Engineer: AI-cheap engineering will change which manufacturing jobs get a yes
burhop · x · 2026-10-26
Manufacturing engineer Burhop published an essay on what happens when AI makes engineering preparation cheap.
- Core question: which opportunities have we learned to ignore because engineering effort was too expensive? Example: quoting 10 replacement guides for an aging packaging machine — feasible, but prep costs push customers to keep nursing old parts
- Early evidence: MSP Manufacturing reports CloudNC's CAM Assist cut one part's programming from 1.5–2 hours to 23 minutes; Spectrum CNC says quote prep time dropped 60%
- The author cautions these are cherry-picked accounts excluding software, implementation, proving and inspection costs
- Takeaway: AI's most interesting effect is changing which projects get a yes — small-batch, low-margin jobs may benefit first
A substantive read for small shop owners and independent engineers.
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