A total of 23 students from the Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FET) attended an industrial talk titled “Enhancing Mechanical Engineering: Digital Tools for 3D Design, Controls, and Energy Optimisation in Buildings” on 12 December 2023 at the Melaka campus. Organised by the Industrial Linkage Committee (ILC) of the faculty, the talk session was conducted by Ir Daniel Lim Kim Chuan, Senior Principle (Founder), AD Consultants (M) Sdn Bhd.
During the session, students gained exposure to Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) engineering roles in building industry. As would be predicted the building industry is not spared by digitalisation. Digitalization in the forms of application of design software, 3D modelling application and detailed calculation software are no longer a privilege but a necessity to address growing technical complexity and size of facilities coupled with the ever-reducing building cost.
The industrial talk also focuses on the various stages of construction and the application of different software within those stages. Ir Daniel generously shared the application and advantages of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Autodesk Revit in the digitalisation of the building industry. The talk ended with a reminder that, while applications and tools seem to be able to replace many of the works done previously by engineers, they are there to assist as a tool should BUT not to replace engineering.
