For years, advanced design and manufacturing technology was mostly in the hands of the very largest companies—from GM and GE to Boeing and PG. That’s changed remarkably over the last five years. We’re continued advances in industrial technology but, more to the point, we’re seeing the democratization of that technology.
This illustration shows the convergence of design, manufacturing, and customer use. (Image source: Autodesk)
The proliferation of design and manufacturing technology is beginning to change the nature of what it means to be a design engineer. “The future we’re making is affected by all of the trends that are happening. In past years, design engineers were constrained by the manufacturing process,” Stephen Hooper, VP and general manager for Fusion 360 at Autodesk, said at the Autodesk Accelerate conference. “As a designer, you had a lot of ideas, but you were constrained by manufacturing technology. That’s changed.”
Hooper pointed to three major changes that have affected the future of industrial design:
1.) The convergence of design and manufacturing
2.) The overall connectivity that spans all areas of product development—from design concepts through development, manufacturing, the supply chain, and even to the customer
3.) The changes in the nature of object design brought about by generative design
Convergence between Design and Manufacturing
One of the major changes brought on by new technology is the collapse of the wall between design and manufacturing. While collaboration between the two groups has increased in recent years, the wall is disappearing. “We’re now seeing a convergence between design and manufacturing. 3D printing and six-axis robots are unlocking the design department. You cannot disconnect the new technology from the design process,” said Hooper. “You have to design with the manufacturing process in mind. It’s becoming one contiguous process. If you can integrate that effectively, you can speed the whole process up.”
The swingarm of the electric motorcycle LS-218 from Lightning Motorcycles was designed using Autodesk’s generative design algorithm to minimize weight without compromising stiffness. (Image source: Lightning Motorcycles)
The change that brought about this convergence isn’t just advances in design tools. It’s also due to advances in the way products get manufactured. “The convergence is fueled by changes in the very means of manufacturing. We’re seeing the democratization of the technology—the more advanced forms of manufacturing that are becoming available to everyone,” said Hooper. Six-axis robots are becoming available to almost every manufacturer.”
Everything Is Getting Connected
Digital connectivity is at the heart of the changes in design and manufacturing. “Everything is getting hyper-connected, which is democratizing access to compute power. You can create new processes that radically change manufacturing,” said Hooper. “The technology is accessible to anyone in the organization. In the past, there were a lot of steps from design to production. The sketch, the prototyping, managing the data, and determining how you’re going to manufacture in a way that is affordable to your organization. That’s all connected now.”
More from Design News>>
