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New Methods and innovation in Manufacturing?

Hey guys,
As a mechanical engineering student, I'm interested in the manufacturing industry and want to know about any new innovations or methods in manufacturing? I know 3D printing is on the rise but I'm not sure of what other things to look out for. Thanks!
#manufacturing
#manufacturingengineering
#mechanicalengineering
#engineering
#engineeringstudent #3Dprinting #industrialengineering
#CNC #robotics

engineering robotics manufacturing mechanicalengineering industrialengineering 3dprinting engineeringstudent manufacturingengineering cnc
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Ken’s Answer

You are referencing a wide variety of important and in demand areas. The key to determining which you should enter is which one is the one for which you are best suited based upon how your personality traits relate to people who are successfully working in those areas. Then, when you have an idea from the testing, you can do face to face in person networking to determine if there is a match.


Getting to know yourself and how your personality traits relate to people involved in various career opportunities is very important in your decision making process. During my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I ran across too many students who had skipped this very important step and ended up in a job situation which for which they were not well suited. Selecting a career area is like buying a pair of shoes. First you have to be properly fitted for the correct size, and then you need to try on and walk in the various shoe options to determine which is fits the best and is most comfortable for you to wear. Following are some important steps which I developed during my career which have been helpful to many .

Ken recommends the following next steps:

The first step is to take an interest and aptitude test and have it interpreted by your school counselor to see if you share the personality traits necessary to enter the field. You might want to do this again upon entry into college, as the interpretation might differ slightly due to the course offering of the school. However, do not wait until entering college, as the information from the test will help to determine the courses that you take in high school. Too many students, due to poor planning, end up paying for courses in college which they could have taken for free in high school.
Next, when you have the results of the testing, talk to the person at your high school and college who tracks and works with graduates to arrange to talk to, visit, and possibly shadow people doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can get know what they are doing and how they got there. Here are some tips: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate and attend meetings of professional associations to which people who are doing what you think that you want to do belong, so that you can get their advice. These associations may offer or know of intern, coop, shadowing, and scholarship opportunities. These associations are the means whereby the professionals keep abreast of their career area following college and advance in their career. You can locate them by asking your school academic advisor, favorite teachers, and the reference librarian at your local library. Here are some tips: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
It is very important to express your appreciation to those who help you along the way to be able to continue to receive helpful information and to create important networking contacts along the way. Here are some good tips: ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-informational-interview-thank-you-note-smart-people-know-to-send?ref=recently-published-2 ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-tips-for-writing-a-thank-you-note-thatll-make-you-look-like-the-best-candidate-alive?bsft_eid=7e230cba-a92f-4ec7-8ca3-2f50c8fc9c3c&bsft_pid=d08b95c2-bc8f-4eae-8618-d0826841a284&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20171020&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20171020&bsft_clkid=edfe52ae-9e40-4d90-8e6a-e0bb76116570&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=214115cb-cca2-4aec-aa86-92a31d371185&bsft_pp=2 ##
Here are some sites that will allow you to learn more about the application of engineering: ## https://www.engineergirl.org/ ## ## http://www.futureengineers.org/ ## ## https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43zVcmTJSKM ##
Thank you comment icon Thanks for the valuable information Ken, but do you know about any new specific things on the rise of innovation in the manufacturing industry that stand out/I should look out for? Melvin Summerville
Thank you comment icon The best way to keep up with current developments is through the professional associations related to the specific career area. Their purpose of those organizations is to keep those professionals up to date with their career area and either provide educational opportunities or inform their members of such opportunities offered by reputable sources. Good ways to find such organizations are to talk to your teachers/professors and the reference librarian at your local or school library. Ken Simmons
Thank you comment icon Ok. Thanks again Ken! Melvin Summerville
Thank you comment icon When you make contact (live interpersonal contact instead of messaging, texting, etc) you will meet some very interesting people very eager and willing and able to help you, especially since you are a student. Ken Simmons
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G. Mark’s Answer

The tags listed on this question cover some biggies. Rapid Prototyping -- e. g., 3D printing, Computer-Aided Manufacturing --- are exploding. Artificial Intelligence, specifically Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Neural Nets, etc., are finding practical applications in everyday life far faster than even I, an avowed optimist, would have predicted. Internet of Things and essentially all ways of tying systems together to use Big Data, control robotics, control the manufacturing environment and the shop floor -- this is making business a giant intelligence constantly monitoring successes and failures. You need to keep abreast of developments in these areas, get advice whenever you can and keep watching the internet and media in general for new developments and new players.

Thank you comment icon This is an awesome answer! I definitely need to keep up with the scope of things you mentioned. Thanks Mark! Melvin Summerville
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Luis "Lou"’s Answer

3D printing (the correct term to use is: Additive manufacturing) is a new up and coming field with many opportunities, but you should not discount the "traditional" methods of manufacturing, since not only these are well established and understood methods, but they have well establish support infrastructures to support them.

Additive manufacturing is just another tool for the engineer to use to create new products with.

So learn about casting, molding, forging, stamping, machining, grinding, welding and all the rest, as well as additive mfg. and you'll be a better engineer for it.
Thank you comment icon Awesome, definitely something to take note of. These days the first thing that comes to mind when I think of manufacturing is 3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing, so these other traditional methods that are prominent helps to give me a bit of insight into manufacturing as a whole. Thanks Luis! Melvin Summerville
Thank you comment icon Excellent response Lou! Michael George
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Josh’s Answer

Agreed with poster that said you’ll be a better engineer for it. The best machinists are engineers at heart and vice versa. As far as more traditional types of machining, but still relatively fresh, the multi axis machines are absolutely amazing. 5 axis machines allow parts to be made that physically could not be one single part before these machines existed, not to mention the setup time saved. 3D printing is incredible. I toured a shipping facility that introduced a commercial grade hp 3D printer into there process and the time saved was almost unfathomable. For instance, if a part breaks down and holds up the line, the time is reduced from possibly days to minutes or hours of in house manufacturing. The strengths of the final products involved with 3D printing is interesting as well, as you don’t want too much heat while it’s being printed so more of a webbing technique is used. Two completely different worlds at the moment, but at the same time very much related.

Josh recommends the following next steps:

Try to tour any facilities you can.
Spend a summer working in a job shop or production line
Keep up your interest in your field!
Thank you comment icon Also look up cutting tool designs, coatings, cutting fluids, etc. Companies are always trying to make more, faster so new shapes, techniques, and materials are constantly experimented with. Josh Buster
Thank you comment icon Hi Josh! Thanks for your response. Awesome, I'll definitely keep those 5 axis machines in mind as well as the hp commercial 3D printers. And it's funny you mentioned that cutting tool designs as I'm now more passionate about mechanical design, so I'll definitely check some of those companies. Thanks again for the tips! Melvin Summerville
Thank you comment icon Glad to help man the field is so cool. There are facilities dedicated to prototype machining... from robots to anything imaginable. The jobs there are reserved for the best of the best and are cool as anything. Josh Buster
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Marissa’s Answer

Hi Melvin,

This is a great question! Smart Manufacturing and Automation are increasing trends in Manufacturing Engineering. This can include anything from mechanically designing automation equipment, software and controls engineering for automation applications, and robotics. It might be great to take some courses in these areas to see if these might be areas of interest for you.
Thank you comment icon Hi Marissa, Thank you! This is good, I've heard of smart manufacturing but almost completely forgot about it haha. Thanks again! Melvin Summerville
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Rich’s Answer

I believe one of the best sources for information on leading edge innovations is the MIT Technology Review magazine (my wife is the MIT graduate but I read the magazine cover to cover). Many local libraries carry this magazine so you might check there and see if you find some good ideas. It can be very exciting getting in on the front end of something new - say nanotechnology which has yet to show its full potential. Good Luck
Thank you comment icon Hey Rich! Sorry for the late response but thank you! I didnt think to look into MIT's magazine. Melvin Summerville
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