It’s not difficult to compare a mechanical engineer to a superhero. It may seem like an overstatement, but it’s not.Words used to describe a mechanical engineer include:
- Proactive
- Communicator and Leader
- Effective Under Pressure
- Problem Solver
- Team Player
Whether a machine is being built or a day is being saved, you’re using the same words.
Get to Know Your Friendly Neighbourhood Mechanical Engineer
So, what is it that makes a mechanical engineer so darn special? To begin with, mechanical engineering dates back thousands of years and may be considered the most diverse form of engineering. These guys design, develop, build, and test all kinds of equipment of any shape and size, within every industry innovation touches.
Typical tasks of a mechanical engineer include:
- Analyzing a problem to see how a mechanical device might resolve the issue by applying physics, engineering, mathematics, and materials science principles.
- Designing or redesigning mechanical devices and creating fabrication/assembly drawings for replication.
- Developing and testing prototypes.
- Analyzing test results to determine the reason for mechanical failures (if the component was not supposed to fail).
- Updating designs based on results.
- Evaluating schematics to determine how mechanical systems will work with other elements.
But at the end of the day, great mechanical engineers are explorers by nature who think outside the box and have likely gotten in trouble for their curiosity. The role requires a person who can step back to look at a lemon in front of them and write the recipe for a Hot Toddy.
A Match Made in Innovation Heaven
All of these qualities are what make test and mechanical engineering a dream team. Both specialties need a great amount of knowledge in varying, unrelated fields. Both require flexibility and openness to the unknown. Most importantly, both need to have the brains, experience and creativity to determine the best way something will work, if it works at all.
Think about this. To design the perfect test station, it doesn’t just happen. You need requirements that have been well-defined and analyzed by different types of engineers. The software and electrical engineers will come to their conclusions and make selections based on this information. But will it work? So then come the questions…Will all the parts fit within the defined space? Are all the moving parts well positioned to deliver an efficient workflow and avoid collisions? Are all electrical and pneumatic actuators strong enough to do their job? Was the right material selected to ensure the structural integrity of the station? Will the station be easy to assemble and maintain? Will it be complicated for the operator to use the station? Huh!
Enter the mechanical engineer. This is the secret weapon that will lead the project to a successful execution. He or she analyzes the requirements, studies the limitations, evaluates the measurements and scrutinizes the entire landscape. Using CAD, and/or the necessary tools, it will then be determined if this is a go or no-go, potentially averting crisis. Superhero.
Any major addition or change to a machine or production floor shouldn’t be implemented without the consultation of a mechanical engineer. When you consider the cost of downtime due to an unreliable station in the line, it’s just not worth it. Besides, all mechanical engineers want to do is make everything the best they can be. One might even say super.
Please contact Averna if you would like to meet with one of our mechanical engineers.
