Industrial engineering and product design enable us to transform a need into a functioning device or process. Edgar Guerrero and Óscar Serrano, co-founders of i-mas, discuss in the first episode of “Toque de Ingenio” about their background, the profession, and the work involved in developing solutions for others. The episode presents the perspective from which the podcast was conceived: bringing innovation and engineering to life through real-world experiences.
Guest Edgar Guerrero and Óscar Serrano. Company or organization: i-mas.
Interview published: March 4, 2024. Episode: 1. Duration: 0 hours 55 minutes
In this episode:
- What does it mean to develop products and processes for other companies?
- How do you approach problems that require new knowledge?
- Why every technology should be chosen based on its intended application.
A profession focused on understanding and solving.
Edgar and Óscar are reflecting on how they chose their studies and what they remember about their training. The conversation links engineering with the ability to structure problems, learn, and seek out resources when a need isn’t already defined.
Technical knowledge provides tools, but the day-to-day work also requires recognizing what information is missing. A project may present different conditions than other developments and necessitate collaboration with specialists.
That approach explains a portion of the work undertaken by an engineering firm. The team must transform a request into specific questions and develop a solution that can be verified, within the project’s resources and objectives.
Industrial engineering and product design for third parties
When defining i-mas’ activities, the co-founders discuss product and process development. The examples discussed in the conversation range from everyday objects, devices, to solutions for industrial operations.
“We develop products for others”.
Oscar Serrano 40:37.
El product design and development transform needs into functions, forms, and components. The Industrial automation Studies how to carry out an operation using a technical solution integrated within.
Both activities require an understanding of the context. The outcome should be tailored to the user of the device or the person managing the process. Defining this relationship will help in selecting technologies and in organizing the work phases.
From the overall concept to verifiable requirements
An initial request often describes the desired outcome with insufficient detail for implementation. Development needs to specify conditions, interfaces, and priorities before finalizing an architecture.
In the conversation, the co-founders explain the wide range of situations the company faces. This diversity requires adapting the analysis and connecting previous experiences with new information.
The purpose of this editorial process is to create specifications that will enable decision-making. The team needs to understand what constitutes a “working” solution, how it will be tested, and what constraints influence the available options.
Integrating disciplines into a single product.
A device can combine mechanical, electronic, and software components. Decisions made regarding one aspect impact the space, power, assembly, or interaction of the others. Development requires coordinating this entire system.
La custom electronics It allows for the incorporation of control and connectivity when responding to a function. The physical design should include components and interfaces, and the user experience should make it easy for the technical capabilities to be utilized.
The interview provides a broad look at the profession: while specializations and career paths may vary, the project requires that people understand and share a common need.
To prototype and move from a proposal to concrete evidence.
Edgar and Óscar are reflecting on their initial experiences with 3D printing technology and how their expectations have evolved. The conversation explores the possibility of determining a specific form for the decision, and identifying the most suitable process for its production.
Los functional prototypes allow users to examine product aspects before industrialization. The testing should address a specific uncertainty and provide information that feeds back into the design.
The choice of technology depends on factors such as geometry, material, quantity, and function. A manufacturing tool can be useful in one phase and coexist with other processes in the next. The criteria are established based on the project’s specific conditions.
Machine vision and automation as applied tools.
The interview mentions machine vision projects within the i-mas experience. The technology enables the extraction of visual information for a specific function, but its integration requires a connection to the operational process.
The value emerges when a technical capability addresses a need – whether that’s observing a feature, guiding an action, or verifying a result. The selection of components and analysis should begin with this objective in mind.
This approach is also useful for evaluating new technologies. The team needs to test what they offer in a specific case, and what conditions are required, without assuming that their novelty automatically solves the development process.
Learning to structure problems throughout one’s career.
The conversation emphasizes the idea that learning continues beyond formal education. Projects and managing a business present situations that often differ from the examples used in training.
“You are taught to think”.
Oscar Serrano 35:05.
The contribution of engineering isn’t about knowing all the answers from the outset. It’s about using knowledge, observation, and collaboration to arrive at a solution that can be justified and verified.
That is also the editorial aim of “Toque de Ingenio”: to make visible how products are developed, the decisions made by their teams, and what they learn throughout the process. The interview opens a collection of experiences that connects innovation with real technical work.
Questions about industrial engineering and product design.
What does an industrial engineering and product design company do?
Develop solutions for product or process needs. At i-mas, the work encompasses analysis, design, technological integration, prototyping, and manufacturing preparation, all aligned with the project’s requirements.
What’s the difference between designing a product and automating a process?
The first focuses on a device and its intended use. Automation focuses on a specific operation; both require integrating technologies and verifying the outcome.
How does one choose a manufacturing technology?
Based on function, geometry, material, and quantity, as well as the necessary tests, the interview highlights that different technologies can coexist within the development process.
Four key takeaways from the chapter.
- Understanding the need is the first step in engineering.
- The product and process require a coherent integration.
- The prototype transforms hypotheses into observations.
- Learning and collaboration enable us to face new challenges.
From learning to product development.
At i-mas, a product design and engineering firm based in Barcelona, we support projects from initial concept and definition through to industrialization. We integrate design, electronics, automation, and prototyping, tailored to specific needs. Tell us what product or process you would like to develop..
You can also read. Quim Alcàntara’s explanation of the product development phases.
Source: Original interview from Toque de Ingenio, published on YouTube on March 4, 2024. The experiences, figures, and plans discussed in the interview are reflective of that specific time. The references to i-mas services are the editorial analysis of the article.
