Jim Thompson

Email Jim at jim.thompson@ipulpmedia.com

By Jim Thompson

The demands on today's design engineer are greater than ever. For a long time, we said, when in doubt, make it stout.

If the aerospace industry followed this saying, they would never get anything off the ground.

Actually, there is a more complete version which is: "when in doubt, make it stout out of stuff you know about."

Today, with canned stress and strain calculation programs, canned vibration calculation programs, and materials knowledge available on the internet at your fingertips, only the untrained or lazy cannot do better than this old saying.

Yet, when I audit paper machine construction I don's see the effect of the new ways of doing things. I know at least one engineer who looks at the shipping weight on machinery, compares it to past purchases and thinks he is being cheated if the new ones don't weigh more.

What one really needs is equipment which meets stress/strain and vibration standards, with safety factor, when made out of the appropriate materials. The appropriate material may be frozen butter (just kidding but see the butter sculpture at your state fair for example).

The structures popping up everywhere that meet the new criteria are cable stayed bridges. They use steel in its best application (tension) and concrete in its best application (compression) and have decks appropriately designed to take all the vibration. The Bill Emerson Bridges over the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, even has another function. It has seismic gauges all over it--84 in total. Handy, since it is only about 50 miles from the epicenter of the New Madrid Fault, the major earthquake fault in the central US.

I digress. Back to paper machines. For over a decade we have been pushing these concepts in the Light Green Machine Institute (www.lightgreeenmachine.institute) but it is a hard row to hoe. It is hard to get design engineers to make moves that aren't just tiny. We have built paper machines the same way for just so long that it is hard to get engineers focused on the basic structure. Ford and Toyota have seen this problem with car design. I have invited folks to watch this video.

I don't know if I am getting folks to make the mental leap from automobiles to paper machines, but I try. There are huge savings here.

Be safe and we will talk next week.

For a deeper dive, go here.

Engineering Design and Structural Optimization Study Guide

This study guide provides a comprehensive review of modern engineering design philosophies as contrasted with traditional "rule of thumb" practices. Based on the analysis of Jim Thompson's "Make it Stout--Not!", these materials explore the shift from bulk-based construction to precision-engineered structures across the aerospace, civil, and paper industries.

Part I: Short-Answer Quiz

Instructions: Answer the following questions in two to three sentences, based on the information provided in the source text.

1. What is the complete traditional saying regarding engineering design, and how does the author characterize its current relevance?
2. Why is the "make it stout" philosophy considered impractical for the aerospace industry?
3. What modern resources allow contemporary engineers to surpass old-fashioned design heuristics?
4. How do some engineers mistakenly use "shipping weight" as a metric for machinery quality?
5. According to the text, what are the three core technical standards that equipment must meet?
6. How do cable-stayed bridges utilize steel and concrete to their best advantage?
7. What secondary scientific function does the Bill Emerson Bridge serve?
8. Where is the Bill Emerson Bridge located in relation to significant geological features?
9. What is the primary objective of the Light Green Machine Institute?
10. Why does the author reference automotive companies like Ford and Toyota?

Part II: Answer Key

1. The complete saying is: "When in doubt, make it stout out of stuff you know about." The author suggests that in the modern era, only "untrained or lazy" engineers continue to rely on this old heuristic because precise calculation tools and material data are now easily accessible.
2. If the aerospace industry followed the "make it stout" philosophy, they would never be able to get aircraft off the ground due to excessive weight. Successful aerospace design requires moving beyond bulk to achieve functional efficiency and flight.
3. Engineers now have access to "canned" computer programs for calculating stress, strain, and vibration. Additionally, comprehensive knowledge regarding material properties is readily available via the internet.
4. Some engineers compare the shipping weight of new machinery to past purchases, feeling "cheated" if the new equipment weighs less. They incorrectly equate higher weight with better value or durability, rather than recognizing the efficiency of lighter, modern designs.
5. Equipment should be designed to meet specific stress/strain standards and vibration standards while incorporating an appropriate safety factor. This should be achieved using the most suitable materials for the specific application.
6. Cable-stayed bridges use steel in tension and concrete in compression, which are the respective strengths of those materials. The bridge decks are then specifically designed to manage and absorb vibration.
7. Beyond its transport function, the bridge serves as a seismic monitoring station. It is equipped with a total of 84 seismic gauges to collect data on geological activity.
8. The bridge spans the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau, Missouri. It is located approximately 50 miles from the epicenter of the New Madrid Fault, which is the major earthquake fault in the central United States.
9. The Light Green Machine Institute has spent over a decade pushing for modern design concepts in paper machine construction. They aim to move the industry away from traditional, bulky building methods toward more efficient, optimized structures.
10. Ford and Toyota are mentioned because they have successfully navigated the challenges of evolving car design. The author uses their progress as a potential "mental leap" or model for how the paper machine industry should modernize its own design philosophies.

Part III: Essay Format Questions

Instructions: Use the source context to develop detailed responses for the following prompts. (Answers not provided).

1. The Evolution of Design Heuristics: Contrast the "make it stout" philosophy with the modern data-driven approach. Discuss how the availability of "canned" software and internet-based material science has changed the ethical and professional expectations for design engineers.
2. Material Optimization in Civil Engineering: Using the example of cable-stayed bridges, explain the importance of matching specific materials to their ideal physical applications (tension vs. compression). How does this approach result in more efficient structures compared to traditional methods?
3. Psychological Barriers to Industrial Innovation: The text mentions engineers who feel "cheated" by lighter machinery. Analyze the psychological and cultural barriers that prevent the paper machine industry from adopting modern engineering standards, and discuss why these "tiny moves" are insufficient.
4. The Intersection of Infrastructure and Science: Discuss the dual-purpose design of the Bill Emerson Bridge. How does its proximity to the New Madrid Fault justify its complex design and the inclusion of 84 seismic gauges?
5. Efficiency and Economics: Jim Thompson suggests there are "huge savings" to be found in modernizing paper machine design. Explore how reducing material weight while maintaining safety and vibration standards could impact the economics of industrial manufacturing.

Part IV: Glossary of Key Terms

Term Definition

Bill Emerson Bridge A cable-stayed bridge over the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, used as an example of modern structural design.

Canned Programs Pre-written software packages used by engineers to perform complex stress, strain, and vibration calculations.

Compression A physical force that presses or squeezes a material together; in the text, concrete is noted for its strength in this state.

Light Green Machine Institute An organization (www.lightgreenmachine.institute) dedicated to promoting modern, efficient design concepts for paper machines.

New Madrid Fault The primary earthquake fault in the central United States, located near the site of the Bill Emerson Bridge.

Safety Factor A design requirement that ensures a structure can handle more than the maximum expected load or stress to account for uncertainty.

Seismic Gauges Instruments used to measure ground oscillations and earthquake activity; 84 are installed on the Bill Emerson Bridge.

Stout A traditional engineering term referring to making a structure thick, heavy, or bulky to ensure strength through mass.

Strain The measure of deformation in a material resulting from applied stress.

Stress The internal force per unit area within a material that arises from externally applied loads.

Tension A physical force that pulls or stretches a material; in the text, steel is noted for its strength in this state.

Vibration Standards The established limits for oscillating movements in machinery or structures to ensure stability and longevity.

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