Thank you mHUB (Kimberly Blomquist) and Marcy Capron for hosting Industry Disruptors with Jon Hirschtick on September 11, 2024. The mHUB Industry Disruptors event series showcases top innovators, founders, and thought leaders in hardtech and product development. Albeit IMTS – International Manufacturing Technology Show is in full swing, this one was a not to miss event.
Jon, a CAD technology pioneer, discussed the future of product design and the potential of cloud-based engineering tools. As PTC‘s Onshape, a PTC Technology chief evangelist, Jon shared his experience with SOLIDWORKS and Onshape, two state-of-the-art CAD packages that he invented, discussing how these platforms have transformed engineering design.
Understanding customer intent, distinguishing between liking and buying, and overcoming the “ugly baby syndrome” where close ones approve of your product regardless of its actual appeal were among the discussed topics. The reasons for becoming a founder, including a higher risk tolerance, were also touched upon.
The conversation highlighted how Solidworks revolutionized the industry by introducing Windows-based design and how OnShape later shifted the paradigm again with cloud-based design.
A major lesson from the session was that great products are defined by what they leave out, emphasizing simplicity in innovation. This point was illustrated by @Apple’s iPhone, which removed the keyboard, and its evolution from the iPod by eliminating knobs/dials.
This were great learnings in building a product for Numorpho Cybernetic Systems (NUMO). Over the past two years using CAD tools – initially Autodesk Fusion360 and now Dassault Systèmes Solidworks, we have built a parametrically modeled design to morph into different types and sizes for helmets in different domains: industrial, construction, military, first responders, urban and wellbeing. In our next iteration, we plan to migrate to PTC OnShape.
As we progress with making our design more resilient and sustainable, Jon’s three As – AI, Additive and Agile are 3 tenets that we have imbued into our design and engineering process to enable the product’s make, management and now manufacturing detail. We believe that such intelligent product development solutions are our future and the smart helmet will be a testament to how generative AI in conjunction with simulation, computational technologies and additive manufacturing will enable complex, connected and smart products and services of the future.
The discussion was be moderated by mHUB Expert-In-Residence Marcy Capron, who focuses on product innovation and strategy.
NITIN UCHIL Founder, CEO & Technical Evangelist
nitin.uchil@numorpho.com