The role of the mechanical design engineer is rapidly evolving with the modernization of manufacturing and new tools emerging to guide mechanical design engineers. Naomichi Taketa, account manager at NewtonWorks Corporation, explores what the role of the modern mechanical design engineer looks like in 2025
FEA is historically tricky and expensive, leading many companies to skip pre-analysis steps or the process altogether. Software tools are emerging that enable design and material engineers to take back control of the pre-design process. The role of the typical design engineer has thus rapidly transformed in recent years. Self-enabling software is reducing lead time, enabling removal of waste from the creation process and improving communication barriers.
The manufacturing industry is experiencing a significant shift toward digital transformation, which is altering traditional engineering roles. Design engineers, once heavily reliant on manual processes, are now at the forefront of adopting smart manufacturing tools.
These advancements empower engineers to work faster, smarter and with enhanced precision. But how exactly will these transformations shape the role of the design engineer in 2025 and beyond?
A demanding connective world
Manufacturers must now be more agile and adaptive in 2025, quickly anticipating the changing market demands and customer needs.
In the 2025 Smart Manufacturing and Operations Survey by Deloitte, 85% of respondents said they believe smart manufacturing initiatives will transform the way products are made, created and improved, and 49% said they believe operational benefits are the most sought-after value offered by smart manufacturing, with improved efficiency and reduced production costs.
The NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) describes smart manufacturing as being “fully integrated” and “collaborative” and that it responds in real time across all supply chain functions. Forward-thinking companies are already adopting this to stay relevant and competitive in their industry.
But businesses will not be the only ones that need to adapt. The role of the modern engineer is also quickly changing. Less hierarchical engineering job roles, like the mechanical design engineer, can now leverage automation and self-enabling design tools to perform historically complex analysis.
Once discarded due to its time-consuming nature and technical skill requirements, pre-design analysis can now be performed by mid-level engineers, enabling design flaws to be identified and addressed earlier in the production process.
Three changes in the design role
The role of the mechanical design engineer is evolving to become more digitally integrated and collaborative, with a strong focus on sustainability (reducing waste).
I see this transformation as beneficial in three areas.
1. Saving time on production
The pre-analysis step has historically been skipped, resulting in more prototype waste and project costs. According to a McKinsey & Company report, digital and automated design technologies can reduce product development cycles by up to 30%, significantly cutting lead times and enhancing productivity (McKinsey, 2023).
With the development of new technologies, mechanical design engineers can now relieve pressure on lead engineers. Ultimately, these software tools are transforming mid-senior engineer roles, enabling traditional pre-production steps to be eliminated or allocated to a lower-cost employee, overall increasing project speed. Specifically, these tools have reduced long lead times in creating prototypes, which typically took two months or more.
2. Removing prototype waste
Traditionally, engineers created several prototypes for testing before sending the final design to production. Although this was important to reduce problems down the line, it would result in excessive prototype waste and the use of materials. It was necessary to 3D print several models for testing – this can now be avoided with self-enabling pre- and post-FEA analysis software.
3. Reducing communication barriers
Modern analysis software helps to reduce friction from cultural, time and language barriers. Engineers often work across time zones and languages, delivering projects at tight deadlines. Information can be ‘lost in translation’, which causes delays and more prototype waste. Self-enabling software with a two-dimensional cross-section and a smart GUI enables application design engineers to work on projects quickly and own the pre- and post-design in their local team. This also reduces language and time barriers.
According to recent research, integrating collaborative digital platforms and intuitive graphical interfaces, often enhanced by AI, can boost efficiency by up to 8% annually for leading organizations. These platforms support real-time collaboration, minimize misunderstandings and enable faster decision-making. In industrial environments, intuitive GUIs that deliver real-time monitoring, diagnostics and alerting empower operators to respond quickly and optimize performance, further streamlining operations and enhancing safety.
Read recent studies on digital collaboration, platform strategy and productivity:
Digital collaboration for a connected manufacturing workforce, McKinsey, 2020
Level up: Elevate your business with a platform strategy, Accenture, 2024
The productivity payoff: Unlock competitiveness with gen AI, Accenture, 2024
Manufacturing is modernizing, and so too is the role of the typical mechanical design engineer. It’s already underway. Dedicated software built with a two-dimensional cross-section and a smart GUI is already transforming the mid-level engineer’s role, eliminating time-consuming tasks and speeding up processes.
Overall, the increase in efficiency will save companies on large project costs and lead to better customer satisfaction.