How to become a better Engineer

[zbang]

I learned that engineering is more than just can you make a circuit that makes sense electrically

Very much more. I'd say that the engineer's job isn't just to "design a circuit", but to understand what it should do (might be different from what was requested), how it will fit in to the client's overall process/budget/environment, etc.

Here's an example-
The client has a long line of powered rollers that move heavy product along a production line stopping at each station, it's been working fine then starts burning out motors. What do you do? Start asking questions.... in this case the product had gotten heavier (more starting load on each roller & motor) but more importantly they were processing 50% more than before and instead of each motor starting 6-7 times an hour, it was now more like 12-14 times and the heat buildup over the production day was baking them. The solution was to get replacement motors that weren't generic 5hp (IIRC) but some special and more expensive ones that would handle the starts and to arrange for better cooling.

If the original designer had understood how close the spec'd motors were to failure with the initial planned loading, they might have spec'd something that was overpowered for now but would accommodate the production increase and probably last longer anyway.

That's engineering .

(That's also a long winded way of saying to read the stories of problems and how they get solved.)

 

[Besoeker3]

Oh like you working on variety or projects by yourself, so that you had to figure stuff out on your own without being able to ask a senior engineer?

Thank you kindly, sir!
A little of where I got to. After I got a degree I was offered, and accepted, a position as a Commissioning Engineer. It was not a bad company but I though maybe I could better....... In the event I and another chap started our own business and we got more business. Sure, ir was hard work at times and we had to travel extensively.

 

[Julio Chadrone]

If you work on your own all the time without consulting anyone, you risk making uncorrected mistakes that can run from building something too expensively and/or overly complex to something that will fail catastrophically. If you work under heavy supervision all the time and never make any decisions on your own you may have your development into a better engineer stifled.

There is a sweet spot somewhere in the middle.

Yeah, trying to figure out that variable sweet spot. I'm guessing it changes depending on complexity of project vs how quickly the customer needs it. Which I think will determine whether I'm allowed the time to struggle through it myself or if I should go for help to be "given" the answers

 

[Julio Chadrone]

Very much more. I'd say that the engineer's job isn't just to "design a circuit", but to understand what it should do (might be different from what was requested), how it will fit in to the client's overall process/budget/environment, etc.

Here's an example-
The client has a long line of powered rollers that move heavy product along a production line stopping at each station, it's been working fine then starts burning out motors. What do you do? Start asking questions.... in this case the product had gotten heavier (more starting load on each roller & motor) but more importantly they were processing 50% more than before and instead of each motor starting 6-7 times an hour, it was now more like 12-14 times and the heat buildup over the production day was baking them. The solution was to get replacement motors that weren't generic 5hp (IIRC) but some special and more expensive ones that would handle the starts and to arrange for better cooling.

If the original designer had understood how close the spec'd motors were to failure with the initial planned loading, they might have spec'd something that was overpowered for now but would accommodate the production increase and probably last longer anyway.

That's engineering .

(That's also a long winded way of saying to read the stories of problems and how they get solved.)

"to understand what it should do (might be different from what was requested), how it will fit into the client's overall process/budget/environment, etc."

I think this is very validating. There were times where I was given a task which seemed a little questionable to me, but I just assumed that the client most likely spent lots of time coming up with their ask and they know what they're doing so I should just build it as requested without asking any follow up questions. Didn't go super well I'm glad I have a great team who caught that.
I learned that day that one of engineers responsibilities is to "think" and not just regurgitate answers.

 

[Julio Chadrone]

Thank you kindly, sir!
A little of where I got to. After I got a degree I was offered, and accepted, a position as a Commissioning Engineer. It was not a bad company but I though maybe I could better....... In the event I and another chap started our own business and we got more business. Sure, ir was hard work at times and we had to travel extensively.

I've always wondered about starting a firm, the process. Like going from where I work which requires a bunch of people work to operate smoothly to starting with just 2 people seems insane. By that I mean like I can't imagine how 2 people manage to do the job of all these people

 

[Besoeker3]

I've always wondered about starting a firm, the process. Like going from where I work which requires a bunch of people work to operate smoothly to starting with just 2 people seems insane. By that I mean like I can't imagine how 2 people manage to do the job of all these people

We started just with the two of us and expanded to around 80 bodies age 70. Eventually, when I was nearly seventy, we transferred to another business.