Feature Story: Manufacturing Engineering

Manufacturing engineering is about converting ideas into reality. Every product we buy—whether it's toothpaste, cell phones, automobiles, computers, clothing, or toys-has to be manufactured. Manufacturing engineers work with design engineers and a whole host of company specialists—from marketing to accounting to logistics to purchasing—to produce a finished product efficiently, cost-effectively, ergonomically, and safely, while complying with governmental safety and environmental standards. The goal is to produce a product at a quality level and price that the consumer will want. That's a tall order… but it's an exciting discipline and one that is tangible and hands on.

A Systems Approach

Manufacturing engineers deal with systems—including software applications, process planning, modeling, testing, numerical controls, and production equipment, to name a few—as well as quality, plant floor layout, safety, ergonomics, environmental compliance, and engineering tolerances—to produce a product.

All the Cool Toys—Including Robotics

Manufacturing engineers work with all aspects of manufacturing from production control to materials handling automation. Many companies now consider that manufacturing starts with product design. In those companies manufacturing engineers work with design engineers to ensure the design can be manufactured at high quality, effectively, and at the lowest cost possible. All forms of automation—from robotics to machine vision—are among the advanced technologies manufacturing engineers use to improve quality, increase efficiency, and lower cost.

Keeping U.S. Manufacturers Competitive

Manufacturing engineers are critical to keeping U.S. companies competitive in the world market. Many concepts such as Six Sigma decision making, ISO quality standards, Lean Manufacturing, and supply chain efficiencies have revolutionized manufacturing processes in recent years.

Lean Manufacturing—and Other Strategies to Improve Quality and Cut Cost

Key lean manufacturing principles include designing the manufacturing process to eliminate defects, minimize waste, provide constant process evaluation and improvement, minimize raw and finished goods inventories, respond quickly to changes in production runs, and build and maintain long-term relationships with suppliers and customers. Supply chain efficiencies involve all companies—from raw materials suppliers to manufacturers to distributors and retailers—working together to take costs out of the system and deliver a high quality product at a low cost to customers where they want it and when they want it.

Why Manufacturing Engineering?

Reasons to study manufacturing engineering include:

• Core classes are typically less theoretical and more hands on than many other engineering disciplines.
• Many engineers wind up working in manufacturing anyway.
• Manufacturing engineers are among the highest paid engineering graduates.
• Many programs integrate coop work into the academic program—providing valuable experience and helping to pay for tuition.
• Manufacturing engineering typically is less math and physics oriented than many other engineering disciplines—and often provides the ability to take a range of electives.
• Manufacturing engineering is a great base to pursue a career in management or executive positions within a manufacturing company.
• Manufacturing engineering is people oriented.
• Manufacturing engineering is an exciting career with lots of variety.
• Industry needs more manufacturing engineers.

Related Links:

Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)

Certification as a CMfgT—http://sme.org/cgi-
in/certhtml.pl?/cert/certification.html&&&SME&

Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE)

Manufacturing Is Cool

For a listing of ABET accredited manufacturing engineering programs, visit www.abet.org.

In addition to the Extreme Engineering featured in this issue of PE-Times, interviews with other recent graduates in industrial and manufacturing engineering can be found on the
California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly)
career services Web site.