Sherpa
Resources
Introducing the NX Training Platform at NXTraining.com, the only on-demand, self-paced online training that comes with instructor support.
Sherpa is once again recognized as one of the 2025 Best Places to Work in Oregon and SW Washington.
Bringing a new product to life is tough—tight timelines, complex tech, and the constant hunt for specialized talent. Check out our guide to outsourcing engineering.
Industrial design and Mechanical Engineering are both critical in new product development. Here we layout tips for streamlining the handoff.
We have a passion for exploratory projects. Here is an example of one we did for a handheld thermal rangefinder.
Sherpa Design was brought on to help resolve the challenges with the Teamcenter implementation for the United States Air Force A10 Warfighter.
Ensuring your engineers are proficient in NX CAD is crucial for productivity and competitiveness. But finding effective training solutions comes with challenges.
New hires need training immediately, but training sessions only occur once or twice a month. With 5 to 6 seat minimums for in-person training, training one or two engineers at a time is cost prohibitive. And in-person training takes engineers away from work for a week at a time.
Sherpa Design has the solution.
Introducing the NX Training Platform at NXTraining.com, the only on-demand, self-paced online training that comes with instructor support.
Over the last 20 years, hundreds of companies in aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics, and defense have trusted Sherpa Design to train their users and maximize their software and employee investments. Now, we've packaged our highly rated NX instruction into a platform your engineers can learn with anywhere, anytime, at their own pace.
Our courses use a combination of highly detailed instructional videos, sample real-world models with exercises, and an instructive course workbook to get your team up to speed and working with the full capabilities of NX CAD.
All NX Training classes come with one-on-one mentoring from an experienced instructor, available via online appointment. Notifications are set when an employee completes a course. NXTraining.com is your on-demand onboarding platform.
Get your team trained now using real-world projects in record time and at substantial savings. Book an MXTraining. com platform demo today.
Sherpa was tasked with consumer product design for a coffee filter basket that will work as a reusable filter in 80% of the coffee makers on the market.
Case Study: High Precision CNC Machining for Gevenalle. How Sherpa designed shifter brackets for cyclocross bike company.
Our designers and engineers worked with SEEK to develop a smartphone accessory thermal camera that set the foundation for an expanded range.
Sherpa Design implements a greenfield Teamcenter configuration with Oracle RDS for Reliable Robotics Corporation.
Sherpa created branding and reduced the cost of manufacturing and assembly of the sheet metal parts for a Nanometrics new product line in metrology.
Sherpa reimagined a power supply subsystem design for a market leader utilizing additive manufacturing with Carbon DLS technology.
Explore how Sherpa uses advanced optical tools and testing methods to ensure precise light sensor calibration and consistent device performance from UV to infrared light…
Learn how engineers can become comfortable with guessing and provide useful estimates, balancing accuracy and uncertainty to facilitate better project planning.
Efficient mid-scale manufacturing strategies to optimize production with minimal investment, focusing on planning, layout, and continuous improvement.
New Product Innovation often lags inside companies—here we examine why, and how to accelerate product development without derailing your current success.
Explore the latest features of Siemens NX 2412, including Selecting Similar Edges, Sketch Checking, Transfer Voids and Flex Transition.
A guide to the best practices for designing parts intended for CNC machining, based on what we have learned over the years at Sherpa.
At Sherpa, we believe that design is the catalyst for unlocking the extraordinary potential of the Carbon Digital Light Synthesis™ (Carbon DLS™) 3D printing ...
Selection Priority within NX determines what gets selected and what the order of priority of that selection is for your tool.
We recently took possession of the latest 3D Printer from Carbon, the M3 Max. Here we are running a test on some complex lattice designs with incredible performance ...
Here we are machining a lever for a custom bike brake lever using 5-axis CNC.
After we developed the KONE, Able Brewing returned to have us create a high-quality reusable stainless-steel filter basket that would fit 80% of the coffee makers on ...
When looking for NX Training, ESCO turned again to Sherpa Design. Here's what they had to say...
Carbon Design Partner | Sherpa Design
“Having design services and manufacturing in house lets us stay on top of product development and really speeds things up. Sherpa design is a full-service engineering and design firm located in Portland Oregon. We offer mechanical engineering, industrial design as well as manufacturing. We work on all kinds of products from bike saddles to headset replacement parts and then we use Carbon 3D printers to support those design and engineering efforts. The Carbon printers are very consistent. They can do detail really well, even from multiple axis. Currently we have three M2 printers, one brand new M3 Max, and the Carbon Smart Part Washer. Everything in our company is design focused, even our 3D printing department, and we take advantage of the design skills our company has to ensure that we’re getting the best parts possible. “ Connor Shimamoto – Additive Manufacturing Application Specialist – Sherpa Design
NX CAD Tips and Tricks - Top Selection Priority
Selection Priority within NX determines what gets selected and what the order of priority of that selection is for your tool. When selecting an edge NX's default selection is "feature" - so when you highlight an object it will highlight and entire extrude. If you want to grab and edge you could use your quick pick, but another way is to change the top selection priority. You can change to edge for example and that will let you grab and edge of a part much easier. There are also hotkeys to make these changes. Watch this video for a quick walkthrough on this shortcut.
TESTING THE NEW CARBON M3 MAX
This month we took possession of the latest 3D Printer from Carbon, the M3 Max. The M3 brings several benefits to our workflow including: - Self-Installable. The self-installation allowed for a faster start up and flexibility to move the machine around our lab as needed. - Force feedback and IR-based resin heating. This improves surface finish, speed, and our ability to resolve delicate features. - Increased build volume. With a platform over twice the area of our M2s, we’ll be able to print larger geometries and consolidate parts while using the same resolution. Build volume 307mm x 163mm x 305mm. Here we are running a test on some complex complex lattice designs with incredible performance properties. https://sherpa-design.com/capabilities/3d-printing/
NX to 5-axis CNC Machining Custom Bike Brake Lever
Digital twins have long existed in the manufacturing space by incorporating true G-code simulation directly in NX CAM. Our manufacturing team can identify problems in the digital domain before collisions or mistakes are made in the real world. 5-axis machining reduces setups and ensures more dimensionally accurate parts. Here we are machining a lever for a custom bike brake lever.
Designing the Perfect Coffee Filter
The Able Brewing Story: Keith Gehrke, co-owner of local Portland coffee shop, Coava, was home one morning attempting to brew with his manual drip Chemex Coffee Maker when he realized he was out of paper filters. So began the hunt for reusable filters, a hunt that ultimately led to the design of the KONE coffee filter. Keith partnered with Sherpa Design to create this successful consumer product. The business evolved (now called Able Brewing) and many years later they turned again to Sherpa for their consumer product design. This time the goal was to expand the filter line, creating reusable stainless-steel filters that would bring that amazing flavor to the rest of the coffee makers on the market. The Basket: The first new product was a flat-bottom filter basket that will work as a reusable filter in 80% of the coffee makers on the market.
“We polled our engineering group and they said, you know, we need some training. And NX training was at the top of the list of what people were looking for. And we've hired probably 10 new engineers over the last several years. So we have a group of new employees as well as experienced engineers. So we were looking for training that wasn't just for one or the other, but for really both.
Sherpa has been doing this sort of thing for decades in the Portland area. ESCO has used Sherpa in trainings in the past. It's always been a good experience.
What I like about working with Sherpa is they've got a great catalog … they come to the table with a, you know, out-of-the-box, really good training. You can pick and choose what works for you.
They've also got this video training that you can take a prerequisite to kind of get everybody on the same page before they get to that day one live training.
And they're also just very willing to adjust and improve as you go.
So all that just adds up to a good experience.”
Ray Morris – Engineering Support – ESCO Corporation
News
Sherpa Design honored as a Best Place to Work in Oregon and Southwest Washington by Portland Business Journal again in 2025.
Events
Sherpa is at Realize Live showcasing Teamcenter Consulting and NXTraining.com - the only on-demand, self-paced training that comes with instructor support.
News
Sherpa Design was recognized as one of the Fastest Growing 100 Private Companies for the region by the Portland Business Journal.
News
Sherpa Design is honored to be recognized as one of the 2024 Best Places to Work in Oregon and SW Washington by the Portland Business Journal.
News
Sherpa intern Aiden Rodriquez presents his prototype outrigger for adaptive athletes utilizing Carbon 3D printed parts for added protection.
Press Releases
Portland, Oregon – December 20, 2023 – Sherpa Design, provider of design and engineering services, acquires new building in vibrant east side of Portland.