5 answers
Alyssa
Student
Commodore, Pennsylvania
3
Questions
Asked
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what would be the hardest thing to learn in mechanical engineering?
just a heads up so i can research it and learn from it.
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5 answers
Soumya Bandyopadhyay
Mechanical Engineer
54
Answers
Fremont, California
Updated
Soumya’s Answer
The hardest thing to learn as a Mechanical Engineer is Mechanical Design. First you need to have a solid grasp of the fundamentals (trusses, materials, beams, torsion to name a few) cleared up and that takes your Sophomore-Junior Year. Next, there are specific components like gears, bearings, shafts, bolted joints, which have their own design rules and it is critical to get acquainted with the design rules or know how to connect various components. Now comes the real challenge: practical experience. While the tools learnt in the school are definitely helpful nothing beats professional experiences to see how things are made in reality. So co-ops and internships, and design projects as a part of school curricula. In my understanding, it takes time and right opportunities to master the subject and be a professional in it.
Dennis Taylor
Self-employed
83
Answers
Columbus, Indiana
Updated
Dennis’s Answer
Hi Alyssa,. Interesting question you pose. You probably have concerns about subject matter. Here it is: everybody learns differently. You might be very good with thermodynamics (oh, why did I pick such a big word?), But not so good at mechanics. Does it matter? Of course it does. When you graduate and have your first assignment, what will it involve? Your strongest subject area or the weakest? Do you want to tell your boss you can't handle part of the assignment? So, the hardest thing to learn is how to discipline yourself and continue to learn, even after you earn a degree. And, to be ready to tackle your assignment. no matter what it is. Good luck, Alyssa!
I forgot to mention - communication and teamwork. And, learning from.mistakes and failures. Communication: be able to describe- your project, idea, problem. Be able to read a blueprint and make one.
Dennis Taylor
Mark Albrecht
Mechanical Engineer
14
Answers
Stowe, Vermont
Updated
Mark’s Answer
Alyssa,
I would agree with Pascal's reply.
The area of materials is expanding so it is constantly changing and having an understanding of their properties is beneficial especially when it comes to material selection for design.
Understanding manufacturing processes is important to know that what you are designing is being designed in a way that can be manufacturable in a practical manner. On the job, you'll likely be collaborating with manufacturing engineers to be able to optimize product designs for this reason.
Product appearance combined with functionality to meet customer needs/specification will be a primary product requirement particularly so that you can meet product verification and validation requirements.
Additionally, in my experience, particularly in any product design capacity, especially for medical devices, one of the first things that will be required is performing a risk analysis from a design perspective but also from a manufacturing and also usability point of view. Typically, a Design Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (DFMEA), Process Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (PFMEA) and a Usability or Application Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (AFMEA) will need to be performed to understand how a product can fail and evaluate the severity of failure, frequency, probability of that failure occurring but also determining what steps need to be taken to mitigate those risks.
I hope this is helpful. If not, feel free to comment that more information is desired.
I would agree with Pascal's reply.
The area of materials is expanding so it is constantly changing and having an understanding of their properties is beneficial especially when it comes to material selection for design.
Understanding manufacturing processes is important to know that what you are designing is being designed in a way that can be manufacturable in a practical manner. On the job, you'll likely be collaborating with manufacturing engineers to be able to optimize product designs for this reason.
Product appearance combined with functionality to meet customer needs/specification will be a primary product requirement particularly so that you can meet product verification and validation requirements.
Additionally, in my experience, particularly in any product design capacity, especially for medical devices, one of the first things that will be required is performing a risk analysis from a design perspective but also from a manufacturing and also usability point of view. Typically, a Design Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (DFMEA), Process Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (PFMEA) and a Usability or Application Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (AFMEA) will need to be performed to understand how a product can fail and evaluate the severity of failure, frequency, probability of that failure occurring but also determining what steps need to be taken to mitigate those risks.
I hope this is helpful. If not, feel free to comment that more information is desired.
Glenn A
Mechanical Engineering Manager @ Belkin
149
Answers
Irvine, California
Updated
Glenn’s Answer
All great answers. I think that it is important that you really learn the fundamentals and how to apply them in real world applications. It is not just learning formulas and being able to calculate the right answer for the test. It is understanding the formula and how each value affects the result. For example, the moment of inertia is based on the square of the thickness and one times the width. If you want to stiffen us the a cantilever, you can increase the moment of inertia of cross section and have several option on how to do this. Doubling the width and doubling the thickness gets you 2 very different answers. For me as mechanical design engineer, I used this in my approach to solve problems often. As a hiring manager, I am struggling to find young engineers that can relate fundamentals to design problems. Having a young engineer who can demonstrate understanding of fundamentals makes them stand out in an interview process.
Pascal Bruyere
Project Manager - Mechanical Engineer
7
Answers
Sunnyvale, California
Updated
Pascal’s Answer
1- Understanding materials and all their advantages/inconvenient
2- Designing stuff that can actually be manufactured economically. This is something you learn "on the job" by making mistakes. It is good to work closely with people in manufacturing in order to speed up your learning.
3- Industrial design: making stuff that looks good
2- Designing stuff that can actually be manufactured economically. This is something you learn "on the job" by making mistakes. It is good to work closely with people in manufacturing in order to speed up your learning.
3- Industrial design: making stuff that looks good