- #1
MacLaddy
Gold Member
- 291
- 11
I’m wondering what skills are needed to go from being a project engineer (in the construction industry) to that of a mechanical design engineer? More specifically, what exactly is an employer looking for when they hire a design engineer?
We all know that any good engineer should have great interpersonal and communication skills. They should excel at working in teams and all that other fluffy stuff. But that isn’t what I’m looking for with this question. I am hoping to understand more of the specific nuances needed for this type of work. I'm also an ME, so I've got that part covered.
Example Scenario:
I’m asked for a hinge design. With my limited experience, I would carry out the following.
First, I would first get to know the owner and the space requirements for the hinge.
I would examine all the forces on the hinge, degrees of freedom, etc.
I would examine the amount of use, daily cycling, and possible failure modes.
I would look at their budget and recommend a design based on their needs (GD&T) and available materials/manufacturing techniques.
Once all of this data gathering is complete, I would design* the hinge in a CAD package (Inventor, Fusion, or Solidworks) and send for feedback. Probably to the owner and the manufacturing engineer or machinist.
What am I missing? What are the little (but important) things a design engineer does that aren’t listed in the description? Does a typical engineering firm expect their new-hire to sit down and create flawless designs with minimal revision, or is there a substantial learning curve with the unknown nuances I’m referring to?
And...last but not least, has my time as a project engineer hurt my chances for this career path?
I appreciate the feedback.
Mac
*In reality, I would probably find a hinge in McMaster-Carr that would work for the purpose. But I think you get the point.
We all know that any good engineer should have great interpersonal and communication skills. They should excel at working in teams and all that other fluffy stuff. But that isn’t what I’m looking for with this question. I am hoping to understand more of the specific nuances needed for this type of work. I'm also an ME, so I've got that part covered.
Example Scenario:
I’m asked for a hinge design. With my limited experience, I would carry out the following.
First, I would first get to know the owner and the space requirements for the hinge.
I would examine all the forces on the hinge, degrees of freedom, etc.
I would examine the amount of use, daily cycling, and possible failure modes.
I would look at their budget and recommend a design based on their needs (GD&T) and available materials/manufacturing techniques.
Once all of this data gathering is complete, I would design* the hinge in a CAD package (Inventor, Fusion, or Solidworks) and send for feedback. Probably to the owner and the manufacturing engineer or machinist.
What am I missing? What are the little (but important) things a design engineer does that aren’t listed in the description? Does a typical engineering firm expect their new-hire to sit down and create flawless designs with minimal revision, or is there a substantial learning curve with the unknown nuances I’m referring to?
And...last but not least, has my time as a project engineer hurt my chances for this career path?
I appreciate the feedback.
Mac
*In reality, I would probably find a hinge in McMaster-Carr that would work for the purpose. But I think you get the point.