Notable features covering CAD and CAE tools will showcase technologies that push the envelope in terms of making pretty insular and siloed tools for engineering easier to use and more accessible to those involved in the product design process. This is especially true for designers who aren't necessarily "CAD jockeys." That means engineering tools are going to take a page from the enterprise business world and go through their own consumerization stage, taking on features and capabilities that make them look and feel like apps that non-engineering folks use every day.
Mobile design tools and cloud-based functionality (not necessarily cloud-based CAD) will continue to roll out, and new collaborative capabilities will be key. Beyond this accessibility of CAD, systems engineering will be an even bigger focus as the CAD tools begin to integrate functionality in the area of systems modeling, requirements management, and ECAD.
On another note, continuing advancements and cost reductions around 3D printing and new content creation capabilities that make the tools more powerful and accessible to hobbyists and DIY inventors will be big news.
Note that I haven't even touched on the areas of composites, plastics, and alternative fuels, as well as the tried-and-true coverage of assembly techniques, robotics, and machine vision. These will remain staples of our coverage.
Those readers who look really closely will notice a new name and face affixed to this column. I've been associated in one way or another with Design News for a lot of years, including being an avid reader for at least the last decade. Now I'm honored to take the reins.
We haven't done flat out reviews of different design tool packages, but we can certainly inject some guidance and detailed specification information into our coverage to help guide in decision making. There are also a number of simulation experts that might help, and I recently moderated a DN radio show on simulation with CIMdata's resident simulation expert Keith Meintjes. Check it out if you haven't already.
Beth, I'm interested in comparison/contrast of capabilities with other simulation vendors from a non-biased 3rd party. Thanks for your response to my inquiry!
@notarboca: Design News covers simulation pretty regularly and COMSOL is definitely one of the important vendors in this space. What specific coverage are you looking for and what are your particular areas of interest/concerns as it relates to CAE software?
I am particularly interested in the simulation physics of COMSOL; do any of our folks have expertise in this particular genre, or is this a topic for a whole different blog? :-)
Charles. You are so right and many have no idea for what is in store for us. Many present jobs, industries will disappear and new ones much smaller, more nimble serving closer to home most everything an area needs.
Most accounting, teaching, financing, banking, stock market, etc will all be done at little profit by computers reaching down to every level.
Transpotation will have many fuels other than oil based including many made in homes, small businesses which instead of buying energy/fuels, sells them taking down the oil/energy industry in 15-20 yrs as people have enough of high prices watching their neighbors get paid instead of paying.
Many more will work at home on their own businesses cutting office, transport, etc needs.
Health care will be univerial because it's the only way we can afford it cutting many insurance, medical accounting jobs. Another cost savings of UHC is far fewer lawsuits as no medical costs to sue for and far cheaper car, home, business insurance as no medical costs to sue for.
Changes like this will run through every industry for probably 20 yrs before we get off oil and fire all the parasites sucking our money away and things settle down. Going to be one wild ride!!
Thanks for that input, Dave. You may recall that I did an article recently on the DoE's renewal of funding for its vehicle lightweighting program http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1392&doc_id=242652 And your columns on galvanic corrosion and failure analysis have been good reads.
@Ann: Thanks for mentioning metals. There is a lot more to materials than just plastics and composites. The lightweighting goals of the Department of Energy's Vehicle Technologies Program depend on increased use of magnesium, aluminum, and high strength steel more than plastics and composites, although plastics and composites play an important role. There is also a lot of important work going on in the world of corrosion resistant coatings, particularly with regard to replacing traditional coatings such as cadmium and hexavalent chromium with safer and more environmentally-friendly alternatives. (As I recall, you had a good article on multifunctional coatings a few months ago).
Yes, welcome, Rich! It's a great time for materials & assembly, too. The amount of R&D dollars and consortia going into new metals and composites, bioplastics and other sustainable materials and fuels, and additive manufacturing processes and materials, to name only a few, is amazing.
Thanks everyone for your notes. Chuck, I agree that it's a great time to be part of the Design News team. The biggest question I seem to be faced with is what NOT to cover.
Jerry, your comments are noted and taken very seriously. I'm a firm believer in that our number one job is to simplfy the job of our reader. Providing puff pieces does just the opposite, and I'll do my bext to see that it doesn't happen on Design News. And please call me out if you see anything that doesn't belong.
Welcome, Rich. It's a good time to join Design News. I believe when we look back in about 30 years, we'll identify this as a period of revolution in technology -- the auto industry is making its biggest change in 100 years, robots are leaving the factory and the process of design is changing in ways that no one ever imagined. We're lucky at Design News in that we get to cover these topics and a lot more.
We looked at a number of sources to determine this year's greenest cars, from KBB to automotive trade magazines to environmental organizations. These 14 cars emerged as being great at either stretching fuel or reducing carbon footprint.
Researchers at MIT and Sandia National Labs have observed a reaction in lithium-air batteries that could help improve the design of these cells for electric vehicles and other applications.
Healthcare might seem to be an unlikely target application for the Internet of Things technology, but recent developments show small ways that big-data is going to make an impact on patient care moving into the future.
As energy efficiency becomes more and more a concern for makers of electronics devices, researchers are coming up with new ways to harvest energy from sound vibration, footsteps, and even electromagnetic fields in the air.
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A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
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