ModuleWorks’ mission to provide the best toolpath and simulation technology in the world is embedded in a desire to advance the entire CAD/CAM industry. Therefore CAD/CAM experts and innovators are invited to the ModuleWorks Insider Conference (MIC) every other year. But despite the atmosphere of anticipation, the events of the last two years with the corona crisis and conflicts in Ukraine with the ensuing new restrictions on international relations and freedom of movement make us look more closely at the things we previously took for granted, such as the importance of personal interaction.
Business, like any other part of life, relies on personal contact and exchange. While the world was never perfectly at peace, the recent events certainly are a break with what we consider – or rather considered – normal. The ModuleWorks Insider Conference was initiated as a platform for connection and exchange between CAD/CAM experts before viruses and conflict were the major concern. This puts the current restart into perspective.
Since the 1980s and the arrival of affordable desktop PCs, the CAM software industry has accelerated the global production of diverse and complex parts for an increasing variety of applications. However, there was never a good opportunity for the key players in the industry to meet and discuss the important topics.
The ModuleWorks Insider Conference was one of the first events that gathered experts from the CAD/CAM industry and brought them together to exchange knowledge and ideas. More specifically, when first launched in 2016, over 50 representatives from the world’s leading CAD/CAM software companies came to the MIC to learn about the latest software developments and to discuss the future of the industry. The next conference took place in 2018 and featured guest speakers from Siemens PLM Software, Huron Graffenstaden and Sandvik Coromant. The event planned for 2020 had to be cancelled due to Covid.
Now, two years later, and four years after the last MIC, the conference is restarting and the need for such a restart could not be bigger. This is because the goal of the ModuleWorks Insider Conference is to share information, initiate discussions and enable the industry to adjust if necessary. For ModuleWorks, the conference is first and foremost an important check-in with partners to ask if ModuleWorks really provides the technology that is needed. With a market share of 75% and more than 500,000 installed seats of software comes the responsibility to detect any obstacles to product development as early as possible, and ideally, to completely avoid them. Thus, the ModuleWorks Insider Conference is meant to be a platform to guide and shape future innovations of CAD/CAM technology.
After the last ModuleWorks Insider Conference had to be cancelled, technological advancement did not stand still. On the contrary, the last two years highlighted the need for large scale manufacturing of diverse parts in an agile and efficient manner. Academic research has even shown that the significance of 3D printing has increased with the ongoing pandemic. Additive manufacturing has been consistently recognized as an important factor in providing fast and affordable medical supplies without requiring contact between humans. It is more generally an important counter measure against stagnant supply chains.
This growth in importance has sparked increased interest in what still needs to be improved. A recent White Paper of the World Economic Forum (WEF) closely examined the successes and challenges of CAD/CAM technology. The proposed calls to action in An Additive Manufacturing Breakthrough: A How-to Guide for Scaling and Overcoming Key Challenges (2022) were a reduction in costs through common investments, fostering education and knowledge sharing, the implementation of industry standards, the need for research as well as the need for sustainability and, finally, the need for quality assurance and digitalization of the process chain. These calls for action again prove the ongoing need for improvement in the CAD/CAM industry, even and especially, when considering the growth of the industry.
Correspondingly, the ModuleWorks Insider Conference is designed to address the successes and challenges facing the CAD/CAM industry. It is also the chance to design a roadmap for the future. The planned program includes a variety of guest speakers, a laboratory area to showcase new technology such as the visual twin and a range of presentations. Moreover, participants get the opportunity to meet key people in the CAD/CAM software industry.
In a free and relaxed atmosphere and outside of daily routines, two days can be dedicated to fruitful exchange between CAD/CAM stakeholders. Participants gain important insights into the current state and future perspectives of the technology. In this way, the ModuleWorks Insider Conference allows an informal, yet informative, exchange around fixed topics. These topics include, for example, trends and developments in 3-axis and 5-axis machining and simulation or how toolpath and simulation technology benefits industries beyond the typical CAD/CAM and CNC markets.
This year’s restart of the ModuleWorks Insiders Conference will be held in the hope that, after the last turbulent years, the urgently needed exchange between CAD/CAM experts will bring the industry into a better state, so that it can serve the world in the best ways possible.
The MIC will begin on May 31st, 2022 at the Tivoli Business and Event Center in Aachen and end on June 1st, 2022.
