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For full details about the Simulation and Modelling 2022 conference, please visit the event website.
Please briefly explain your current role and involvement in simulation and modelling technologies
Ben Wade (BW): My role as a Mechanical Engineer at Crux within the Technology team involves leveraging cutting edge simulation methods, grounded with physical testing, to improve medical devices and consumer products.
What is the number one challenge holding back the integration of simulation and modelling?
BW: In order to get accurate outputs you need accurate inputs, but in our context how do you account for human variability and how do you non-invasively measure biological phenomena in the human body? These are questions we’re currently answering at Crux in the subcutaneous injection space.
What are the most common gripes you hear from engineers in the deployment of digital twins?
BW: Robustness of democratised simulations. Once a model has been developed and validated it is released for use by non-expert analysts; there’s a significant amount of teething to make a model fully democratised.
What key topics are you excited to discuss at this year's conference?
BW: I’m excited to discuss the current reliance on modelling and simulation tools across industries and how that has changed since the pandemic.
What can engineers expect from your presentation at the event?
BW: Attendees can expect an approachable overview of state of the art respiratory drug delivery simulations before a case study of a CFD model built to evaluate the effect of MDI administration angle on lung deposition in anatomical geometry.
Who else are you most interested in hearing from on the programme?
BW: My former dissertation supervisor from Loughborough University, Professor Roy Kalawsky, is one of the keynote speakers this year. Having had an insight into his labs work, I’m excited to see his commentary on how digital twins have evolved since he started his career, where they are today and where they’re going.
What key development/s in simulation and modelling are you most interested in for the future and why?
BW: There’s been a lot of buzz around ML integration into engineering workflows over the last few years and some interesting application examples. I’m interested to see how uncertainty quantification methods will develop to make these ‘black box’ algorithms interrogable for highly regulated spaces such as medical and aerospace.
Why is it important for engineers to join this event?
BW: Cross industry pollination of knowledge is so powerful, chances are there’ll be something at this conference which will influence your approach to a current problem.
The Simulation and Modelling 2022 conference will take place on 20-21 September 2022 at the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry
Join us in 2022 to hear how thought-leaders and senior engineers are using new technologies and techniques for digital twinning, design, validation, fault detection and process optimisation. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with colleagues and peers across multiple industries and take back fresh perspectives of how these technologies are being used to optimise design, development, testing, manufacturing and operational engineering: for full details about the Simulation and Modelling 2022 conference, please visit the event website.