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What courses or skills have been the most beneficial in your mechanical engineering career?
Looking back on your career as a mechanical engineer, which courses or specific skills have been the most beneficial in helping you succeed? Are there any particular subjects or hands-on experiences that you found especially valuable in your day-to-day work?
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Dennis’s Answer
Hello Damain: I like both of the previous answers. Each assignment you take on requires more depth of knowledge than the previous one. In engineering, the reward for doing a good job is another, more complicated, job.
My career was with one company, but I held several different positions. Initially, I was involved with the Fluid Mechanics of the engine, so my focus was on combustion air and exhaust flow through the engine. This eventually led to test and development work with turbo-chargers. All of this work had heavy emphasis on fluid mechanics, heat transfer and thermodynamics.
My next assignment involved diagnosing problems in engines in service, i.e. our engines already installed in trucks and tractors, bull-dozers, boats, etc. By this time, mini-computers came into common usage, so we employed one to do the tests and measurements required to diagnose engine problems. Again, the fluid/thermal knowledge was useful, but moreso, knowledge of pressure and temperature sensors, computer systems to do data acquistion along with data analysis and numerical analysis. I did a lot of coding for the execution of tests and for subsequent analysis of the measurements. Thus - any experience I already had - related to programming, logic, computer hardware and software was useful. And, I learned a lot more in the duration of this assignment.
My last assignment involved testing our pre-production products in their intended environment to ensure they would satisfy customer requirements. Many of the tests were conducted in real trucks, on a test track and on our highways. So, more data acquistion ( now , using lap-tops and some other devices, along with collecting real-time data from the engine controller and other electronic devices on the truck. Do you see where this is going?
By now, my expertise included the fluid/thermal aspects along with data analysis and processing, software, computer hardware and ....a little bit about heavy vehicles.
Here's the thing: What you learned in your first physics class - Newton's Law - always applies to the system you are studying; if it has electricity or electronics - Ohm's and Kirchoff's Laws come into play; if it moves or has a structure, there are more physical measurements to make, but they have to be related to certain rules of nature that you must be able to apply.
So, no particular course or lab exercise is MOST important. You must continue to build on what you first learned, and remember what you learned for the next thing you do.
Good luck, Damain! Study hard, ask questions, and keep on learning.
My career was with one company, but I held several different positions. Initially, I was involved with the Fluid Mechanics of the engine, so my focus was on combustion air and exhaust flow through the engine. This eventually led to test and development work with turbo-chargers. All of this work had heavy emphasis on fluid mechanics, heat transfer and thermodynamics.
My next assignment involved diagnosing problems in engines in service, i.e. our engines already installed in trucks and tractors, bull-dozers, boats, etc. By this time, mini-computers came into common usage, so we employed one to do the tests and measurements required to diagnose engine problems. Again, the fluid/thermal knowledge was useful, but moreso, knowledge of pressure and temperature sensors, computer systems to do data acquistion along with data analysis and numerical analysis. I did a lot of coding for the execution of tests and for subsequent analysis of the measurements. Thus - any experience I already had - related to programming, logic, computer hardware and software was useful. And, I learned a lot more in the duration of this assignment.
My last assignment involved testing our pre-production products in their intended environment to ensure they would satisfy customer requirements. Many of the tests were conducted in real trucks, on a test track and on our highways. So, more data acquistion ( now , using lap-tops and some other devices, along with collecting real-time data from the engine controller and other electronic devices on the truck. Do you see where this is going?
By now, my expertise included the fluid/thermal aspects along with data analysis and processing, software, computer hardware and ....a little bit about heavy vehicles.
Here's the thing: What you learned in your first physics class - Newton's Law - always applies to the system you are studying; if it has electricity or electronics - Ohm's and Kirchoff's Laws come into play; if it moves or has a structure, there are more physical measurements to make, but they have to be related to certain rules of nature that you must be able to apply.
So, no particular course or lab exercise is MOST important. You must continue to build on what you first learned, and remember what you learned for the next thing you do.
Good luck, Damain! Study hard, ask questions, and keep on learning.
Updated
William’s Answer
Dear Damain,
Thanks for the insightful question.
The initial drive is really triggered by curiosity & interest. By the time I was 10 years old, my older brothers & I were doing all our bicycle repairs at home. I then got involved in washing the family car, minor repairs such as changing car tyres & replacing inner tubes.
When I enrolled in to high school, mathematics, chemistry, geography & agriculture were my favorite subjects. I was also good in biology & physics.
Initially, I was attracted to the aviation industry (my late paternal uncle was a British & American trained aeronautical engineer). By my second year in high school my interest shifted to human medicine. It was in my fifth year in high school that I decided to become an engineer. In British Commonwealth, Higher School Certificate - prerequisite courses for University entry - is offered in the fifth & sixth year of high school.
As an engineering student, I had the opportunity to do internship with British American Tobacco (BAT). This gave me a chance to encounter high speed & highly automated machines. The fastest machine had an hydraulic coupling instead of the many coupling designs we normally see in practice. Your understanding of possibilities widens as result. The factory also had very high occupational health & safety standards. Understanding the process helps you appreciate why equipment designs are dictated by process design & the significance of quality ethic.
I spent all of my professional career working in the fast moving consumer goods sector, most of it in the beer industry.
When I joined the beer industry, my employer enrolled me on a brewing course with the prestigious Institute of Brewing & Distilling. I was a senior production supervisor & still on probation at the time. A deep understanding of the industry was essential for helping me understand why my job existed & where it fitted in the supply chain.
I was then trained as a facilitator of performance management for the business within my country. Besides helping the business turn strategy into goals & action plans, performance management drives corporate culture by helping us relate in a courteous way with not only our customers but also our fellow employees individually and within teams. It also helps managers to manage the performance of individuals & teams.
After three years in production, I was moved to the engineering department. I was put on a three year training program that included both domestic & foreign training. It was at this point that I was introduced to approaches such as Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) & Reliability Centered Maintenance that are the foundation of modern maintenance engineering. Their business processes include such things as strategy formulation, maintenance program development, problem solving, change management, inventory management, work management, information management, tools & workshop facilities, projects management, budget management and learning & development. At the end of this training, I became a packaging engineer (probably the most challenging engineering role in a brewery). I went on to occupy the role of engineering manager & maintenance manager. I'm also a trained facilitator of world class manufacturing practices and an internal auditor of quality management systems.
It all boils down to the talent management system in place. Businesses route talent where it's most effective & efficient with the consent of the individual secured during career discussions.
Every human being is unique. Success comes in many different ways. What is important is that we should be interested, curious passionate, diligent & willing to learn.
Engineers need problem solving skills to be able to identify & resolve root causes of the many challenges they encounter in the line of their duty.
Analytical skills enable engineers interpret drawings & reports, collect & analyze data etc.
Projects are an Integral part of the work engineers do (life-cycle approach to asset management). Engineers.
A maintenance program is a risk management strategy. To attain & maintain high asset productivity & efficiency, maintenance work needs to be planned & executed effectively & efficiently. To do this, engineers need to be competent.
In Africa, significant amounts of spares are imported from outside the continent. Lead times can be long. Spares inventory forms part of working capital. Finance puts a cap on how much you can hold in stock. Inventory management skills become very critical in such circumstances.
I hope my personal experience can be off help to you.
Thanks for the insightful question.
The initial drive is really triggered by curiosity & interest. By the time I was 10 years old, my older brothers & I were doing all our bicycle repairs at home. I then got involved in washing the family car, minor repairs such as changing car tyres & replacing inner tubes.
When I enrolled in to high school, mathematics, chemistry, geography & agriculture were my favorite subjects. I was also good in biology & physics.
Initially, I was attracted to the aviation industry (my late paternal uncle was a British & American trained aeronautical engineer). By my second year in high school my interest shifted to human medicine. It was in my fifth year in high school that I decided to become an engineer. In British Commonwealth, Higher School Certificate - prerequisite courses for University entry - is offered in the fifth & sixth year of high school.
As an engineering student, I had the opportunity to do internship with British American Tobacco (BAT). This gave me a chance to encounter high speed & highly automated machines. The fastest machine had an hydraulic coupling instead of the many coupling designs we normally see in practice. Your understanding of possibilities widens as result. The factory also had very high occupational health & safety standards. Understanding the process helps you appreciate why equipment designs are dictated by process design & the significance of quality ethic.
I spent all of my professional career working in the fast moving consumer goods sector, most of it in the beer industry.
When I joined the beer industry, my employer enrolled me on a brewing course with the prestigious Institute of Brewing & Distilling. I was a senior production supervisor & still on probation at the time. A deep understanding of the industry was essential for helping me understand why my job existed & where it fitted in the supply chain.
I was then trained as a facilitator of performance management for the business within my country. Besides helping the business turn strategy into goals & action plans, performance management drives corporate culture by helping us relate in a courteous way with not only our customers but also our fellow employees individually and within teams. It also helps managers to manage the performance of individuals & teams.
After three years in production, I was moved to the engineering department. I was put on a three year training program that included both domestic & foreign training. It was at this point that I was introduced to approaches such as Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) & Reliability Centered Maintenance that are the foundation of modern maintenance engineering. Their business processes include such things as strategy formulation, maintenance program development, problem solving, change management, inventory management, work management, information management, tools & workshop facilities, projects management, budget management and learning & development. At the end of this training, I became a packaging engineer (probably the most challenging engineering role in a brewery). I went on to occupy the role of engineering manager & maintenance manager. I'm also a trained facilitator of world class manufacturing practices and an internal auditor of quality management systems.
It all boils down to the talent management system in place. Businesses route talent where it's most effective & efficient with the consent of the individual secured during career discussions.
Every human being is unique. Success comes in many different ways. What is important is that we should be interested, curious passionate, diligent & willing to learn.
Engineers need problem solving skills to be able to identify & resolve root causes of the many challenges they encounter in the line of their duty.
Analytical skills enable engineers interpret drawings & reports, collect & analyze data etc.
Projects are an Integral part of the work engineers do (life-cycle approach to asset management). Engineers.
A maintenance program is a risk management strategy. To attain & maintain high asset productivity & efficiency, maintenance work needs to be planned & executed effectively & efficiently. To do this, engineers need to be competent.
In Africa, significant amounts of spares are imported from outside the continent. Lead times can be long. Spares inventory forms part of working capital. Finance puts a cap on how much you can hold in stock. Inventory management skills become very critical in such circumstances.
I hope my personal experience can be off help to you.
Updated
Liam’s Answer
Technical drawing plays a vital role in my engineering Carrer. It ensures clear communication to Customers and Vendors, precision, and efficiency throughout the design and production processes. Its importance has only grown with the integration of digital tools like CAD, but the principles of technical drawing remains very important to successful engineering practices.
Physics also played a big part in my engineering career because it helped to understand the forces, materials, and energy systems that are considered in the designing process. A solid understanding of physics principles is very important to problem-solving, innovating, and creating efficient, safe, and sustainable designs.
Physics also played a big part in my engineering career because it helped to understand the forces, materials, and energy systems that are considered in the designing process. A solid understanding of physics principles is very important to problem-solving, innovating, and creating efficient, safe, and sustainable designs.