Manufacturing engineering involves researching, designing, and improving the physical manufacture of products. Engineers work with product designers to create equipment and procedures for efficient production. They implement production goals and design lean manufacturing processes while ensuring compliance with regulations. A degree in engineering is required.
Manufacturing engineering is the field of researching, developing, designing, supervising, and improving the physical manufacture of products. A person working in this position designs the actual process that produces the product. A manufacturing company expects the manufacturing engineer to achieve manufacturing goals by ensuring safe and efficient operation and producing a high quality, consistent product.
Before a product can be made, it must be designed. When a manufacturer decides to launch a new product, the manufacturing engineer will work with a product designer. Together, the two will determine what equipment and manufacturing procedures need to be created and put into service to make the product in accordance with the way the designer envisions it.
After that, the engineer will implement the company’s production goals set by the management. He or she then determines what is needed to translate those goals into a high-performance manufacturing process. This is why manufacturing engineers also design and implement lean manufacturing processes.
Lean manufacturing consists of five steps that bring order and discipline to the manufacturing environment. These steps are tidying up, putting things in order, keeping the work area clean and organized, making sure all tools are in place at each workstation, and maintaining a high state of organization. This responsibility requires the manufacturing engineer to monitor and evaluate the leanness of the manufacturing operation on an ongoing basis. Manufacturing engineering is a dynamic process where the engineer continuously aims for the most efficient level of production.
Those working in the manufacturing engineering field must also possess a thorough understanding of statistical processes to ensure that personnel and equipment are used efficiently. A person working in this field will likely be involved, at some point, in training and supervising factory workers with the goal of improving workflow and skills. He will also be required to ensure that manufacturing processes comply with laws and regulations. For example, if manufacturing a product requires excessively repetitive motions that could injure workers, the manufacturing engineer should review the manufacturing process to reduce the likelihood of potential harm to employees.
Getting into the manufacturing engineering field typically requires an engineering degree. Manufacturing engineers work in tandem with other engineering disciplines. A mechanical engineer works on the development and maintenance of mechanical systems, while a product engineer develops and tests new products. A process engineer develops and tests the biochemical and chemical processes used in the production of goods, including food products. A chemical engineer converts raw materials into manufactured products.
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