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Unread 18-02-2008, 23:38
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Dan 1038 Dan 1038 is offline
Team Leader
AKA: Dan Stauft
FRC #4740 (Spartan Robotics)
Team Role: Leadership
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Rookie Year: 2005
Location: Smyrna, TN
Posts: 229
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Re: Engineers! Please share you experiences!!!

Here's my input:

1. What excites you most about engineering as a career?
Let's see - Oh, yeah! I still get to play with cars! Kidding aside, being able to solve problems that result in an improved process or product is my thing. I can look at my own car and see improvements that I contributed to, very cool! Also, on a manufacturing floor, every day is a new challenge - which can be a good thing or a bad one...

2. What made you decide to become an engineer?
My guidance counselor noted the 200 point split between my math and verbal SATs and thought I was prime for the job. Coupled with my inate ability to disassemble all of my Mom's appliances at a young age, with a 50/50 chance of re-assembly I might add, I was destined to be an engineer.

3. In your job, how important are good communication skills (written and spoken)?
In my current position with Toyota, communication is a, if not the, number one priority. Toyota is based on a "management by consensous" mentality, where we like to make important decisions which the stake holders buy into. In addition to verbal communication, our reports are also very visual, to help overcome the language barrier perhaps; here a pretty picture may actually get the deal sealed over a descriptive paragraph. Very challenging environment for a numbers guy.

4. Do you primarily work alone or in teams?
Teams, though each of us is specialized in certain areas.

5. Is it important for an engineer to understand strength of materials concepts (stress, strain, deformations)?
No doubt, the concepts are very useful - though, as an automotive manufacturing engineer in assembly and paint, I have yet to use the underlying calculus in a real world situation. SOM comes into play big time in stamping, welding, and vehicle design though - so it depends on where you end up.

6. What kind of engineering did you study?
BS Mechanical Engineering, MS Manufacturing Operations

7. What kind of engineering do you do now?
Automotive Manufacturing Engineering and data analysis

If you could please post where you work (company name) and how long you've worked there, that'd be great!
I have spent 15 years in automotive manufacturing... 2 Years with an aluminum wheel manufacturer, 13 years with GM (5 years on the Corvette and 8 years on mid sized sport utilities) and all of 5 months with Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America, I am currently assisting with the launch of a few new assembly plants in Canada and Mississippi.
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Dan

2011-Present
Founder & Team Lead, FRC Team 4740 - Spartabots, Nashville, TN
Founder, FRC Team 3945 - Cobrotics, Whites Creek, TN
Mentor, FRC Team 4306 - Robo Komodos, Franklin, TN

2005-2011
Mentor, FRC Team 1038 - Thunderhawks, Liberty Township, OH

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