What Companies Hire Mechanical Engineers
Mechanical engineering is a very broad field and its definition is equally broad in that it is the act of designing and developing complex mechanical equipment. These designs can include items as basic as a household appliance or as complex as a component to a nuclear energy plant.
What are mechanical engineers?
Mechanical engineers research, design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal devices including tools and machines. They also oversee the manufacture of mechanical products such as medical devices, batteries, power generating equipment such as generators, internal combustion engines, and gas or steam turbines, and also power using machines such as refrigeration.
There are three basic types of mechanical engineering. They are HVAC and refrigeration, machine design and materials, and thermal/fluid systems. Each of these can easily overlap with another during a complex design process. Once an individual chooses one of those three areas of engineering, they usually stay close to that field throughout their career.
5 Main Areas of Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering can be broken down into five main areas of concentration, and each of these areas is well covered by excellent mechanical design firms who have or have access to the various types of engineers required for any particular project.
1.Analyze problems to see how a design can solve a problem.
2.Design/Redesign products by using problem-solving analysis and computer-aided design (CAD).
3.Develop Prototypes to test the playamo viability and effectiveness of a design.
4.Test Designs and Analyze results and modify designs as required based on test results.
5.Oversee Manufacturing of a design.
Mechanical engineers typically have at least a bachelor’s degree. Some of the qualities of a mechanical engineer are creativity, ability to listen and analyze, excellent math and mechanical skills, and perhaps most importantly, problem-solving skills. A master’s degree is usually required for career advancement in the engineering field as it prepares engineers for more complex projects.
It would be an expensive proposition to house an expert in each field. So oftentimes companies will rely on the best engineering staffing agencies to provide the specialized talent that is needed when tackling unique complex R & D, design and manufacturing projects. In 2015 and 2016, more mechanical engineers graduate than any other type of engineer.
Where do mechanical engineers work?
The following list, although somewhat comprehensive, does not begin to cover all of the possible applications of mechanical engineering. However, It provides enough detail to give you a good understanding of the breadth of the field and the many industries in which mechanical engineering is used.
1.Aerospace Industry – This field is an incubator and the birthplace of many leading edge and state-of-the-art technologies such as composites, advanced manufacturing processes, aircraft engines, and aerodynamics.
2.Automotive Industry – Integration of systems and automobile manufacturing processes
3.Environmental Engineering – This field includes HVAC for commercial buildings, hospitals, universities, and airports and often coordinates with other engineering disciplines
4.Chemical Industry – Piping, chemical transport and flow, piping, conveyors
5.Defense Industry – Design of complex weapons and their support systems; 3D modeling
6.Consumer Goods – Product design and the supply network or logistics of product movement and storage
7.Marine Industry – Design of marine craft and powerplants, enforcement of international regulations
8.Materials and Metals – Develop, design and test steam and gas turbines, pumps and valves, piping, coal mills and fans
9.Oil and Gas Industry – Design of compressors, valves, vessels and offshore technology; pipelines
10.Biomedical Industry – Artificial limbs, pacemakers, surgical robotics and heart valves
11.Power Generation – Design structures and systems to collect, contain and transmit energy
Rail Industry – Design track systems, overhead power rail lines, write specifications.
Perhaps one other field that should be mentioned and that is inexorably connected is Project Management. Project Management can span any and all of these interrelated fields and is a career path within engineering itself. It is the art of shepherding an engineering project from its inception through development, design, test and manufacture.
The 12 industries cited all offer opportunity and variety, and each fit within one of the three main areas, e.g. HVAC, Machine & Materials, and Thermal & Fluid Systems. However, a mechanical engineer often will be called upon to cross-functional lines and work with various engineering teams. This is one of the advantages of mechanical engineering as it does provide engineers opportunities to work in numerous disciplines throughout their careers.
