Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeraph
Mechanical? I thought they had to specialize in like automotive, or aerospace? So mechanical is most needed, or just the most common?
|
If it has moving parts, a mechanical engineer was involved.
Quote:
Also, were you guys working with your hands at all? Or was it all on computers?
I'm looking for something that has elements of both research and development. Actual hands on stuff, as opposed to designing a metal mold or experiment on a computer. Know what I mean?
|
It is an inefficient waste of time and resources to have engineers do any actual fabrication or testing...that's what technicians are for. An engineer's value is (when you distill it down completely) in making decisions...it doesn't make good financial sense to have your engineers getting paid X an hour to do something that could be done by someone paid X/4.
Now, this doesn't mean you won't get to supervise, depending on the size of the company. If you want to see if doohicky X works, you would sketch it up (or more likely describe it with scribbles on a whiteboard to one of your draftsmen), send it out for prototyping, get the prototype back, go "oooh shiny!", give it to testing department, say (if it were a structural doohicky) "here, break this doohicky, it needs to hold 3000lbs" and get a report back from them with your broken doohicky saying "yup, held 3000!" If it's a functional doohicky, you might get to design a test, but the likelihood of you doing the actual testing is low--there are people who do that at most companies.
Quote:
Thanks.
PS was your job fun? What's your degree in?
|
I'm a mechanical engineer. In fact, I just remembered a joke in our department (which shared a building with Civil engineers): "Mechanical Engineers make weapons, Civil Engineers make Targets"
All of this applies only actual large companies, however--You haven't mentioned the scope of the weapons systems you want to work on. Are we talking personal weapons for civilians? Pistols? Tasers (I keep sending them resumes, shhh don't tell my current boss)? Missiles? Tanks?
Two of the cooler small engineering companies that make weapons are Keltech and Magpul. You should look into those, if you would like more involvement in the overall project!
I actually interviewed with a small company that makes sniper rifles, but it was SOOO small it freaked me out due to lack of stability...it was basically a huge office with 15 people in it, designing prototypes in hopes of getting a big contract from someone.
---------- Post added at 12:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:46 AM ----------
Quote:
Originally Posted by Willravel
Aeronautical engineers work on projectiles like missiles and munitions and war machines like fighters, bombers, and UAVs.
|
Does it move? Mechanical engineer
Does it fly? Aeronautical engineer
Does it have a new material or a propellant? Chemical engineer
Does it have a battery? Electrical engineer
Does it get destroyed in an earthquake? Civil engineer (I kid I kid)
Anotherthing I just thought of, Zeraph, is if you really want to be big picture, try Industrial Design. Engineers don't usually get their grubby mitts on a project until the ID guys have come up with the overall concept and made some fancy sketches or some rapid prototyped parts. The reason for this? As a rule, engineers will make (very functional) ugly things with terrible ergonomics.