Oxide and Friends Mechanical Engineering at Oxide [chapter images]
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May 7, 2026 
Brooks Willis, mechanical engineer focused on manufacturability and reducing PEMs. Ben Williams, specialist in converting 3D prints to injection-molded, high-volume plastics. Elliott Donlon, precision-minded engineer from ag/aerospace working on tolerances and reliability. Doug Wibben, early rack designer who hardened manufacturing and safety. They discuss tolerance simplification, PEM reduction, molding vs 3D printing, cabling safety fixes, and supplier collaboration.
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Replace PEMs With Extrude And Tap To Save Minutes Per Rack
- Replace many PEM fasteners by designing extrude‑and‑tap features to cut assembly time and cost.
- Brooks showed switching PEMs (~$0.50 + press cost) to punched/tapped threads saved minutes per fastener across hundreds of instances.
Small Per‑Piece Savings Multiply At Rack Scale
- Small per‑fastener time savings scale dramatically across a rack's bill of materials.
- Brooks visualized the PEM constellation to show each removed PEM subtracts both cost and operator seconds at volume.
Production Cable Chafe Blew A Hole In The Rack
- A production cable chafed and arced through sheet metal, blowing a hole in the rack during internal handling.
- Doug described the failure image and how it exposed missing secondary insulation and the need for a clamp/tape fix.