# S4E31 Danny Payne | OnShape CAD, Expert Witnessing, & NOT Moving Into Management

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2023-08-18
- Length: 58m
- Episode: 31
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-08-18-s4e31-danny-payne-onshape-cad-expert-witnessing-not-moving-into-management
- Listen: https://teampipeline.us/danny-pane-onshapecad/

## Summary

Danny Payne, a Senior Principal Engineer at Edwards Lifesciences, discusses his career path from aerospace to medical devices, highlighting his extensive use of OnShape CAD software for both professional and contract work. He details his experience as an engineering expert witness at Alpine Engineering and Design, where he analyzed product failures like pallet jack incidents, and explains his deliberate choice to remain a hands-on principal engineer rather than moving into management. Payne emphasizes the importance of fundamental engineering practices, such as drawing freebody diagrams, to avoid costly errors and shares insights on designing for complex materials like nitinol in high-volume medical manufacturing.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-08-18-s4e31-danny-payne-onshape-cad-expert-witnessing-not-moving-into-management#t=0) Introduction: Danny Payne and OnShape CAD
- [5:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-08-18-s4e31-danny-payne-onshape-cad-expert-witnessing-not-moving-into-management#t=304) OnShape vs. SolidWorks: Cloud Collaboration and Accessibility
- [17:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-08-18-s4e31-danny-payne-onshape-cad-expert-witnessing-not-moving-into-management#t=1072) Expert Witnessing at Alpine Engineering and Design
- [28:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-08-18-s4e31-danny-payne-onshape-cad-expert-witnessing-not-moving-into-management#t=1700) Choosing Principal Engineer Over Management
- [41:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-08-18-s4e31-danny-payne-onshape-cad-expert-witnessing-not-moving-into-management#t=2475) Transitioning from Aerospace to Medical Devices
- [45:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-08-18-s4e31-danny-payne-onshape-cad-expert-witnessing-not-moving-into-management#t=2719) Engineering Challenges: Nitinol Shaping and Tooling
- [51:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-08-18-s4e31-danny-payne-onshape-cad-expert-witnessing-not-moving-into-management#t=3064) Avoiding Speed Bumps: Defining Requirements and Freebody Diagrams

## Topics

- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Edwards Lifesciences (company)
- OnShape (tool)
- SolidWorks (tool)
- Alpine Engineering and Design (company)
- General Atomics Systems Integration (company)
- Freightliner (company)
- C-5 (product)
- Nitinol (material)
- ANSYS (company)
- PTC (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Jon Hirschtick from Onshape/PTC; Favorite robotics startups of 2021](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2021-10-07-jon-hirschtick-from-onshape-ptc-favorite-robotics-startups-of-2021) (The Robot Report Podcast)
- [Meet a Guru: Laura Court](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2021-05-19-meet-a-guru-laura-court) (Global Medical Device Podcast)
- [333: Project Purgatory](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-06-04-333-project-purgatory) (Embedded.fm)
- [305: Humans Have a Terrible Spec Sheet (Repeat)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2022-04-28-305-humans-have-a-terrible-spec-sheet-repeat) (Embedded.fm)
- [An Interview with Matt Berggren](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-12-16-an-interview-with-matt-berggren) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

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