Speaker 1 (00:00): In this episode we're discussing what mechanical
engineers do, the types of jobs they can have.
Houston, we have a problem.
The industries where they work.
Speaker 2 (00:10): And we're starting right now.
Speaker 1 (00:15): Hey, 1% Nation, I'm Jake Voorhees and you
are watching The 1% Engineer Show where we empower young engineers to rise to the top
1% of their career.
If you want to be a successful engineer, start now by subscribing and hitting the bell so
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Mechanical engineering graduates are sought by employers and almost all sectors of engineering
each year.
There are more mechanical engineering graduates by far than any other type of engineer.
This shows how wide the trade really is and how you can work in any field that you like.
Later on in this video, I have a detailed breakdown of all the fields that you can work
on, but first, what do mechanical engineers actually do?
Mechanical engineers, research, design, develop, build and test mechanical and thermal devices
including tools, engines and machines.
They design and oversee the manufacturing of many products ranging from medical devices
to new batteries.
Speaker 1 (01:10): They also designed power producing machines
such as electric generators, internal combustion engines and steam and gas turbines as well
as power using machines like refrigeration and air conditioning systems.
In terms of the tasks, the duties, what mechanical engineers actually do and work on can break
it down into these five areas.
They analyze problems to see how a device might solve that problem.
They may design or redesign mechanical and thermal products using analysis and computer
aided design to solve that problem.
They may develop and test prototypes of devices that they designed.
They may analyze the test results and change the design as needed, and they may also oversee
the manufacturing of a device that they designed.
You could be involved with just one or two of these processes or the entire end to end
life cycle of that device come up below if you think that mechanical engineering is the
right fit for you and why mechanical engineers generally work in offices like most engineers
who work outside of the construction industry, they may occasionally visit work sites where
a problem or piece of equipment needs their personal attention.
Speaker 1 (02:15): They work mostly in engineering services,
research and development and manufacturing industries like other engineers, mechanicals,
use computers to help create an analyze their designs, running simulations and test how
machine is likely to work.
There are three types of mechanical engineering professional exams, which helps us to understand
the three core areas where design happens.
You may not always work with design.
Again, it could be research and development, but if you're going to design something in
your career as a mechanical engineer, you will most likely be in one of these three
areas.
That's what the professional engineering exam is for, so you can stamp a plan that you designed
so that component, that device, that entity can actually go into manufacturing to be made
and then solve a problem in the world.
Those three areas are machine design and materials, thermal and fluid systems and HVAC and refrigeration,
and now that you have a better understanding of what mechanical engineers actually do,
let's take a look at all the sub markets where you could potentially get a job and many roles.
Speaker 1 (03:13): You will become an engineering specialist
within a certain industry.
Most professionals do this in their career.
You can switch it up if you like, but generally it takes five to 10 years to truly become
an expert in one niche area.
We do best, so for example, if you start out your career in aerospace engineering and you
really like it, you will probably stay in that industry for the entirety of your career
as long as you like it, as long as you're happy, you can switch it up if you choose.
But most engineers, they choose a niche and they stay there.
For example, with me, I'm a civil, I'm a transportation engineer.
I will most likely not deviate too far from transportation engineering.
With that being said, I'm going to talk about 12 sub markets that you could potentially
work in, so stick along to the end of this video because these are all really cool areas.
Speaker 1 (03:58): Starting with the one that we already mentioned,
aerospace engineering.
I see a lot of questions like, can I become an aerospace engineer as a mechanical engineer
and vice versa, and the answer is yes.
Within the aerospace sector, a graduate engineer will work with new technologies.
For example, advanced materials, new manufacturing processes or highly efficient cooling systems,
converting demanding requirements into optimize production component designs later in their
careers.
They might be leading the innovation of these technologies.
For example, the composite fan blades or power gearbox for the ultra fan.
That's an engine that rolls Royce makes for airliners.
Alternatively, they may be leading engineering teams that apply those technologies to the
next generation of power systems.
The automotive industry, I'm a mechanical engineer in the automotive industry, will
closely work with engineers from other disciplines and will often become a multi-skilled engineer.
They may specialize in a particular area such as body engineering, chassis engineering,
powertrain engineering, manufacturing or engineering quality with Tesla, Toyota, GM, Nissan, and
many other car manufacturers making electric vehicles.
Speaker 1 (05:02): There are many opportunities to work in futuristic
technologies.
The world's transportation is gradually seeing an increase in the use of electric or hybrid
cars and addition car parts.
Suppliers are often tasked with designing the most innovative systems within an automobile.
The manufacturer itself is often more concerned with integrating the technology.
For example, a company that applies industrial coatings to auto parts also designs and builds
the robots that apply that coding the built environment industry.
What kind of engineers in the built environment sector are responsible for designing the heating,
ventilation, air conditioning and smoke vent systems that make up these buildings?
They can work on projects ranging from hospitals, offices and shopping malls to airports, universities
and railway systems as they mature professionally.
That will often take on responsibility for other technical disciplines to produce coordinated
designs that meet client requirements.
The chemical industry, mechanical engineers in the chemical industry are typically involved
delivering reliable improvements, technical support or major capital expenditure projects
on a range of cutting edge automated production assets including conveyors, industrial ovens,
pipe work, valves, pumps and robotics.
Speaker 1 (06:11): The defense industry engineers in the defense
industry are involved in the design, development and testing of complex mechanical systems
through three D modeling and a range of analysis tools.
They ensure that the structural integrity, thermal properties, mass manufacturing, assembly
and cost of the equipment meet the requirements of the air, sea or land operating environments.
The consumer goods industry.
Most of the graduate roles and the fast moving consumer goods industry are of those in two
areas.
Manufacturing slash, engineering or supply network operations and logistics for both
of these areas.
The work is not defined in nice separate buckets of mechanical, electrical, chemical, but it
is normally a mixture of different engineering disciplines.
As a general manufacturing or logistics engineer.
Graduates will pick up skills from other disciplines as they grow through their training and career.
You guys may be noticing, but certain sectors will utilize more general skillsets.
Speaker 1 (07:04): So if you're not absolutely in love with aerospace
or automotive engineering, you can go into one of these fields like consumer goods and
logistics such that you can pick up peripheral industries and figure out your absolute mechanical
engineering passion along the way.
The Marine industry and the engineer in the Marine industry could be involved in designing,
installing, or maintaining the engines, boilers, chefs and propellers that power a world fleet.
You can be part of enforcing national or international regulations for sea and air pollution or designing
the next generation of cleaner ships, the materials and metal industry and engineer.
In the materials and metals industry will be involved in the design, development and
testing of a range of complex mechanical systems.
They will work on the full maintenance life cycle of the mechanical plant items such as
steam turbines, gas turbines, pumps, valves, pipe work, coal mills and fans.
Speaker 1 (07:54): The oil and gas industry and engineer at an
oil company will work with a range of equipment such as gas turbines, compressors, heaters,
vessels and piping.
For example, they might investigate operational difficulties or help to build new assets and
modify existing ones.
Mechanical engineers at an oil service company are responsible for designing the equipment
and machines that the offshore engineers and technicians depend upon, such as pipelines,
valves, and turbines, making sure that they are reliable, efficient, and safe.
To use.
Biomedical engineer working in the biomedical industry, mechanical engineers change lives.
They create better, more lifelike artificial limbs to improve the quality of life for injured
and disabled people.
Pacemakers, artificial valves, and even robotic surgical assistants are all the work of mechanical
engineers as are the running blades used at Paralympic events.
The power generation industry energy production relies on mechanical engineers to design,
build and maintain structures and systems that collect, contain and transmit vast amounts
of energy from wind blades, gearboxes and towers to high pressure boilers and nuclear
reactors.
Speaker 1 (09:00): And finally, the rail industry engineers in
the rail industry will work on overhead line systems and we'll write specifications for
these systems, review designs and answer technical queries.
Some mechanical engineers become track engineers, which involves doing the same jobs but on
the track systems instead.
So those are 12 different sectors that you could find yourself working in as an engineer.
The tasks that you may be doing and the types of avenues you could go down as a designer
within mechanical engineering.
Comment below on what you believe is your favorite industry in mechanical engineering.
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Speaker 2 (09:46): hungry on your quest to become a 1% engineer.