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Stock image. These trends and topics will be increasingly important in engineering and manufacturing over the next few years (Credit: Shutterstock)

It is hard to think of another period of modern history more characterised by uncertainty. The Covid-19 pandemic has upended countless aspects of life around the world, while the breathtaking pace of technological development frequently outstrips societys capabilities to deal with it.

When it comes to engineering and manufacturing, however, there are some things we can say with greater certainty. Experts and industry leaders dedicate much of their time to finding newsolutions, andassessing how they will be used in the years to come.

The latest Engineering Futures weekThe Technology Shaping the Futurewas held online last week byProfessional Engineering,withan assembled group ofindustryexperts explainingsome of the challenges and opportunities in the years to come.

Here are five of their predictionsand lessonsfrom the sessions, which are now available to view on-demand.

The last 40 years has seen huge change in sectors such as manufacturing and construction.The shift from pencil and paper to CAD designs was just the start of an all-encompassing journey, said Mohamed Abdelhak from Autodesk as he started his session titled Digitalisation: The How, Why & What.

That journey has greatly acceleratedduring the Covid-19 pandemic, Abdelhak said. 97% of B2B (business-to-business) buyers are happy with a fully digital process, for example. Covid has forced people to realise what can be achieved across a screen, he said.

Digitalisation programmes will only be successful if they are led from the top, however. Transformation really needs to be driven from the top. Executive-level buy-in isnt enough... what is really needed is executive leadership, he said.

Food productionis a sector ripe forgreaterautomation, saidIan Clarke, owner and founder ofVelocumenLtd during WhereNext forAutomation andDigitalisation?

The next five years will also seean increase of automation in conventional manufacturing industries, he said.Current Industry 4.0projectsare oftentoofragmented, he said, and not massively different to previous initiatives.

Companies often struggle to glue in"automation of procurementand thesupply chain end,he said, but he predicted more true Industry 4.0 projects in the coming years as firms link upmoreprocessesthroughout the product lifecycle.

In many aspects, the compositesindustryhasnt reached Industry 3.0,let alone Industry 4.0, said JoeSummersfrom Composites UK and Airborne UK during Industry 4.0 and Automation in Composites Manufacturing.

The journey is pretty tough, pretty long,he said, but it can bring big benefits for many composites companies.Flexibility, productivity,andspeed can all come from greater insight into manufacturing processes, he said.

When will companies see the benefits of automation? My instinct would be to say straight away, he said. Most customers target a two- to three-year return on investment (ROI), however.

There is a lack of clarity over the benefits of automation, said Mike Wilson from BARA during BuildingBackBetter HowAutomationcouldHelp theRecovery of the UK. New users lack knowledge and expertise, there is concern over costs, and risk assessments need to be done properly.

Many businesses are looking for the most complex application they have, rather than the simplest job... that may be a great opportunity to install your first robot system, he said.You may then find other opportunities to look at more complex applications.

BARA provides support,he said,withonlinehow-to guidesand pointers to independent consultants.

Technology specialistNaim Kapadia has led the Smart Factory for Electronics Manufacturing project at theManufacturing Technology Centre (MTC)in Coventry, which has industry-leading members such as Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems and Siemens.The centres mini-factory offers electronics manufacturing capabilities.

Over the last three years, the members interest has grown significant, he said.What weve found is that most of what were doing, if we can do it here in this process,its all transferable to other areas of the business.

He added:Our role has been mainly around how we can take this to the next level, help users understand what the art of the possible is.

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Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

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The Technology Shaping the Future: 5 engineering predictions for the years ahead - Professional Engineering