Jim LeBaron, PMP

Thanks for the insight Bryan. It’s great to see the continued focus on how the 3DEXPERIENCE platform complements SOLIDWORKS. We’re having some really interesting conversations around how cloud-connected design tools are helping teams collaborate more effectively. Get in touch with the team if you'd like to know more solidworks@tmscadcentre.com

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Last year we received 13,000+ resumes for HW engineering. We hired an astoundingly low percentage of those people, despite trying to grow. Why? Because we already have a very talented team, and we only hire engineers who we think will make the team even better. We take a systematic approach to determining this, but that’s a story for another day. Given the interest, I thought I would share some tips on how to get hired as a hardware engineer at Formlabs! Resume screen - Send us a project portfolio. Whether it’s personal or work projects, we want to see what you spend your time on. We value projects that are technically complex and meaningful to the world.  - We look for an upward trajectory. Even for entry level positions, we look for growth of responsibilities in internships, growing complexity in personal projects, leadership roles on school projects, etc.  - List accomplishments and results on your resume, not just things you worked on.   - Don’t apply to 10 roles, that reeks of desperation! Pick 1 to 3 roles that you think are your best fit. The interviews - We are not looking for the “right” answer to our questions. We are trying to understand how you think through problems. So explain your thought process to us along with any answers you give.   - If we challenge you on an answer, be open minded. Make sure to ask clarifying questions if you need to, and if you think we are wrong, feel free to tell us! We value differing opinions and have a culture of healthy debate. Just make sure you can clearly communicate why we are wrong :)  - Try to think beyond the technical solutions. In real life product development, there are many solutions beyond the technical ones.  - Use concise communication that gets straight to the point Who we hire - Engineers who are motivated to a fault by shipping meaningful products, and seamlessly tie their technical work to customer value.    - Systems thinking engineers who have a specific skill, like CAD, PCB design, optical design, etc. Generalists over specialists.  - We value critical thinking, decision making, grit, work ethic, and a sense of ownership over specific experience. Technical skills can always be learned by someone who is smart. - We hire people who we think can grow and succeed at Formlabs on the 5 year time horizon. We never hire someone just because they have a technical skill we could use for the next month.    I hope that is helpful! We currently have more impactful things to work on than people to do the work. We are trying to grow the HW engineering team by 30% over the next 6 months to solve that problem…and, no, we did not just raise a funding round, we are scaling the old fashioned way, using operating profits :) If any of this resonates with you, drop us a resume (and project portfolio) at https://lnkd.in/eewjreFg

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Your flawless 3D model could be your biggest production liability. A hard truth for many R&D teams. The gap between the design office and the shop floor is real. A model that isn't grounded in Design for Manufacturing (DFM) principles is just expensive digital art, leading to late-stage engineering changes, tooling rework, and costly delays. At Destomy Design Lab, our entire process is built to bridge this gap. We don't just deliver CAD files; we deliver manufacturing-ready designs. Our Mumbai-based team acts as a dedicated extension of yours, providing a critical DFM checkpoint and an operational efficiency advantage for our global clients. Our focus is on Precision and Process: • **Shop-Ready Drawings:** Meticulous detailing with the production line in mind. • **Rigorous GD&T:** Ensuring parts fit and function as intended, the first time. • **Process-Driven Validation:** From concept to final draft, we prioritize manufacturability. Don't let a design oversight become a production crisis. Build it right on screen first. #DesignForManufacturing #MechanicalEngineering #CAD #ProductDevelopment

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When using traditional methods, building a one-off prototype can take several weeks to half a year, especially if you need custom tools and equipment. But with this new 3D printing method, you can cut that down to just one day. https://lnkd.in/dFm2jyst

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I used to think a system architect was just a more senior engineer. Someone who: ◉ Makes higher-level decisions ◉ Reviews designs ◉ Maybe draws a few system diagrams But in this final week of the MIT systems architecture course reframed that completely. Because a system architect isn’t just designing the system! They’re designing how decisions get made. When systems get complex, the challenge isn’t just: “How do we build this?” It becomes: “How do we structure this so teams can build it?” ► Multiple teams. ► Multiple subsystems. ► Different constraints. ► Different priorities. And everything is connected! That’s where the role of a system architect becomes interesting. They’re not just thinking about components. They’re thinking about: ◉ How the system is decomposed ◉ Where interfaces are defined ◉ How dependencies are managed ◉ How change propagates Because if those decisions aren’t made well: Teams step on each other’s work. Changes ripple across the system. Progress slows down. Not because people aren’t skilled. But because the system wasn’t structured to support them. What stood out to me is this: System architecture isn’t just technical. It’s organizational. The way you design a system shapes: ◉ How teams communicate ◉ How quickly decisions happen ◉ How easily the system evolves And that’s a shift I didn’t fully appreciate before. It’s not just: “Can this system work?” It’s: “Can this system scale, both technically and organizationally?” Finished the last class in the program, and I’m starting to see how these decisions sit at the intersection of: Engineering Product & people Curious, where have you seen a system struggle not because of the design itself, but because of how it was structured? I’ll be sharing a final post next, tying together the key ideas from the course (and what I’m taking forward). More reflections here: https://michaelyetman.com/

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Big news! Studio SE, Ltd.’s MBSE with SysML Master Class is now being offered in partnership with the Colorado State University Systems Engineering Department. This course teaches the fundamentals of how to code in #SysML and use #MBSE #CATIAMagic software from Dassault Systèmes. The course is SYSE 580B1 – Systems Modeling Language and Tools Benefits for learners include: ✅ Eligibility for tuition reimbursement ✅ Academic credit through CSU ✅ Official CSU student status ✅ Access to CSU student resources—including MBSE books, academic programs, and more! I’m especially excited to be offering this course with Jim Adams, Associate Professor of Systems Engineering at CSU. Collaborating to bring rigorous, practical, and industry-relevant MBSE education into an academic setting is incredibly rewarding. Enrollment for our January offering is now open! https://lnkd.in/gR4E-ZJ8 If you’ve been looking for a way to deepen your SysML and MBSE skills and gain academic credit—this is it.

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In defense, medical, and industrial product development, mistakes can come with significant costs. We’ve seen firsthand how a lack of DFM, regulatory prep, or prototype validation can derail a well-funded product team. The Manufacturability Scorecard helps you avoid that. ✔️ 10 critical checkpoints ✔️ Designed to highlight gaps in your product development ✔️ Helps you get a better understanding of where your product development is currently at Download it here: https://hubs.li/Q03BBK6C0 #ProductDevelopment #ManufacturingPartner #TurnkeyManufacturing

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Took this little beast for a spin 🤖🛞 Some of my seniors are building an outdoor rover, and I had to ask: “Can I try it?” Not a robotics person (yet), but wow—this was fun and eye-opening. What I played with & learned (quick hits): • LiDAR + SLAM for mapping and obstacle awareness • ROS2 nodes (publish/subscribe), tele-op, and data logging • Drive control & safety: kinematics, PID, e-stop culture, wiring hygiene • Why clean sensor fusion ≫ brute-force tuning Why this excites me I’d love to build simple robotics for real problems—campus delivery, site inspections, even farm/utility patrols back home in Malawi. Not chasing perfection… just useful, reliable, learn-as-you-go bots. If you’re into ROS2 / Nav2 / slam_toolbox / perception stacks, I’m keen to learn and collaborate. Drop resources, repos, or tips in the comments 🙌 #Robotics #UGV #LiDAR #SLAM #ROS2 #Autonomy #Perception #PathPlanning #Mechatronics #EmbeddedSystems #ControlSystems #ComputerVision #AI #Sensors #OpenSource #Prototyping #LearningByDoing #Engineering #STEM #Innovation #SmartMobility #Electronics #MakerCulture #Malawi #USA #Africa

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