Ryan Clancy
- Founder, Mechanical Engineering HQ
New York
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Articles by Ryan Clancy
The current situation: Electric motor failures
Electric motors are relatively simple machines. For larger equipment, a robust three-phase induction motor runs directly off a star/delta contactor, easing start transients, switching over when a drive coupling reaches full speed. They’re just about the most forgiving machine around, except when the power supply running to their housings goes awry. Loads move predictably when the power supply is smooth, not so predictably when the voltage is distorted.
How poor power quality turns motors into maintenance headaches
Electric motors are relatively simple machines. For larger equipment, a robust three-phase induction motor runs directly off a star/delta contactor, easing start transients, switching over when a drive coupling reaches full speed. They’re just about the most forgiving machine around, except when the power supply running to their housings goes awry. Loads move predictably when the power supply is smooth, not so predictably when the voltage is distorted.
Fatigue life prediction in mechanical components under cyclic loading
Mechanical fatigue is a wily old engineering adversary. It seeps slowly into parts, weakening structurally sound components until they can no longer perform at peak efficiency. The stages are simple enough to predict. A load is applied, removed, and reapplied. This happens repeatedly, especially in high-yield factory settings where identical products are manufactured around the clock. The result is cumulative damage, a type of wear known as cyclic fatigue.
Structural health monitoring systems for bridges and infrastructure
Ryan Clancy | June 03, 2026 While it’s right to assume that Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is a branch of engineering used in maintaining the structural stability of old structures, it would be wrong to assume that’s the sole role of thisThe aftermath of the I-35 collapse. Image: FEMA technology. Practically speaking, modern SHM systems are just as valuable when integrated into newly built bridges.
Welding distortion control in large fabricated structures
It might sound like a trite statement to open with, but welding distortion control is a major concern in large fabricated structure work. Without that control, dimensional accuracy can’t be achieved, not reliably and consistently. Shrinkage occurs as high temperature gradients hit large panels of sheet metal, then there’s the unevenness that occurs when welds are applied to complex seam geometries, made worse when it warps again during cooling.
High-efficiency motor technologies for industrial decarbonization initiatives
Industry insiders versed on the subject of industrial decarbonization can reel off long lists of environmental policies until their morning coffees grow cold. As for the rest of us, we need a primer, a means of understanding the correlation between motor technology and heavy carbon wastage. Without that link, environmental engineers can’t hope to account for all the emissions hidden within these fast-spinning industrial machines.
Advanced wear-resistant coatings for long lasting connections
Industrial machinery isn’t in the habit of going out with a bang. Of course, there are exceptions. Gears freeze with a ratcheting crash because of bearing fatigue, or the squeal of a lubricant starved shaft causes a lock-up that no repair engineer can fix without a full strip down. More often, though, industrial equipment tends to experience fatigue and wear. It’s a gradual process, not a fireworks display where equipment enters its death throes with a bang.
10 Types of Income the IRS Will Not Tax in 2026 Original
Whether you're new to filing your own taxes or a seasoned professional looking for ways to increase personal tax savings, it's vital to know what income the IRS doesn't tax. This can help you keep more cash in your wallet and be more tax-savvy throughout the year, rather than waiting until tax season to see what you qualify for. Here are 10 things you won't have to pay taxes on this year. This means you could have a bigger return next year and more opportunities to grow your return.
Lock it or lose it: Manufacturing tech to soften the shakes
Capable fastener locking mechanisms have existed for decades. There’s the lock nut, with its simple nylon insert acting as an interference fit. Tried and tested, lock nuts have found their way into generators, air conditioning systems, and pretty much any equipment that vibrates. A look at the Nyloc fastener inventory shows off examples of nylon locked bolts. Further down the line, developments happen fast in engineering applications.
Scaling electric power transmission for high-torque, low-speed applications
Not that many years ago, thoughts of “electrified vehicles” brought to mind diminutive golf carts, their tiny motors humming along at walking speed. Their drive systems were practical for short distances, carrying light loads over rolling fairways, but they were hardly the stuff of industrial muscle. The engineering wasn’t scalable, not capable of evolving to form the drivetrains found on muddy construction sites or mines, loaded down with extracted ore or building materials.
The dirty truth about clean manufacturing: Fluid power maintenance
Ryan Clancy | December 04, 2025 Hydraulic lifts come with their own challenges: Oil is often pooled below. For decades, hydraulics and pneumatics powered the backbone of heavy industry. Cylinders pressed, clamps held, actuators moved, and compressed air lines hissed across countless factory floors.
Austria’s Semmering Railway: A landmark achievement in civil engineering
Before the hills were alive with the sound of music, the Semmering Pass Railway project hired 20,000 workers, not a nun or Von Trapp between them, to construct what would become the world’s first true mountain railway. It was a lofty civil engineering marvel that defied 19th-century norms and redefined what was possible in rough Alpine terrain. Just for some historical context, the first railway system had only opened a mere 23 years earlier.
Spain to Morocco mega tunnel: 60 km to a new era of trade
Linking the United Kingdom to the European continent via the English Channel tunnel created immense engineering challenges. Now think what that means for an underwater tunnel that’ll be 10 km longer, connecting two continents together this time. The challenge has been taken up, though, with studies on the feasibility of a 60 km Spain to Morocco link being put together by engineering commissions, environmental planners and geopolitical analysts. Their goal?
10 Types of Income the IRS Will NOT Tax in 2025 (Thankfully!) Original
Whether you're new to filing your own taxes or a seasoned professional looking for ways to increase personal tax savings, understanding what income the IRS doesn't tax can be very helpful. This can help you keep more cash in your wallet and be more tax-savvy throughout the year, rather than just waiting to see what you qualify for each tax season. Here are 10 items you won't have to pay taxes on this year.
Threading technologies: The evolution of internal and external threads
Ryan Clancy | October 23, 2025 While massive megastructures dominate the headlines, the little things in engineering tend to go unnoticed. Today, then, as technology is about balance as much as anything else, we mean to tip the scales back towards the underappreciated little building blocks. Specifically, we’re intent on writing a “thread” for threads.
Revisiting belt drives: Competitive modern materials
Belt drives have always had an image problem. Let’s face it, they’re perceived as antiquated by most engineers. They’ve come to think of chains and gears as the heavy hitters, with belts left to languish in the background as fan and pump drives. This reputation for slippage, stretching, and limited torque capacity isn’t easy to buck, but times are-a-changing. Fast forward to today, the only thing likely to stretch as modern materials take over the belt drive sector is service intervals.
Misalignment matters: bushing and sleeve sizing for real machines
Ryan Clancy | October 04, 2025 The title might sound like a criticism, but it’s not. If anything, it’s a recognition that even the best of us can occasionally overlook how sizing decisions, while perfect on paper, can shift when a fitting is pressed into service. With bushings and sleeves, calculating the shaft and housing dimensions is always a good start, but it’s just that: a beginning. The real challenge is predicting how those tolerances will behave once other influences are introduced.
Shake no more: Active vibrational control systems for shock and vibration isolation
Ryan Clancy | September 17, 2025 A piezo driven active engine mount cancels the vibration resulting from several motors on top of the mount by inducing countervibrations. Source: Thomas Ernsting/CC BY-SA 4.0 Active vibration control systems are vital in industries that require the stability of precision machinery in environments susceptible to shock or vibration.
The monumental engineering behind London’s $25 billion Elizabeth line
After thirteen long and arduous years of construction (don’t worry, engineers aren’t affected by superstition) the heavy-rail subterranean Elizabeth Line has been pressed into service. For those not intimately familiar with London’s Underground, this isn’t just another tube line. It’s a 73 mile (117 km) subterranean, full-sized railway network in its own right, stitched out of 220,000 sections of concrete beneath one of the world’s most infrastructure-dense cities.
Smooth operators: Protective coatings extend drivetrain
Ryan Clancy | August 31, 2025 A U.S. Airman coats parts of a plane with a mixture of epoxies and other coating materials to prevent rust. In an ideal world, drivetrain longevity could count on material-toughening heat treatments and high-tolerance machining. Unfortunately, it is a notoriously non-ideal universe, and high-performance gears and shafts will fail prematurely when they’re unprotected.
Bio-based hydraulic fluids: Are they the future?
Ryan Clancy | August 17, 2025 Everything from plastics to fuels seem to have bio equivalents. Corn starch ethanol has existed for years, then there’s soybean plastics and algae-based biofuels. Why can’t hydraulic fluids get the same treatment? A sustainable alternative to mineral-based oils could reduce environmental harm without sacrificing industrial performance.
10 Types of Income the IRS Will NOT Tax in 2025 (Thankfully!)
Whether you're new to filing your own taxes or a seasoned professional looking for ways to increase personal tax savings, understanding what income the IRS doesn't tax can be very helpful. This can help you keep more cash in your wallet and be more tax-savvy throughout the year instead of just waiting to see what you qualify for each tax season. Here are 10 items you won't have to pay taxes on this year.
Stronger, lighter, smarter: Composites reshape power transmission
Ryan Clancy | June 30, 2025 Composite carbon fiber, as a replacement for heavy metal alloys, is one smart solution. Developers are looking for innovative ways to enhance performance in their power transmission systems. Even NASA engineers have gotten in on the act, boosting their efforts to develop fast and light aerospace vehicles by employing lightweight carbon fiber composite materials in their latest drive components.
Modern engineering and the DFA approach
Ryan Clancy | May 01, 2025 Image source: AutoCad AutoDesk Assembly often takes a back seat in the design process. Engineers have a habit of zeroing in on performance solutions and features, while ease of assembly becomes an afterthought. Granted, the assembly process is built to work but not necessarily to work efficiently, thus highlighting the need to align production line realities with design intent before parts hit the shop floor.
The role of surface treatments in enhancing component durability
Ryan Clancy | April 10, 2025 Surface treatments extend the life of metal. Image source: US Navy The lifespan of stressed components often hinges on just how well they can handle certain operational forces. We’re talking about the usual culprits, like long-term wear, corrosion and thermally induced fatigue.
Switzerland's high-tech GoldenPass Express train
Swiss rail projects tend to conjure up thoughts of breathtaking alpine scenery and the tunnels that cut under that scenery. At 35 miles (57 km) in length, the Gotthard Tunnel and all of its many geologically based engineering challenges come to mind. Of course, not every engineering project in this beautiful alpine nation involves boring through the heart of the Swiss Alps.
10 Types of Income the IRS Will NOT Tax in 2025 (Thankfully!)
Whether you're new to filing your own taxes or a seasoned professional looking for ways to increase personal tax savings, understanding what income the IRS doesn't tax can be very helpful. This can help you keep more cash in your wallet and be more tax-savvy throughout the year instead of just waiting to see what you qualify for each tax season.
Additive manufacturing for complex mechanical parts
It wasn’t so long ago that 3D desktop printing machines churned out novelty figurines. Novelty being the key word. Since then, we’ve seen industry-scaled projects take hold of the technology, with projects like this stainless steel bridge spanning a canal in Amsterdam, every inch of it sinuous and meticulously deposited by robot arms. Can the same, then, be said for complex mechanical parts?
Battling backlash in power transmission systems
Language is a funny thing. For example, the word ‘backlash’ might evoke images of some political uprising when used in a historical context, but in mechanical engineering parlance, we’re usually referring to something a little less dramatic. In power transmission systems, an engineer is more likely to be talking about the clearance or play between meshing gears, not some oncoming revolution.
Belt drives versus chain drives for power transmission
Ryan Clancy | January 24, 2025 Comparing belt drive dynamics to chains, slippage is the first differentiator that comes to mind. Of the two power transmission systems, chains have the advantage, with physical sprockets engaging against chain links. Belt drives, on the other hand, rely on supplementary components, such as tensioning arms, to maintain positive contact with featureless spinning drive pulleys.
Sealing technologies for high-pressure and high-temperature applications
Ryan Clancy | December 30, 2024 Seals that can withstand high temperature and pressure applications are required for safety and efficiency reasons in industries such as petroleum and food processing. Without using the right sealing technology, sealing materials deform or become completely damaged, leading to compromised seal integrity.
Microgeometries of gears to reduce noise and vibration
Ryan Clancy | December 01, 2024 When noise and vibration interfere with gear performance, a subsequent drop in net system efficiency inevitably follows. Energy is wasted, propagating through mounts as heat and an audible rumble. Lubricants and misalignment tests are a good stopgap measure in such situations. For a more enduring solution, however, designers turn to gear microgeometries, changing the teeth profile that improves power meshing.
9 Simple Things You Can Start Doing Today if You Want To Be Wealthy
Many of us dream of financial freedom, but do you know how to begin the journey to wealth? While there is no one secret to accumulating a vast fortune, there are a number of well-known habits that can help put you on the road to success. So, if you hope to get ahead financially, the following nine steps might help you get there. Think about the future you want What does being happy and wealthy look like to you? Everyone’s version of happiness is different, of course.
Whether you're new to filing your own taxes or a seasoned professional looking for ways to increase personal tax savings, understanding what income the IRS doesn’t tax can be very helpful. This can help you keep more cash in your wallet and be more tax-savvy throughout the year instead of just waiting to see what you qualify for each tax season. Here are 10 items you won't have to pay taxes on in 2024.
The famous 'Chunnel' between U.K and France turns 30
Ryan Clancy | November 05, 2024 It has been 30 years since the Channel Tunnel started transporting speedy trains under the English Channel. Time flies when massively successful engineering feats are changing the world. If the subsea tunnel were to be talked about in human terms, the epic monument to engineering excellence isn’t even close to middle-aged. It’s in its prime of life, carrying passengers and cars in continent linking trains from Folkestone, U.K., to Coquelles, France, at 100 mph.
What are 3D processors? What do they mean for wireless communication?
Whether reports of Moore’s Law’s demise are premature or not, a hard limit is approaching as transistors shrink in the lithography lab. Transistors simply won’t function predictably beyond a few nanometers in size, not without strange quantum effects throwing an atomically scaled wrench in the works. Runaway thermal issues will also dominate, making it impossible to dissipate computing heat.
Airbus sets sights on sustainable skies
Some fascinating aeronautical engineering developments are coming down the pipeline. We’d wanted to say “are in the air” but felt the collective groan from our readers would have been more than we could handle. To name two, there’s Boom’s XB-1 and the Hermeus Quarterhorse hypersonic prototype on the horizon. Next-gen propulsion systems will soon cut out a substantial portion of leg cramping flight time on long-haul commercial flights. Is that really where we want science to be focusing its energy?
Satellites will kill cell dead zones for good - and replace it with 6G
As 5G antenna installations are ramped up worldwide, slowly the attention has begun to turn towards 6G. But why all the rush? After all, 5G connectivity is still really only available in the largest metro areas. And it's performance is impressive. The answer lies in the digital divide, the gaps that can’t quite be filled by the current generation of tower-mounted network technology. Notably, 6G is still in its early stages of development. No network operators have announced a launch.
No one's going to pay for AI apps on smartphones
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Jurassic: A Guide to AI21's large language models
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5 best Android phones for audiophiles
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A sneak peek into Infineon's latest technologies at APEC 2024
Never has technology moved so fast. Never has the world felt so alive and interconnected. Besides lightning-fast artificial intelligence (AI) developments, every day seems to bring a new advancement and innovation that has the power to change the way we live, work and communicate. The goal of APEC 2024 -- the Applied Power Generation Conference -- is to give a glimpse of this future and the devices that will energize it.
5 best Android designs through the years
This was an interesting and challenging list to compile. After all, the word "best" is very open to interpretation. Sure, entries on this elite list are going to vary due to personal preferences, but there are certain unique Android devices that have made a lasting impact on the mobile device industry.
5 best Android designs through the years
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How to take someone's temperature using a Google Pixel 8 Pro
Taking your temperature with an oral thermometer is becoming outdated. It's accurate, but who wants to stick a glass tube full of mercury in their mouth? Even if this isn't true, oral temperature taking feels unhygienic. Instead, use your Google Pixel 8 Pro to take your temperature digitally. Google Pixel to the rescue The Google Pixel 8 Pro is a state-of-the-art smartphone with a built-in temperature sensor.
How to take someone's temperature using a Google Pixel 8 Pro
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All the apps you can uninstall from your Samsung Galaxy S24
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Heated runways could end airport snow delays
"Passengers, please find your seats and fasten your seat belts as we make our final approach to the runway. We thank you for flying..." It's a tedious routine for passengers, but one of the most stressful parts of a flight for the pilot, as he or she navigates the aircraft out of the clouds and toward the beckoning runway ahead.
Cohere: The multinational, AI-for-enterprise company explained
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