Ryan McMahon: Developing Revolutionary Manufacturing Products at Autodesk

By Luke Lightning

April 17, 2023 

Hot off the press, we have another episode of the Future Construct Podcast! This week, for Season 3, Episode 11, our host Amy Peck (@AmyPeckXR) was delighted to welcome Ryan McMahon, the General Manager of the Manufacturing Informed Design Group at Autodesk, to the show (21-minute interview). The conversation between Ryan and Amy was a deep dive into a plethora of engaging topics, including how companies are leveraging manufacturing informed design and the divide between companies pushing the envelope and those that are remaining stagnant. They also discussed where digital twins fits into developing end-to-end data sharing and optimization mechanisms, as well as compelling technologies that Ryan wants to adopted more.

Click to listen to our interview on Apple, Spotify, or Google, or watch on our Facebook or YouTube channels.

About Ryan McMahon Ryan is the General Manager of the Manufacturing Informed Design Group working on building new solutions to enable Industrialized Construction and productization for construction. He has worked for Autodesk for 12 years building and delivering manufacturing products including Factory Design Utilities, Process Analysis, Fusion Production, Factory Digital Twin and Generative Factory layout capabilities. Prior to Autodesk, Ryan worked for several startups delivering products for digital music, medical devices, IT compliance, and high-performance computing. Ryan holds 3 patents, has an MBA from the University of Washington, and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Washington State University.

Throughout the interview, Ryan discussed several topics with host Amy Peck (@AmyPeckXR), including:

- How companies are leveraging manufacturing informed design now, and how Ryan is optimizing the process

- The divide between companies pushing the envelope and the faction with the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" mentality

- Where digital twins falls into the goal of getting an end-to-end data sharing and optimization mechanism

- Compelling technologies that Ryan wants to see develop with more adoption

Autodesk is changing how the world is designed and made. Their technology spans architecture, engineering, construction, product design, manufacturing, media, and entertainment, empowering innovators everywhere to solve challenges big and small. From greener buildings to smarter products to mesmerizing blockbusters, Autodesk software empowers innovators to design and make a better world for all. But they’re restless to do more. At Autodesk, they don’t believe in waiting for progress, they believe in making it–by combining technologies, unleashing talent, unlocking insights, and empowering their customers to find solutions to the challenges they face today. Their software provides customers with the right tools to work, the ability to think flexibly, and the power to transform what actually needs making.

Autodesk’s mission is to empower innovators with design and make technology so they can achieve the new possible. Their technology spans architecture, engineering and construction, product design and manufacturing, and media and entertainment, empowering innovators everywhere to solve challenges big and small.

They equip our customers to work fluidly across boundaries of project, discipline, and industry. Over the past 4 decades, millions of people have trusted their technology to transform how their products are made. And in the process, they’ve transformed what can be made. Today their solutions span countless industries and empower innovators around the globe. We bring new experiences, new ideas, and new value to their customers, to help them advance their capabilities and create new opportunities.

Click to listen to our interview with Ryan on Apple, Spotify, or Google, or watch on our Facebook or YouTube channels.

SHOW NOTES

5:43  - Amy: "And I saw that you're in Beaverton. There must be something in the water there. You're right in Nike's backyard. It's just like a hotbed of creativity there. What are they doing over there?"

6:13  - Amy: "So when you talk about your title, Manufacturing Informed Design, how are companies leveraging it now, and how are you optimizing the process?" 

8:38  - Amy: "The thing that I'm always confused by in the AEC industry is that you have these companies that are really pushing the envelope on the art of the possible, building in all of these deficiencies, using and BIM and all these new technologies, but then there's that faction that 'if it ain't broke don't fix it.' Is this software going to help bring some of those companies along?"

11:54  - Amy: "Talking about optimization both manufacturing and bringing the two together, I personally have a focus on leveraging digital twin. The goal is to get this end-to-end data sharing and optimization mechanism, but really transparency between teams and factions. Where does digital twins fall into that, from your perspective?"

16:24  - Amy: "I'm sure you have a kind of birds eye view, given your experience, on a lot of tangential technologies that are impact the industry, AI, blockchain, XR. Are there things for you, that are really compelling for you, and that you want to see more adoption of?"

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