[bonsaitree]

This article reminds me vividly why, at my Alma mater, EVERY engineer (even EEs and CEs) were REQUIRED to take a class in their freshmen or sophomore year called "Manufacturing Process & Materials Design".

It was basically a fancy academic term for "shop class".

We made gears, arc welded (still have a scar from that), cut screw threads, riveted sheet metal, worked milling machines & saws, turned fixtures on lathes, and glued/bagged/baked carbon fiber.

At a very visceral hands-on level were introduced to the materials, workflows, and structural fastening tech that makes up the shells and supporting frameworks of physical goods.

At the time, it was a royal pain in the ass (I'm not a natural kinesthetic learner) and I didn't "get it", but looking back it was an extremely valuable experience.

Aside from the welding scar on my left thumb, I think the biggest takeaway was gaining an appreciation for the EXTREME ROI gained in designing processes which have "loose" tolerances where it's acceptable and "tight" tollerances where it's required.