In an ideal role, the Safety Engineer will be part of the design team, with primary emphasis on the safety of equipment operations and maintenance (especially where human operators are part of the process.) Unfortunately, most often the Safety Engineer will be brought in to review safety issues only after the process and/or product has been placed in operation. In many cases, the Safety Engineer will be reviewing personnel injuries, trying to determine the underlying cause(s). In this latter application, the additional safety requirements for personnel and equipment can drive the cost of production excessively high due to the inherent nature of “fixing” problems in production level equipment. The Safety Engineer will also be required to understand and implement rules mandated by state and federal agencies such as NIOSH, OSHA, and others charged with production personnel safety.
The Systems Engineer is frequently thought of as the jack-of-all-trades. Most are involved with both work processes and equipment operation. Much of the work involves engineering design considerations, but, at the same time, must deal with the human aspects of machines. In short, the Systems Engineer is both an engineer and a project manager. In the latter role, the Systems Engineer must be involved with vendor selection, process/machine interactions, personnel training requirements, equipment staging, material flows, and the list goes on. From systems design, development, installation, to operation, the Systems Engineer has primary responsibility to ensure the whole system works smoothly and as predicted. The role of the Systems Engineer and the Manufacturing Engineer can overlap to a large amount. The Systems Engineer may have a greater role in vendor selection and project management, but the difference is slight. More schools will have a degree program in Manufacturing Engineering than in Systems Engineering.
Originally, the term Industrial Engineer was applied to those individuals within the manufacturing area responsible for the management of equipment, processes, and the people on the manufacturing floor. The term is now more related to the analysis of processes, systems, and organizational structure, and how the interaction of the three operates most effectively. The Industrial Engineer will have a program study similar to that of the Manufacturing Engineer and the Systems Engineer.
As one might expect, the role of the Aerospace Engineer is concerned with the design, research, development, and testing of airborne systems. The field may be broken into two realms, with the differentiation being whether the system is atmospheric (aeronautics) or exoatmospheric (astronautics). Airframes, wing foils, propulsion, cabin pressure, atmospheric conditioning, and similar elements are all part of the Aerospace Engineer’s work. The U.S. space program from the early unmanned spacecraft to Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and the Space Shuttle were all prime career opportunities for the Aerospace Engineer. Other programs such as satellite communications, interplanetary probes, and other space vehicles are also an active part of the space program, all opportunities for the Aerospace Engineer.
The Biomedical Engineer is a relatively new field for engineers. Many of the developments now being made were developed through teams of doctors, electrical engineers, materials engineers, and mechanical engineers earlier. The Biomedical Engineer must have a good understanding of human physiology and how the body reacts to the intrusion of foreign materials. New instruments are being developed by the Biomed Engineer, with such tools as MRI and Catscan being two examples. The field may have more than one development path, ranging from the design of new equipment to the development of new drugs to treat illnesses.
The Materials Engineer is somewhat a cross between a physicist, chemist, and mechanical engineer. In many instances, the Materials Engineer plays the role of the Reliability Engineer in researching and finding root causes of failures in a product. Obviously, the Materials Engineer will have to spend a large portion of their studies dedicated to material properties, with the understanding of the chemical makeup and reactions between certain materials and the elements in which they are used.
The field engineer may be an academically trained engineer or may be an experienced technician. In either case, the field engineer takes a different perspective to a new product. The field engineer is primarily interested in the Mean-Time-to-Repair (MTTR) aspects of the product. In looking at the system, the field engineer is interested in what type of diagnostics will be available? What special tools or test equipment will be needed? Are there adequate access panels for service? Are there any trouble shooting aids provided (which may take the form of flow charts, frequently asked questions, or trouble shooting guides)? Are the installation instructions and dismantle instructions clear and complete? What special training is needed and available? The field engineer needs to ensure that the product is maintainable and that the field team will be prepared for the product when it gets to the field.
From this discussion, it should be evident that the term “engineer” may encompass a variety of studies and career paths for the engineering student. The field of engineering is somewhat like an onion; it appears simple on the surface, but as you peel back the layers, there are more new layers to explore. There is a growing demand in industry for trained, skilled engineers. No matter what field of engineering, engineering support, or other technical field you may choose, you must be able to communicate your findings, suggestions, or results to others. In many cases, those individuals will be technical or scientific persons, and such communication may be easy. On the other hand, they will often be non-technical persons such as business-oriented management and sales people, product or service users, and people who are not technically trained. It is your responsibility to make yourself understood, whether in writing reports and proposals, or speaking at conferences. This is one aspect of scientific and engineering fields that both authors found absolutely essential in their work as engineers, instructors, and managers.
It is also extremely important to recognize the responsibilities assumed as engineers progress in their careers. Every so often you can hear an explanation similar to this when telling someone their result is wrong, “It looked okay to me. I got the figures from Joe and he does good work.” The response can be, “It’s your responsibility to know that what you turn in is right. Did you check the calculations to verify their correctness?” That sort of exchange is not very different from some the authors have heard in industry. Whatever you turn in on any project, paper or hardware, is your responsibility, not someone else’s. Another member of the team may have done the calculations, or piece of work, but in accepting it, you have accepted responsibility for its completeness, accuracy, and acceptability for the intended purpose. As you progress in industry, whether by promotion or leadership assignment, you rely on others to do many tasks, but you are still responsible for the overall result. In other words, as you progress, the extent and level of your responsibility for performance and results actually increases. It does not diminish!
One other aspect of engineering that must be expected is that over time the field will change as new materials, technologies, and applications are brought to the marketplace, regardless of the type of engineering. As a result, you will need to maintain your skill set through continuing education and training.
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