WHAT IS ENGINEERING?

ACCREDITATION BOARD FOR ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

“Engineering is the profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences, gained by study, experience, and practice, is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize, economically, the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of mankind.”

REASONS FOR STUDENT INTEREST IN ENGINEERING

• Proficiency in math and science• High school counselor suggestion• Relative who is an engineer• Heard it’s a field with tremendous job opportunity• High starting salaries• Always took things apart as a child• Likes building things

THE ENGINEER AND SCIENTIST

Scientist• Discovering things

or acquiring knowledge

• Answers they seek may be abstract or practical

• Asks “Why?”

Engineer• Thinking about the

application when asking why

• Concerned with issues about a product• Cost• Demand• Impact on society and

the environment

SAME INDUSTRIES, DIFFERENT ROLES

Scientist• Study planets to

understand them• Atomic structure to

understand nature of matter

• Study tectonic plates to understand and predict earthquakes

Engineer• Design spacecraft

to operate on planet

• Smaller and faster microprocessors

• Study the movement of tectonic plates to design safer buildings

ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

“Engineering Technology is that part of the technological field which requires the application of scientific and engineering knowledge and methods combined with technical skills in support of engineering activities; it lies in the occupational spectrum between craftsman and engineering at the end of the spectrum closest to the engineer.”

-ABET

ENGINEER AND TECHNOLOGIST

Engineer• Apply technology

for a better society

• Create new technology through research, design, and development

Technologist• Apply technology

for a better society

• Work with existing technology to produce goods for society

TECHNOLOGIST VS. ENGINEER

Technologist• Identifies computer

proper networking equipment for business use

• Seeks out equipment needed to construct music player

Engineer• Designs new

computer boards to transmit data faster

• Designs new music player

WHAT DO ENGINEERS DO?

• The following slides contain the basic job functions of all engineering disciplines

RESEARCH ENGINEERS

• Interested in the application of sciences for a breakthrough

• Conduct experiments and interpret the data• Computational techniques used to answer

complex problems without experiments• Work for some research center

DEVELOPMENT ENGINEERS

• Apply knowledge of Research Engineers to a specific application

• Shows that something will work under actual conditions

• Identify areas of research that need modifications before full-scale production could begin

www.steffes.com/ engineering/testing.aspx

TESTING ENGINEERS

• Responsible for designing and implementing tests to verify integrity, reliability and quality of products

• Devises ways to simulate conditions a product will be used in

• Challenges are simulating life spans and acquiring accurate and reliable data

• Have wide range of technical and problem-solving skills, work well in teams and with management personnel

DESIGN ENGINEERS

• Provides detailed specifications of the products society uses

• May only be charge of a single part in an assembly

• Verifies product’s integrity• Communication with manufacturing

engineers is critical• Also work with existing products

• Redesign to reduce costs and time to produce

ANALYSIS ENGINEERS

• Performed in conjunction with design, development and research

• Typically specialists in a technology area important to products or services

• To produce required info, validation must occur with computer and mathematical models

SYSTEMS ENGINEERS

• Work with the overall design, development, manufacture, and operation of a complete system or product

• Ensure components work as a complete unit together

• Responsible for meeting overall design requirements

MANUFACTURING/CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERS

• Turn specifications from design into reality• Responsibility is to develop processes to

take raw materials and change them into the finished pieces

• Keep track of equipment, maintenance records, and inventories of materials

• Identify high-cost and -risk areas of manufacturing/construction

• Manufacturing-Indoor, Construction-outdoor

OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE ENGINEERS

• Coordinate the technician service schedule to ensure efficient service of machines

• Expertise with mechanical and electrical issues to maintain production lines and schedule

• Work in non-manufacturing roles

TECHNICAL SUPPORT ENGINEERS

• Serves as link between customer and product, assisting with setup

• Must have good interpersonal and problem-solving skills

• Solid technical training

• May troubleshoot problems with a product

www.coherent.com.au/ service/techsupport.htm

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

• Link between customer and manufacturer• Involved in business aspect of customer

relationships• Concerned with actual and perceived value by

the customer• Work closely with Technical Support and

Management Personnel

SALES

• Have interpersonal skills conducive to effective selling

• Trained to identify which products, services, and solutions are right for the customer and how they can be applied

• Some sales forces use engineers to answer technical questions

CONSULTING ENGINEERS

• Self-employed or work for a firm that does not provide goods and services directly to consumers

• Provide technical expertise to firms• Handle technical issues as arise and then move

on to another company• Might evaluate effectiveness of an organization

and methods for improvement

MANAGEMENT

• Engineers work themselves into project management positions

• More than one half of all engineers will be involved with some management responsibilities before career is over

• Acquire business or management training

www.unm.edu/cirt/ photos/hist/cirt90s.html

OTHER FIELDS

• Law, education, medicine, and business• Patent law needs engineering degree to be

effective due to technical issues• Corporate liability law is popular due to ability to

weigh technical and legal risks• Engineers may also teach from elementary all the

way to technical schools and universities