With the advent of innovative techniques like subtractive and additive manufacturing and other advances in 3D printing, there are a ton of new, awesome applications that government manufacturers or companies manufacturing things for the government can use to get at smarter, more efficient solutions to their most pressing challenges.
For government users who might be busy with the actual work of building NASA’s next rocket, or fabricating equipment for an experiment in a federal lab, trying to stay up to date on software updates might not be a top priority, even if doing so might yield a better, perhaps more cost-effective product, or even open up a solution that wasn’t even technologically possible before.
That’s where programs like KETIV’s Autodesk Virtual Academy come in. With a new, free session on a different topic every Thursday morning at 10:00 AM PST, users have an opportunity to drop in for a quick, concise explainer on new and exciting digital design capabilities that can help them in their day-to-day, over their morning coffee.
In order to get the inside scoop on the series, we sat down with Jason Peters, a Government Sales Executive at KETIV.
Here is what he had to say:
GovDesignHub (GDH): Tell us a little bit about KETIV. What capabilities does your company bring to bear for potential federal, state, and local government customers?
Jason Peters: KETIV is a consultant, partner and solutions provider to manufacturing companies across the country. We aim to empower today’s innovators and manufacturers through essential guidance, technology and support.
Through a collaborative approach, KETIV helps our government clients innovate and achieve their desired business outcomes, mainly in the mechanical design, manufacturing and industrial design space.
Based on each client’s unique situation and business/technical requirements, our team will recommend the appropriate solutions to design, test, fabricate and manage/maintain their products. KETIV also specializes in helping our clients optimize the layout of their plant and operational space (ideal placement of equipment, machinery, instrumentation, etc.) to achieve peak productivity and efficiency.
GDH: What is Autodesk Virtual Academy? What subjects are covered?
Jason Peters: Autodesk Virtual Academyis an ongoing live and interactive free learning experience for the Autodesk user community. Free webinar sessions are delivered every Thursday at 10 AM PST to ensure on-going learning, no matter what. Carefully curated topics help users understand and adopt the most relevant product design and manufacturing software.
Past topics can also be found on our YouTube Channel. Register for the live series at ketiv.com/ava and subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up-to-date with the latest releases, processes and industry advances, while building your skills.
GDH: While the AVA sessions appear to be focused on manufacturing, few people would think of government agencies when thinking about organizations that manufacture goods. What kinds of products does the government manufacture? Which agencies are physically manufacturing things and designing products?
Jason Peters: Manufacturing of “goods” can pertain to any part or product that needs to be designed and built, even if it isn’t for mass consumption like commercial manufacturing.
Whether it’s the design, analysis, and fabrication of an RS-25 rocket engine for the space shuttle, or a bracket to quickly design and fabricate in the field to support soldiers in combat, Autodesk’s manufacturing solutions play an important role in our nation’s defense strategies. The products are widely used throughout the DoD, DoE, NASA, National Labs, Depots, Ammunition Plants, military machine and fab shops, and contractors doing work for the federal government.
GDH: What role are digital design solutions playing in the design and manufacturing of products today? What new technologies are impacting how the government designs products and brings them to life?
Jason Peters: Advance Manufacturing and Generative Design solutions have radically shifted the way the DoD, NASA, and others have approached manufacturing in the past. With the explosion of tools like 3D Printing, the military is able to use additive and subtractive technologies to deliver critical components in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost vs traditional methods.
Generative design enables engineers to address design and manufacturing challenges that seemed otherwise impossible. JPL’s next generation of Interplanetary Landers is a good example of this.
GDH: What can government employees expect from the AVA sessions? What will they learn that will help them in their day-to-day jobs designing and manufacturing things for the government?
Jason Peters: You will learn how to get the very most of the Autodesk tools you have today, insights into where Autodesk is heading and additional tools to improve your work, what pitfalls to avoid, and where to go for help when needed.
To find out more about Autodesk Virtual Academy, click here and check out what they’ll be covering in the next session.
Featured image courtesy of KETIV
