Suicidesoldier#1
Exoth XIII
Suicidesoldier#1
The most you're going to design is a part or two, and even that that will be the more annoying things.
Goddamn, you've finally said something right.
Yes, frequently, as an engineer, you'll be working as part of a team, partly so people can double check one another's work, partly for time constraints.
And yes, it's entirely plausible that you'll be working on some part of the design that isn't particularly 'cool.'
That said, the failure of ONE PART can result in the failure of the ENTIRE DESIGN, so you can NEVER underestimate the value of your contribution.
Even though I'm still learning to be an engineer, my family has a strong engineering background. My uncle was part of the team that designed the lunar rover, my grandfather worked on the swing wing of the F14 Tomcat.
So yes, I've done my research, I know what engineers do.
Quote:
Or you will try to install fiber optic cables- you want be coming up with the fiber optic cable technology, just how to implement it.
Which again, is mostly maintenance.
Ya, actually, the engineer isn't the one who actually does the installing, he does the designing. (Actually, this is the problem that most engineers face, because they're NOT the ones doing the shop work, there are sometimes miscommunications to the workers. It also doesn't help when the engineer has no shop experience.)
Quote:
You might make some cool excel spreadsheets though.
It's great to categorize things, makes it a lot easier- color coding is nice too.
Yeeees, you might use excel...
(Wtf?)
Planes are already designed.
Oh yeah? This'll be amusing.
Who designs 'em?
Go on. Who designed the F14 Tomcat before my grandfather's engineering team designed it? This oughta be cute.
Quote:
The idea for the plane, what it can do, what it's going to do, the fact you're even using a plane at all isn't going to be up to you.
What it can do is usually up to your boss. He gives you the specs he wants, it's the engineer's jobs to make it happen.
Quote:
The military doesn't say "go blow up X target" they say "what's your best plane, and can you make a plane that can work within X parameters"
No, usually the military goes to an independent company, and just buys the s**t. The heads of that company, they push for the engineers to build it to a certain spec (ideally, better than the competition,) and they design it.
Quote:
Even if it may be cheaper to use a computer controlled mortar to do that job that won't be up to you, you won't even know what they're doing- you're just going to be told by your employers "Do X" and then you'll be expected to do it.
Only if you're low on the totem pole, and working on a classified project. (There will be some senior engineers looking at the whole, or at least large chunks, of the project, to make sure all the parts work together for what they want.)
Quote:
Instead you'll help regulate the valve flap that goes over wings to change their aerodynamics or something.
Maybe.
But see, if you don't understand all the math necessary to do that, all sorts of s**t can happen. If the aerodynamics aren't perfect at cruising speed, it can tear the wing apart.
Quote:
The thing is, these things already exist, your only job will be getting it to work at certain speeds with the best efficiency so it will be easier to mass produce.
Nnnno. I know I addressed this earlier.
This is what an industrial engineer does, he maximizes process efficiency.
Much more likely, you'll be working on a small part of a larger design, with several other engineers. That larger design will NOT be simply handed to you, it will be formed by the collaboration of you and your team, and yes, there will usually be parameters requested.
Quote:
If you're really lucky you might work on an engine,
An entire engine? I doubt that.
Quote:
but again, the basic designs are taken care of, and you're not even going to go on to decide what kind of coolant is being used in one or anything, it's again, more or less minute differentiations here and there.
Actually, now that you've pointed it out, I doubt you'll ever be working solo, or working as a consultant. If you're on a team, at least the other, more competent engineers, would be able to cover for your a**. (Expect to get fired from time to time, though.)
Quote:
You're not going to go on to design some Hydro electric dam or anything like that, and working on that one part on one wing of an Aircraft won't necessarily equate to need an entire engineering degree on a vast array of complicated stuff-
Is this what you were REALLY trying to get at? That they frequently splash in other fields of engineering that might not necessarily be relevant to your engineering career? (To whit, a bridge designer learning about thermodynamics and power cycles?)
Yes, ok, that's ALMOST a point, there. The problem is, while it might not be beneficial to the company you work for, it is certainly beneficial to you. Competence in multiple fields gives you versatility. If, say, your specific job market went south for some reason, you might not be out of the job.
A mechanical engineer who's had a lot of electronics experience can do the job of a low level electronic engineer. One who's had lots of thermodynamics experience could go, if necessary, from designing crumple zones on cars, to designing a part of the engine.
Those other classes make you more versatile, it's in your own interest to take them, and it DOESN'T MAKE IT ANY EASIER FOR A CHIMP TO LEARN IT.
Quote:
really, all you need to do is what's to do with that one project, and you're going to double check yourself to make sure the math is right
Know how you do the math, AND make sure the math is right?
By knowing what the ******** you're doing.
Quote:
and use a calculator anyways,
A calculator is a tool, it will plug values into your equations, but you still have to make the equations, which means knowing your s**t.
Quote:
and they may decide to scrap the idea all together, which they do pretty often.
Ha, yeah.
But then if you don't do it, and they DO go on with the project, you're ********.
Quote:
I imagine you could train a monkey to do just that one little job.
No.
Maybe you could train a monkey to do shop work, or assembly, but as for design, I don't think the monkey will get anything more complicated than a lever.
Quote:
Don't get me wrong, it's an important job, but your entire engineering degree won't have much to do with that one little part, and you'll use information for references when doing it anyways, so memorizing it won't necessarily be that important.
Why would you memorize reference information? Do you mean things like elasticity modulus?
No, that you look up. Even a monkey could find the appropriate data on a table.
Engineering degrees are more or less there to show you were capable of getting through college, which is a feat in and of itself. They want the best available for the job, which generally has a wide basis of potential applicants. Having a degree is definitely part of proving you'd be one of the best, it sure makes it easier.
While you won't go on to use 90% of the info you learn, and that 10% will most be provided for you, it proves that you're capable of it and that you're probs dah best of the best, which is what they want. You're salary make look high but 75,000-100,000 a year isn't much to a person who expects to make 10's of millions a year off your project.
More to the point, your job is going to be hyper specialized, so you will basically just be chucking out your entire college degree at that point sense it's like "Oh yeah, here's a calculator, the copy of the design, a computer ,and a reference book to go off of", and the design will be there for you.
Even changes of 1mm are going to be a bit over the top with most designs, sense you want flawless function and not have the right shaped part in there will screw stuff up. Being an engineer is more about flawless execution, than it is coming up with new designs. The coolest stuff you'll do is innovations, but again that's usually not up to you, you don't get to decide "let's use a <blank> electric motor in a <blank> electric toothbrush and then we could save 3 times the electricity without reducing it's effectiveness!" The coolest thing you might do is tell somebody that 200 RPM is too much and doesn't need to be designed for, so we can use lighter parts, and they might do it, but you won't really get paid for that.
Excel spreadsheets are cool though.
You can even color code what parts come in and how many you need per project.