBs, enabling real-time thermal simulation and seamless electromechanical synchronization. Berggren also reflects on his career path from microwave communications and Altium to his current role, emphasizing the importance of parametric workflows in bridging ECAD and MCAD.

    EDA & CAD toolsMechanical engineering
    7 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 18m

    An Interview with Steve Kreuzer

    Steve Kreuzer, a mechanical engineer and PhD from UT Austin, explains his transition from academic biomechanics to consulting at Exponent, where he analyzes failures in physical products. He details how Exponent uses finite element analysis (FEA) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to investigate issues like battery thermal runaway and BGA solder joint failures in electronics. Kreuzer discusses the specific mechanical risks of lithium-ion cells, the importance of protecting cells from environmental stress and containing thermal events, and how simulation guides design fixes like stiffeners and spacing.

    Mechanical engineeringDebugging & failure analysis
    9 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 04m

    305: Humans Have a Terrible Spec Sheet (Repeat)

    Amanda Wozniak, a principal engineer at Amazon Robotics with a background at Analog Devices, the Wyss Institute at Harvard, and NxStage, discusses her career in biomedical engineering and hardware development. She explains the gap between academic theory and practical engineering, detailing how parasitics and non-ideal component behavior often cause circuit failures that textbooks ignore. Wozniak also shares insights on navigating the FDA regulatory process for medical devices, the challenges of managing complex robotics projects, and the importance of avoiding burnout by recognizing engineering as a team sport rather than a solo endeavor.

    Careers & educationAnalog & power electronics
    8 chapters

  • Let's Combinate · 42m

    199 - How Modeling Can Cut in Half for Combination Products, V&V 40, and Cutting Dev Time with Mark Burchnall

    Mark Burchnall, Director of Engineering at PSN Labs, explains how mechanical modeling and simulation can reduce prototype iterations by 50% in combination product development. He details the use of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to support regulatory submissions under ASME V&V 40 standards. Burchnall emphasizes defining a 'question of interest' and assessing model risk to establish credibility, allowing models to replace or complement physical testing for high-risk design decisions.

    Mechanical engineeringValidation & product-market fit
    8 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 08m

    Siloed Engineering with Leigh Brady

    Leigh Brady, an electrical engineer with experience in defense, medical, and optics industries, discusses the differences between working in large, specialized US defense contractors versus more generalist UK engineering environments. He details the rigorous systems engineering processes, such as the V-curve, required for safety-critical systems like nuclear weapons and medical devices, contrasting them with the faster-paced, less regulated startup world. The conversation highlights the trade-offs between deep specialization and broad generalist skills, the importance of mentorship in large organizations, and the specific technical challenges of designing for high-reliability environments, including the use of FPGAs and ASICs in space and defense applications.

    Careers & educationMicrocontrollers & dev platforms
    8 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Being an Engineer. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.