S6E37 Duann Scott | Computational Design & The Best File Format for 3D Printing

Being an Engineer

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Duann Scott is a globally recognized leader in computational design, additive manufacturing, and the emerging intersection of software and fabrication. With a background in industrial design and a PhD research foundation from the University of South Australia, Duann launched BITS to ATOMS in 2009 to explore how digital tools would revolutionize product design and manufacturing. What started as an academic pursuit quickly transformed into a dynamic industry journey through some of the most innovative companies in the space.

At Shapeways, he helped build one of the first online 3D printing communities. At Autodesk, he shaped the strategy for the $100M Spark investment fund and led the acquisition of Netfabb, now integral to Autodesk's digital manufacturing suite. At nTopology, Duann served in multiple executive roles, driving growth and expanding the company’s software integrations for advanced manufacturing applications.

In 2021, he relaunched BITS to ATOMS as a consultancy and launched CDFAM, the Computational Design Symposium Series. CDFAM now brings together cutting-edge thinkers across engineering, software, and architecture at events in NYC, Berlin, and Brooklyn. Whether supporting MIT xPRO students, contributing to the Wohlers Report, or guiding the 3MF Consortium as Executive Director, Duann is committed to building better tools, workflows, and communities around computational manufacturing.

Beyond his professional pursuits, Duann brings a creative edge from his past life as a musician and designer, continually pushing the boundary between art and engineering. His mission? To create a better digital thread from bits to atoms.

LINKS:

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duann/

Guest website: https://cdfam.com/

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About Being An Engineer

The Being An Engineer podcast is a repository for industry knowledge and a tool through which engineers learn about and connect with relevant companies, technologies, people resources, and opportunities. We feature successful mechanical engineers and interview engineers who are passionate about their work and who made a great impact on the engineering community.

The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment such as cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us on the web at www.teampipeline.us

فصل ها

1. CDFAM Symposium and Computational Design (00:00:00)

2. Examples of Computational Design (00:05:59)

3. Evolution of Computational Design (00:10:28)

4. Standardization of File Formats in Additive Manufacturing (00:12:57)

5. Applications of Computational Design in Traditional Manufacturing (00:22:53)

6. Impact of AI on Computational Design (00:27:20)

7. CDFAM Symposium and Community Impact (00:37:07)

8. Pro Tips for Collaboration and Problem-Solving (00:38:20)

9. Contact Information and Final Thoughts (00:40:27)