2 answers
Jaiden
Student
Gainesville, Georgia
1
Question
Asked
285 views
What is something Mechanical Engineer’s forget, that’s needed to make it through the finish line, whether it’s a common misconception , rule, belief, or action?
Finishing the Job
Dealing with people
Type of mindset needed
Helpful tips
Login to comment
2 answers
Dan Costigan
Application Engineer
4
Answers
Brookfield, Wisconsin
Updated
Dan’s Answer
My personal opinion- engineers sometimes get lost in the weeds and will fight over specific details without conceding the whole picture. I was guilty of this early in my career. "Technically correct" isn't always the best kind of correct.
Try to remember that your work is only a small part of a much bigger operation and that other people will depend on your work to make their lives easier (or harder). One decimal place can be the difference between the worst job ever ran & the easiest setup of an operator's career. Never hesitate to become close with the people who read your drawings & always be willing to learn from them.
Try to remember that your work is only a small part of a much bigger operation and that other people will depend on your work to make their lives easier (or harder). One decimal place can be the difference between the worst job ever ran & the easiest setup of an operator's career. Never hesitate to become close with the people who read your drawings & always be willing to learn from them.
William Vvuko
Retired engineer
70
Answers
Moyo, Northern Region
Updated
William’s Answer
Hi Jaiden,
Engineering work is generally guided by standards. These standards include technical specifications, procedural standards & regulatory requirements especially relating to safety, health & protection of the environment.
Safety legislation covers such areas as pressure vessels, storage of hazardous materials (corrosive, poisonous, radioactive materials etc.). Their design, construction & maintenance is governed by strict codes. Many incidents have been encountered due to lapses in strict compliance, some with severe consequences.
Engineers that have been involved in maintenance work for many years sometimes work without reference to machine drawings. Errors sometimes occur as a result.
On the shop-floor, in a production environment, conflicts sometimes develop between the process crew & maintenance team members because the process team feels it's concerns are not being sufficiently address. Best practice requires that customer feedback is taken seriously & communication strategy allows for escalation of unaddressed issues. Process control by operators includes equipment monitoring. Process control sheets must be reviewed daily by the maintenance teams during their review meetings.
Maintenance crews sometimes disregard suggestions from operators. Some of the most brilliant ideas often come from operators as they spend most of their hours of work with machines.
Framework for innovation allows a bottom up flow of these ideas.
For a disciplined approach to work to take root, the maintenance crew must be fully competent. This way, the number of honest mistakes become occasional & strict adherence to standard procedures & work instructions is easily enforced.
Teamwork ensures that honest sharing of ideas & experiences takes place.
As individuals, we often have biases & misconceptions about people that sometimes erode our objectivity.
The above are some of the challenges mechanical engineers face at the workplace. Mindset change is driven by values that shape corporate culture and employee behavior. Best practices ensure that there is discipline & urgency in ensuring all planned work gets done on time in full and to the required standard.
Engineering work is generally guided by standards. These standards include technical specifications, procedural standards & regulatory requirements especially relating to safety, health & protection of the environment.
Safety legislation covers such areas as pressure vessels, storage of hazardous materials (corrosive, poisonous, radioactive materials etc.). Their design, construction & maintenance is governed by strict codes. Many incidents have been encountered due to lapses in strict compliance, some with severe consequences.
Engineers that have been involved in maintenance work for many years sometimes work without reference to machine drawings. Errors sometimes occur as a result.
On the shop-floor, in a production environment, conflicts sometimes develop between the process crew & maintenance team members because the process team feels it's concerns are not being sufficiently address. Best practice requires that customer feedback is taken seriously & communication strategy allows for escalation of unaddressed issues. Process control by operators includes equipment monitoring. Process control sheets must be reviewed daily by the maintenance teams during their review meetings.
Maintenance crews sometimes disregard suggestions from operators. Some of the most brilliant ideas often come from operators as they spend most of their hours of work with machines.
Framework for innovation allows a bottom up flow of these ideas.
For a disciplined approach to work to take root, the maintenance crew must be fully competent. This way, the number of honest mistakes become occasional & strict adherence to standard procedures & work instructions is easily enforced.
Teamwork ensures that honest sharing of ideas & experiences takes place.
As individuals, we often have biases & misconceptions about people that sometimes erode our objectivity.
The above are some of the challenges mechanical engineers face at the workplace. Mindset change is driven by values that shape corporate culture and employee behavior. Best practices ensure that there is discipline & urgency in ensuring all planned work gets done on time in full and to the required standard.