I attend a lot of trade shows as many of you know. Recently, I was in New Orleans checking out the latest technologies at the International WorkBoat Show.
I got some great pics from the show floor. One of the sites that caught my eye was a booth selling marine air conditioners. A group of guys were at a table with plans spread out for a 200′ yacht! Can you imagine?
A guy from the show Deadliest Catch was there buying boats. His dad has almost 80 crab boats, and he was adding to his “small” fleet of 7 boats.
The technology is pushing on multiple fronts and the innovation impressed me. I was able to see a Voith propeller up close. Quite an engineering feat that is worth looking into up close.
At Meadows Analysis, we work in a variety of industries such as defense, structural, aeronautics and heavy machinery. We find ourselves doing design and engineering work for custom applications so we try and stay on top of the latest trends and technologies.
The show allowed me to evaluate the work we might have with boat builders and repair yards. I could see a lot of similar engineering concepts with the crane manufacturers in the industry as well that we would be able to help.
Typically we engage with custom designers to help them have confidence in their design to withstand the required loading from their harsh environments. We also help them meet certain specifications by authorities or from their customers. This is done with our design review processes and/or optimization of design they may need expertise on.
If you are in or know someone in the boating industry, be sure to let me know. Part of our process is doing our homework up front on industry standards and approaches to drive our design and engineering processes with. Great show to gather the intel and apply our expertise.
