If you have ever wondered what gives engineering processes their cutting edge, then a key factor is the use of computer technology as a method of coordination and management.
You will be more than familiar with the role of computer tech in everyday living. From the smart phones that so many of us have come to embrace to the cars that we drive, computer chips ease a whole range of processes and make day-to-day life that much more efficient.
For companies like Transducer Techniques, computer tech plays a central role in the delivery of products to the marketplace. Transducer Techniques is a specialist in the manufacture of torque sensors, load cells and associated instrumentation. Given the uses to which this equipment is put to, precision is imperative and without the availability of computer technology to design products, companies would be relying on only the human eye.
Much of the technology used in industry and engineering environments has not been specifically designed to power the tools or machinery used on production lines, but it has come to assume multiple uses across various sectors, from the manufacture of consumer electronics through to auto production lines. For instance, the automation of production lines is one of the key trends of recent years, driven by the increasing availability of robots. However, automated production lines do not run in isolation and computer technology is essential in overseeing the process and ensuring that it runs correctly. Computer-aided manufacturing, or CAM, is the term used to describe the computer software used to control production machinery. CAM is also used to describe the use of a computer in all aspects of a manufacturing plant, from planning to transportation and even to waste management and the more efficient use of materials. Computer-integrated manufacturing, or CIM, has been developed to completely integrate computer technology with manufacturing processes for leaner, more efficient processes.
By way of extension, you will be familiar with the integration of computer technology with a whole variety of different systems, such as hospital waiting lists and patient records in the healthcare sector, and even people’s social security details. When vast arrays of information need to be stored and managed, computer technology is critical in ensuring it can be accessed speedily and stored securely.
The Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, appointed by the Obama administration, has identified what the future of computer technology in industry and engineering might look like. One of the areas the partnership has been looking at is the integration of digital manufacturing techniques into engineering and design. Although computer-aided models have been in use for years, innovations in cloud computing and 3D printing are driving further change. Indeed, it is now possible to use an iPhone to make a rudimentary 3D scan.
Computer technology is driving so many innovations right across the spectrum and making daily life so much more efficient, it should come as no surprise that computer tech has a critical role in engineering, an area where precision and efficiency are so important to achieve.