Questions for Mechanical Engineers

[jspatz1]

Originally Posted by Mechkrunch

I am doing a project for one of my PLTW classes that invloves interviewing some engineers in the field I am going to enter. As you can see from above I would like to be a Mechanical Engineer.

I am looking for a couple of professional engineers that would be willing to answer the following questions:

1.Why did you become a Mechanical Engineer?
2.Where did you go to college and what is you highest level of education?
3.Where do you work?
4.What is your job description?
5.Do you enjoy what you do?
6.What is the most interesting project you have ever worked on?
7.What advice would you have for a student studying Mechanical Engineering?
8.What do other Mechanical Engineers in your company do?
9.What are the most important qualities of a Mechanical Engineer?
10.How many other types of Engineers do you work with and what types?

When you are done please either post your answers in this thread or PM them to me.

Thanks,
Jacob Paikoff

p.s. This project is due at the end of this week.

Jacob,
I'll be happy to help you out with your assignment. Lots of my team members and my own son are in PLTW classes. I am a mechanical engineer since 1983, and all of my work has been with machine design.

1. I became a mech. engineer because I love to build and create things that don't yet exist. Of course I have the standard love of science, but what I really love is designing something that is only an idea, then making it a reality.

2. I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Kansas University, 1983.

3. I worked for 17 years doing machine design for both AT&T and for Hallmark Cards. I now work for myself (and coach FIRST robotics.)

4. Designing and overseeing the construction and start-up of new manufacturing machines and systems, and modifiying and improving existing equipment.

5. I love what I do. I can't imagine life without building and creating new stuff. I regularly get to see something I have designed move and work for the first time, and it is always a thrill.

6. I was part of a R&D team that created an entirely new approach to producing greeting cards at Hallmark. Can't say much about it but it was a very interesting project. However, helping build FRC robots is right up there as most interesting also.

7. Don't pursue this career unless you have in you that genuine love for science, technology and creation. Without that, it would just be a job. And if you do have it, don't do anything else, because anything else would just be a job.

8. Some mech. engineers I worked with oversaw broader production issues, rather than designing specific hardware themselves. They were my customers, and I tried to provide the equipment they needed to do their job and make their processes successful. Other engineers were managers or supervisors of people or projects. I myself prefered to work with the nuts and bolts.

9. Being creative and imaginative are first, then having that love for science and technology. You must also be patient, determined, and persistent, because the problems you tackle have probably already been worked on by someone else. Of course you must be smart, but that can be learned, the other stuff can't.

10. In my job I worked mostly with electrical engineers, but also chemical and material. Electrical engineers did the control systems for the machines I designed, so we worked closely. Occasionaly chemical engineers were my customers for equipment that did chemical processes, or material engineers specified the conditions of the process.

Hope this helps.