Engineering is a continually changing field as new challenges, developments, and technological innovations require engineers to adapt in order to offer consumers improved services and products. Seasoned engineer Roy Bartholomew has been working in engineering since he received a degree in the field nearly twenty years ago, and he offers insight into trends that could have an outsize impact on the field and how it works in the coming year.
Sustainability
Sustainability in the industrial and manufacturing sectors is set to become increasingly prevalent in 2023, Bartholomew predicts, noting that engineering plays a key role in boosting sustainability by helping companies select the right materials and designing sustainable products and/or service processes. He explains that circular product lifecycles will likely grow in popularity as companies discover ways to reuse old materials and products to create new products. Furthermore, Bartholomew notes that as engineers discover new ways to boost sustainability, the number of companies that make sustainability a high priority will grow because, at present, the cost is one of hate main factors preventing companies from fully embracing sustainable processes.
3D Printing
Bartholomew also says 3D printing will grow in popularity in 2023, noting that it has much to offer engineers in a range of specialties. Civil engineers can use it to create entire houses and buildings; what’s more, it’s a sustainable construction method that has a great deal of potential in the years ahead. Electrical engineers can use it to create custom components with ease while manufacturing engineers can use 3D printing to immediately replace broken tools and components, thus lowering costs and boosting efficiency levels of manufacturing plants in multiple industries.
Internet of Things
Roy Bartholomew also predicts that the internet of things (IoT) will continue becoming increasingly popular in the coming year. Some experts are vague about their expectations for the field, noting that its fate in the new year depends on a range of factors such as market demand, advances in the tech industry, and regulatory developments; however, Bartholomew explains that it has so much to offer the engineering industry that it is almost inevitable that it will continue to become more prevalent in the coming year. IoT’s many engineering-related applications include rotating solar panels, remotely monitoring and controlling systems such as sensors and communication devices, smart metering, distributing power to power plant sub-stations to ensure optimal energy usage during peak hours, and construction management.
About
Sonora, CA, resident Roy Bartholomew provides design work, engineering, and consulting services for biodomes and other engineered systems. He also has a passion for giving back to the local community by helping to provide temporary shelter and permanent housing for homeless women. Given this fact, it is not surprising that the engineering trends he is most excited about are the ones that have the greatest potential to boost sustainability and meet the needs of both business owners and regular individuals. He is optimistic about the future of engineering, noting that relatively new tech advances have the potential to propel the industry forward and enable it to provide faster, better, more sustainable, and even cheaper services than before.