# Michael Kaeding Machine Design in the Agricultural & Mining Industry

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2022-01-28
- Length: 25m
- Episode: 4
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-01-28-michael-kaeding-machine-design-in-the-agricultural-mining-industry
- Listen: https://teampipeline.us/michael-kaeding-machine-design/

## Summary

Michael Kaeding, a Project Engineer at Rockford Engineering, discusses machine design in the agricultural and mining industries, contrasting cost-driven tolerance strategies in high-volume ag equipment with reliability-focused designs for heavy mining machinery like Sandvik scoops. He details his career progression from a Saskatchewan ag company to Rockford, highlighting the importance of tolerance stack-ups, sheet metal manufacturing awareness, and gathering feedback from assembly technicians to avoid costly rework. Kaeding also outlines the Canadian Professional Engineer (PE) licensing process, emphasizing the four-year experience requirement and ethics exams, while advising junior engineers to prioritize curiosity and shop-floor interaction over pure theoretical knowledge.

## Chapters

- [0:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-01-28-michael-kaeding-machine-design-in-the-agricultural-mining-industry#t=15) Introduction: Michael Kaeding and Rockford Engineering
- [2:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-01-28-michael-kaeding-machine-design-in-the-agricultural-mining-industry#t=142) Ag vs. Mining Design: Tolerances and Cost vs. Reliability
- [6:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-01-28-michael-kaeding-machine-design-in-the-agricultural-mining-industry#t=396) Defining Machine Design and Kaeding's Specialties
- [10:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-01-28-michael-kaeding-machine-design-in-the-agricultural-mining-industry#t=607) Learning Manufacturing Constraints: The Sheet Metal Mistake
- [12:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-01-28-michael-kaeding-machine-design-in-the-agricultural-mining-industry#t=748) Advice for Junior Engineers: Shop Floor Feedback and Review Processes
- [18:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-01-28-michael-kaeding-machine-design-in-the-agricultural-mining-industry#t=1084) Tolerance Stack-Ups and Training Resources
- [20:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-01-28-michael-kaeding-machine-design-in-the-agricultural-mining-industry#t=1214) The Canadian PE Licensing Process

## Topics

- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Quality & yield](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/quality-and-yield)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Rockford Engineering (company)
- Sandvik (company)
- SolidWorks (tool)
- Autodesk (tool)
- Inventor (tool)
- University of Saskatchewan (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [113: I Wasn’t Expecting Therapy Today](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2024-06-27-113-i-wasnt-expecting-therapy-today) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [Siloed Engineering with Leigh Brady](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2022-05-09-siloed-engineering-with-leigh-brady) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-01-28-michael-kaeding-machine-design-in-the-agricultural-mining-industry. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Being an Engineer.