Pneumatics Blog

Why yes, I can!

In addition to running up and down the halls on a recent project teaching what lubber lines and heading bugs are, just for fun we had a slide rule class.

We won too many contracts to keep using software engineers familiar with mechanical aircraft instruments for the conversion to *displays* on LCD. So up and down the halls teaching kids who only knew drawing programs trying to explain some pretty old functions - lots of pictures of airplanes and radio towers on white boards. You should see their eyes cross when you explain radio navigation, deviation indicators, lubber lines and heading bugs!

Especially when you get to the power supply engineers and start explaining that on airplanes *ground ain't ground* and when your puddle of power is only so deep, bus switching is a monumental event to the every power supply.

Just kidding one day with a crew of new Systems level kids, we were joking about slide rules, and I just happened to still own one and still know how to use it, despite being trained on scientific calculators - so we did a class for fun. The majority went and found one on Ebay just for bragging rights.

Of course I can depending on the complexity. However, if you do that, you'd better get your insurance ready. One small mistake, the lawyer of your client will be after you. If you are using a software, you only need to make sure your input is correct and assumption justified. You have a better chance to get away. If you do it by hand and make a small mistake (easy in complicateed calculation), you are exposed.

I always use hand calculation as a check for myself.

Hence it is not about ability nowadays. It is to protect your house against the lawyer of your client and others. They just want to find someone who can afford the compensation (not necessary the one who made the mistake). Definitely, it would be easier if they could locate the one who made the mistake.

Good Luck.

Sometimes it's faster to do a rapid calculation in head than turning a computer on or finding a calculator.

Of course we rely on computers and their programs. There is NO industry that can rely completely by itself. If there wouldn't be computers things would not be so complex as they are. All sciences rely on eachother. Sometimes an invention in one science opens doors in a complete other science.

Asking this question is kinda like asking : could we manufactor (mechanical) wristwatches when we only would have a wooden club as tool ?

Or could we make automatic gearboxes for cars if we only would have a round file ?

We use calculators and PC's (Pregnant Calculator) to ease tasks. I'm sure we could calculate on paper third order equations, but it would take time. Lots of time. And time is money ! Do you have an idea what a car would cost if everything would have to be drawn and calculated on paper ?

So : No, the "old fashion way" is death ! I think we should use our valuable time and efforts to think about more interesting things as solving equations, no ?

A loss in in "canned" computer software would be a windfall for Old Goats like me. I have actually used a slide rule and had courses in vacuum tube technologies. It has come in useful at sometimes when computers weren't available. Imagine what it would be like to have to hire actual drafters, you know the ones that actually knew how to draw and spell.

Oh the good old days.

I was however one of the first in an engineering office to buy my first personal PC. In 1982. I saw the writing on the wall. The biggest problem is time, remember those calcs took days not hours or even minutes. Plus you have to have someone QC your work.

It would be a great boon to the "stimulus" package. How many more people could we hire for typing pools and drafting pits and general office support? And they wouldn't require those nonsense upgrades every year.

Yes that is why text books are written.Most engineers cannot remember every thing but if they have been well trained it is possible to search for the information and work out the problems. It is knowing how to ask the right question and where to find the answer. Thank God I do not have to work out third order differential equations.

I guess most of you 'old-farts' (excuse me) could.

What about most today school leavers?

Half of them wouldn't even know what some of the old terminologies are any more because a lot of things had been obsolete for far too long.

Frankly, I would not remember many things either because not used them after school and so many things taken over by computers for speed & accuracy therefore, they're no longer a requirement.

It is a little like weather you can do component level repair or just a board replacement?

The letter one is a more sought after skill than the first one.

Weather um try using the correct word next time "whether", idiot

Yours Truely

OLD FART

We no longer have to hand calculate, but who doesn't still do the rough calculations, either by hand or by head?

If the computer program tells you that your 1" dia. cylinder will lift 1000 lb, don't you do a quick estimate of piston area and check that?

If the computer program tells you that your op-amp will swing 0 to 12V, don't you look at the supplies and maybe the data sheet?

Having done the sanity check level of calculation, I am happy to let the computer do it's calculations.

FYI: The panama canal still uses the original pneumatic and hydraulic controls that were installed at start up.No problems, so why replace them?Not subject to lightning damage,EMP,voltage spikes, static electricity,etc.A testament to the durability and robustnest of the old systems.Pneumatics were really getting quite advanced before being surpassed by digital.Analog calculators performed square root, multiply,divide,add subtract, and ratio.I worked on a relay once that could be converted from square root extractor to multiplier/divider by simply changing a port plug jumper.It still amazes me what could be accomplished using only mechanical forces.The pneumatic output relays were the equivalent of transistors in electronics. Sign me, ----- "Just an old Phart,drooling in his beer"----

Of course we rely on canned programs. Why not if they've proven to be effective and reliable? We also often will use pen & pencils to write on paper rather than employing the old chissel, hammer & rock method. Storage of notes became too cumbersome.

Do we, as engineers, rely too much on canned computer programs?

I have found this to be true. graduates from colleges such as Michigan Tech. Wisconsin. Are use to canned programms, But to do it by hand they are lost. why? They do not know the fundamentals, or at least the focus on the fundamentals was light in college. It hurts more ways that one.

phoenix911

Can't agree more. Theory is important as a foundation and canned software is important for application. One main reason I went to University is to learn the theory. It is useful when you encounter a new problem, you need to analyse it from the basic, built up your model and resolve it with the canned software.

We need to know both.