CHAPTERS 2&3 Engineering Majors 1 ELEC 104, Fall 2010 Dr. McKinney

Engineers and Scientists Scientists seek technical answers to understand natural phenomenon Engineers study technical problems with a practical application always in mind For example ◦ “Scientists study atomic structure to understand the nature of matter; engineers study atomic structure to make smaller and faster microchips” 2

The Engineer and the Engineering Technologist Main difference between the two is: ◦ Engineers design and manufacture machines and systems, while engineering technologists have the technical know-how to use and install the machines properly An example: ◦ “The technologist identifies the equipment necessary to assemble a new CD player; the engineer designs said CD player” 3

What do Engineers do? Three variables ◦ Discipline/Major ◦ Position/Function ◦ Industry

Engineering Functions Design, Development, Research, Test, Analysis, Production, Sales, Technical Support Get into eight groups Develop 2 bullet points describing the engineering function you have been assigned

Design Engineer Produce dimensions and specification for a product to ensure is works with existing systems and products Redesign and modify parts to reduce production time and costs and to redesign products that have not lived up to expectations

Development Engineer Test new products and see if they will work in a large scale production Take knowledge acquired from researchers to use on specific products

Research Engineer Explore fundamental principles through the use of experiments in order to overcome technical barriers In order to save time they use computational techniques to solve complex problems

Test Engineer Develop data acquisition and instrumentation systems and methods to verify integrity, reliability and quality of products before they are introduced to the public Must have a wide range of technical and problem solving skills

Analysis Engineer Specialize in one particular area and provide technical expertise in that area Serve as an interface between the test engineers and design engineers to determine the pertinent information needed by both groups

Production Engineer Develops processes to manufacture a product by taking raw materials forming them into finished pieces considering manufacturing concerns such as cost, risk, and quality. Keep track of equipment in the plant as well as maintain a safe and reliable workplace.

Sales Engineer Answer customer concerns and guide customer through the appropriate product selection process Identify applications and other products for the customers to use

Technical Support Engineer Support and assist the customer to ensure that they can use the product in the most efficient way Know enough about the problem and the product to be able to find the necessary information to solve nearly any problem

Engineering Majors Biomedical, Electrical, Computer, Chemical, Civil & Environmental, Materials, Aerospace, Mechanical Rearrange into eight different groups Develop 2 bullet points describing the engineering major you have been assigned

Biomedical Responsible for designing medical equipment to make medical procedures go more smoothly Work with any part of the biological systems Divided into medical engineering, bio- engineering and clinical engineering

Electrical Apply principles of electricity to solve problems and develop new technologies Broad field which ranges from nanotechnology to power generation

Computer Design and develop hardware for computer systems Optimize HW/SW interfaces, working alongside computer scientists

Chemical Uses chemical properties and physics, applying them in design and developmental processes to mass produce products in society Work with various materials such as plastics, oil, and natural gasses to make various products ranging from circuit boards to artificial kidneys

Civil & Environmental Environmental engineers job is to prevent, improve and maintain the environment in the wake of industrial activity A Civil engineer’s primary function is to build and maintain structures to keep the economy stable Main fields are: structural, architectural, transportation, water resources, urban planning, and construction

Materials Material engineers innovate current materials and develop new materials Test and conduct experiments on materials to ensure their performances meet expectations

Aerospace Design and build machines to fly within (and outside of) the Earth’s atmosphere In addition to designing machines, they must take the physiological limitations of human beings into account Main fields include: propulsion and energy, space and missile systems, aerospace sciences, and structure and design testing

Mechanical Divided into two main categories: ◦ Design and controls – deal with the design and testing of engineering components ◦ Thermal Sciences – deal with heat transfer and also predict and study the temperatures of components in environments Broad field ranging from fluid engineering to nuclear engineering

Homework (due in one week) Pick three blocks in the cube (Figure 2-1) and write a job description for that engineer. None of your blocks can have any similar variables.

Profiles in Engineering Combine groups into four groups Each group take one of the specified profiled engineers Study the bio in the text Present this person to the group ◦ What do they do? ◦ Where do they fit into the “cube”? ◦ Do they seem to enjoy engineering? ◦ Does their life seem to be in balance?

Raymond C. Barrera Raymond C. Barrera

Bob Feldmann

Steven E. Fredrickson

Mark Allen Pashan

Homework (due in one week) Imagine yourself 10 years from now and type up a one page profile in the same format given in the book.