Beth, I do agree with you about young engineers coming up through the ranks expecting these kinds of tools. They're second nature to kids, and those kids will soon enough be involved in design. For many young people, social networks -- particularly Facebook -- have replaced email for communication.
William: What you are describing is pretty unbelievable, but I suppose not out of context if you consider how quickly technology evolves and delivers lasting impact. In some ways, dashboards and simulation tools can already provide some of this analysis, but it's placing it in the social context and the ease of presentation where we're likely to see the most dramatic changes.
I think you're right in that engineers won't be looking for social networking as it is. However, you're right when you say the collaboration required will result in a desire to have functionality that will simplify the communication and that may look an awful lot like some of the social networks. Engineers from different continents are working on projects at the same time. And the ability to share designs, concepts and ideas in a quick and easy way will definitely be a selling point in the future.
I think the integration of not only CAD but communication whille still in CAD will be the next big thing. Being able to work on a design and instant message a colleague hundreds of miles away while reviewing the same design will be very helpful. Are there any companies that you know of currently working on this, or are there tools already available?
Fantastic list, Beth! I like the Integration and Cloud pieces. I'm excited about the mobile developments but it looks like that will share the same pinch point as mobile PDAs a decade ago... limited interface baud rate. Even though Jeff Hawkins designed Graffiti, it wasn't until multi-touch and now voice that mobile took off. It is great the industry is preparing for mobile design while the input methods are fleshing out. That way when the interface it right, vendors can rush in with solutions. I'm not at all surprised about Social. Social for humans is a given and will continue to permeate all we do in 2012. What I am excited about is Social Objects. We've made great strides in Object Oriented development -- the next big thing is to have Objects become social. It means the Internet of Things, but it also means Social Software Objects in design -- as in various components communicating with each other within the software application to measure compatibility (proper morphology, material compatibility, load limits, stress distribution). Be prepared for a component to communicate with designers "Sorry, Dave. I would drill and tap a hole at this location, but the current location is in a position of maximum stress for this component according to the FEA. Can we move the position to this location?"
You raise good points, Rob. I don't think simply pasting Facebook functionality into design tools will satisfy any engineer--old or new. I think that CAD and PLM vendors are recognizing that social media is not a fad and implemented correctly, it can add significant value to engineering processes, particularly since the discipline is far more collaborative than it ever has been. In addition, I do think that younger generations coming up the ranks are going to expect this kind of functionality in all of their business tools, be it CAD programs or spreadsheets. The capabilities we see today may not be the capabilities we see tomorrow, but my guess is some sort of social functionality will become a mainstay of engineering tools over time.
Nice overview, Beth. The one that really got me was social media. I'm curious about whether this is a matter of pasting Facebook-look functionality onto everything that moves or whether this is a truly useful addition. the answer could be generational. The younger engineers may find this natural and helpful, while the older engineers are probably rolling their eyes.
For 3D printing to make the jump from rapid prototyping to manufacturing, engineers will need to find easier ways to move products from their CAD screens to their printers.
Gigabit and PoE are two networking technologies moving ahead in tandem as industrial users power remote Ethernet devices such as IP security cameras at 1,000 Mbps over existing CAT5 cable.
New versions of BASF's Ecovio line are both compostable and designed for either injection molding or thermoforming. These combinations are becoming more common for the single-use bioplastics used in food service and food packaging applications, but are still not widely available.
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For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
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