Plant engineers maintain and repair machinery and equipment in manufacturing companies and power plants. They require a college engineering degree and specialized knowledge for advanced positions. They perform safety checks, preventative maintenance, and liaise with management and production teams. Power plant engineers require advanced degrees in nuclear physics and engineering to oversee energy creation from radioactive materials.
A plant engineer is a company employee responsible for the maintenance and repair of machinery and equipment. Manufacturing companies and power plants are among the top employers of factory engineers. Many large companies employ multiple engineers to ensure that there is an engineer on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Factory engineers are generally well compensated, but engineers with specialized knowledge and advanced degrees are even more highly compensated because employees with these skills are in high demand around the world.
Companies typically require a plant engineer to have a college engineering degree. Employers are often looking for job candidates with an engineering degree relevant to the particular industry, such as a mechanical, nuclear, chemical or electrical engineering degree. A plant engineer typically starts as a member of the plant staff and handles general maintenance issues. Senior engineers can be promoted to supervisory and management positions. Engineering managers must help train and recruit new employees, as well as coordinate staffing schedules and manage departmental budgets.
Manufacturing companies often require the plant engineer to perform daily safety checks on machinery and heavy equipment. The engineer must run a series of basic tests to ensure the machines run smoothly. In many places, companies are legally required to carry out regular safety checks and local inspectors liaise with factory engineers to ensure that all health and safety regulations are being observed. In many plants, the plant engineer must also perform regular preventative maintenance on equipment, and this requires engineers to have a thorough understanding of the machines involved.
Plant engineers liaise with management and production teams to correct problems with machinery and equipment that slow down production or create safety hazards. Some factory engineers are responsible for developing ideas to speed up production and cut costs. Senior engineers often work with employees involved in production and train them to handle and maintain new equipment.
Power plants employ a staff of plant engineers, some of whom perform basic tasks related to maintenance and safety, and others are required to have specialized skills. Power plant engineers at nuclear power plants are often required to have advanced degrees in nuclear physics and engineering because they oversee the process of creating energy from radioactive materials. Nuclear engineers must ensure that radioactive materials are safely stored and that nuclear reactors remain structurally sound. In the event of a plant leak, plant engineers wearing protective clothing attempt to seal the leak and determine the safety risk to the rest of the plant and surrounding area.
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