how about ... "is there anything particularly difficult about this ?" ... how can someone not involved at a detail level with the design trade-offs that have gone on to create a piece suggest how to do it better (when they don't know why the design is the way it is, or how a part fits into the overal scheme).
but certainly we can learn if something is really difficult, particularly if we did it that way thinking it made things easier. maybe it does (make things easier) for someone else who (maybe) the sheet metal guy doesn't care about (maybe even the guy in the assembly shop !)
Answer to the question: Can you install this without damaging it and do you have access.
In my early years I used to go find the engineer who designed a repair and asked them to come to the aircraft and show me how to install the repair. Sometimes working off drawings does no give the whole picture. Structure guy's design their part then eletrical guys hang wires all over it. I can't tell you how many times I have drilled a hole and had plastic come out with the shavings. (Job security)
It would be great if the people on the floor wouldn't take such pleasure in running down the work of a designer. Not all office bound engineers think they are superiour to the shop floor tech's. Some of us actually started there. My aviation career was started by learnig the great art of pushing a broom over the hanger floor. We all make mistakes, especially when working under pressure. So, give us a break, offer constructive advice and we will try and design things better, easier to make, install, remove and maintain. We are in a tough industry. Lets make it as rewarding as possible.
End of soap box speech.
Nigel Waterhouse B Eng (Hon's)
Can-Am Aerospace,LLC, Canadian Aircraft Certification Centre
The relationship is most healthy when there is a continuous discussion. For every project, engineers contribute design constraints (this material, that thickness, etc.) and mechanics contribute installation contraints ("that would require a 3/4" long screwdriver", etc). If there's a misunderstanding, through the discussion, these facts come out until there is an understanding. Until that happens, each of us risks going back to our little spheres and screwing things up for the other one.