Design Engineering questions

[BlackestKnight]

Hello All,

I have some questions about the design engineering field. Currently, I am studying Industrial Engineering though after a small encounter with it in my last internship, I really want to get into this field. I know it may be hard especialy when I have a degree that doesn't exactly align myself in terms of educational experience with it though I do have a few design courses such as a Fundemntals of 3D modeling/ProE, and production design (autocad) course.

For my senior design project, I worked with the Navy spending one semester in learning the principles of welding and another semester designing parts with respect to those principles (roughest thing I think I've ever done)

In my most recent internship, I utilized CAD to design a pH adjusgment system for our wastewater. I also made piping and instrumentation diagrams for a compressed air unit. The only thing with this is that there wasn't exactly a head engineer but a Maintanance manager who I reported to with the design work. There was the VP of Operations who oversaw all the projects but he didn't review the designs, I just made them for the piping and for the mason that came in to add in the sump pumps.

My questions after my long essay are these:

1. What else can I do to gain the experience that would make me marketable in this field? I was looking into getting an AutoCad certification to make it known that I want to get into design work.

2. I plan on getting my E.I.T at the top of the year next year, will it be looked at differently because I am an IE?

3. With my last internship, would it look bad in an interview if I was asked who I reported to a maintance manager instead of an lead design engineer?

4. I want to design piping systems or plumbing systems. I wouldn't mind MEP/HVAC engineering since I had a few projects that let me work on the existing equipment after the design. Part time I work with a Plumbing/Sewer system company, would actual hands on experience make me more marketable?

 

[BlackestKnight]

Forgot to mention the last two internships where I delt with the work were chemical manufacturing

 

[pennpiper]

Knight,
You wrote:
"I want to design piping systems or plumbing systems."

Go to this website (pipingdesigners.com) and read everything under all the "Tabs" (Training, Tools, Forum, etc) and then see if you still want to get into Piping Design.

prognosis: Lead or Lag

 

[GregLocock]

Incidentally your point 3, no it wouldn't matter much, and in fact doesn't matter at all, since it is the truth.

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[BlackestKnight]

I started looking through it and first thank you so much for the resources Pennpiper. This is still something I want to do. Plumbing design also interests me since I've always liked the way fluids were transferred within systems.

I've met someone who works for the process piping industry who gave me a lot of manuals that coincide with a lot on the Piping design website. The main reason I want to get into this field is to use it to help with the infrastructure in third world countries. I was already looking to find exactly what I wanted to do and I already liked designing. My father was a plumber so I got a chance to work with him a lot and now I've found the opportunity to make it through an engineering career.

@Pennpiper another question I have (if you are still in the industry) is how is it once you got in?

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Auto Cad is good to know for any Engineer - but I don't think you really need certification - just some verification that you can handle it. Like - who can't. And you do NOT want to become a draftsman - I don't think.

Just state on your resume that you have experience with and can work with CAD. Once you learn one version - you can probably run any other one with a couple days of "fooling" around.

 

[lacajun]

Since you're going to take the EIT, I will ass-u-me that you are in the US. Consequently, based upon my past employers, graduating with an IE degree will depend on who does the hiring and the job description. In some facilities, no industrial engineers have been hired. Not saying they won't but they haven't as yet. One IE returned to school to get an ME to further his career. That did the job for him. Most of the engineers I've worked with and for were from the big four, i.e., EE, ME, ChemE, and CE. Surely others in the US will have different experiences and you'll learn from them, too.

You're young with a long way to go so give it a try and see what happens. If it doesn't work as you thought, think about getting a master's in ME or whatever interest you. I know quite a number of engineers who no longer work as engineers because the business, financial, operations side were more interesting to them. There is no harm in trying what you think you're interested and changing your goals and dreams along the way.

All the best to you!

Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC