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Re: mentoring help wanted...!
Re: mentoring help wanted...! -- kry79	Post Reply	Top of thread	Forum

Posted by: RandyKimball ® 04/19/2004, 21:42:45 Author Profile Mail author Edit

I agree completely. I was taught that an engineer is a person that solves problems. What problems you solve can be as varied as the number of different companies and products. Some companies have well structured processes in which the problems are solved. They use meetings and special software to cooperate between engineers and other staff members. Other companies have no structure at all and you must be a strong self starter as well as be a take charge type engineer always fighting the need of sales to design and develop first one then another product. I often see changes in the very product I'm designing a machine to produce before I can get the machined parts back from my vendors to assemble or, even worse, just as soon as the new machine goes on line. Better structure would be nice in this case. However, I have been elsewhere and had a very difficult time getting even vital changes of any kind made to a product. My point is (sorry) there is no answer. You will do whatever the company needs you for... thus interviews. When times are tough you take the job that will feed you steady, when better times come you can then choose a position that best fits your skills and talents. -randy- The worst suggestion of you lifetime may be the catalyst to the grandest idea of the century, never let suggestions go unsaid nor fail to listen to them. Modified by RandyKimball at Mon, Apr 19, 2004, 21:47:46

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mentoring help wanted...!
Re: mentoring help wanted...! -- kry79	Post Reply	Top of thread	Forum

Posted by: Cragyon ® Administrator, Administrator 04/17/2004, 08:29:15 Author Profile Mail author Edit

Obviously, you will use CAD/CAM in some capacity in your coming career. If you work as a Mechanical Designer, your responsibilities and contributions will be driven by the industry and culture of the organization you work in. Designers tasks are typically as follows: review and meet with cognizant engineers, manufacturing, and program staff to understand the project and design requirements requirements. Then, a process of designing and reviewing with your team members until the design is complete. Following the design tasks, the detail design (drafting) will be done. Drafting requirements tends to be industry and culture driven as well. In general, the more complex a product, and manufacturing requirements including tight tolerances, complex assembly requirements the more documentation will be required. For automotive, aerospace, and other very-high tech organizations, a good knowledge of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing GD&T will be required. My buddy who runs this website (I’m name dropping) has wrote and sells a really good book on the subject called  Geometric Boundaries, The Interpretation and Application of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing. Now, not all industries and products require extensive detailing requirements. Products, such as plastic and sheet metal tend to require a more generic and simplified drafting documentation requirement. In fact, in the plastics industry, often detail drafting is not even done. The part is manufactured from the model and visually inspected. After a design is completed, typical designer tasks are document maintenance, writing change notices, and improving product designs as well as tooling design, etc… Hope this helps! Good Luck!

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