Engineering Definitions

Engineering Definitions

What is Engineering?

Engineering is the application of mathematics  and scientific principles to better or improve life.

Engineering is also the application to:

•equip creative minds with the mathematical and analytical skills necessary to conceive of new designs

•intelligently question present ways of accomplishing tasks

•find better alternative methods in light of evolving technology 

•

What is an engineer?

An engineer is a person who is trained in and uses technological and scientific knowledge to solve practical problems.

See Engineers Greatest Achievements www.greatachievements.org and Engineering Girl www.engineergirl.org

 What Do Engineers Do?

•Research

•Development

•Design

•Supervise

RESEARCH 

The purpose of research is to:

 

•Employ basic scientific principles in the discovery and application of new knowledge that will have commercial or economic value

•Develop existing or invent new products

•“Discover truths” about a subject

•Can be disheartening - much of the work is trial and error

•Last few decades, almost all research was done solo

•With knowledge of chemistry, physics, and biology, groups or “research teams” of scientists and engineers would accelerate discoveries

DEVELOPMENT

•Is the actual construction, fabrication, assembly, 

layout, and testing of scale models, pilot models, and 

experimental models for pilot processes or procedures

 that will work

 

•Does not deal exclusively with new discoveries but 

involves using well-known principles and employing 

existing processes or machines to perform a new or

 unusual function

 

•Can involve searches  in library, manufacturing 

literature and patents for existing ideas

 

•Involved in the acquisition of patents to protect ideas, processes or products

•Creativity and innovation, a knowledge of basic principles of science and an inherent cleverness in making things work

•The actual construction, fabrication, assembly, layout, and testing of scale models, pilot models, and experimental models for pilot processes or procedures that will work

•Does not deal exclusively with new discoveries but involves using well-known principles and employing existing processes or machines to perform a new or unusual function

•Searches  in library, manufacturing literature and patents for existing ideas

•Involved in the acquisition of patents to protect ideas, processes or products

•Creativity and innovation, a knowledge of basic principles of science and an inherent cleverness in making things work

•

DESIGN

•Anticipate all manner of problems that the 

user may create in the application of a

 machine, or use of a structure

•Prevent user errors, accidents, and 

dissatisfaction

 

•Requires a mastery of basic engineering 

principles and mathematics, and an 

understanding of the capabilities of machines

•Not only must the device or process work, it must also be made in a style and at a price that will attract customers.

•To arrive at a design solution that will provide for adequate safety without excessive redundancy

 

 SUPERVISE

  

•Must take the design engineer’s 

drawings and supervise the assembly

 

 of the object as it was conceived

 

•Works closely with the technicians, 

 

mechanics, and laborer

 

•Associated with the process of 

 

estimating and bidding for competitive 

 

jobs

•Employ knowledge of structural 

 

materials, fabricating processes and

 

 general physical principles to estimate 

 

both time and cost to accomplish a task

 

 

PRODUCTION AND 

 

CONSTRUCTION

 

 

 

•“Project Engineer” controls other engineers on job

•Preparation of schedules for production or 

 

construction

•

Must 

 

What Functions

 

 Do Engineers Perform?

OPERATIONS OR PLANT:

•Responsible for the maintenance of the

 

 building, equipment, grounds, and utilities

 

•Varies from routine tasks to setting up and 

 

regulating the most complex automated 

machinery

 

•Wide knowledge of several branches of

 engineering

 

•Compare costs of operating under various

 

 conditions and set  schedules for machines 

 

so that the best use will be made of them

 

•Evaluate new equipment and retire old

 equipment

 

•Must be able to work with people and

 

 machines and know what results to expect 

 

from them

 

 

What Functions 

 

Do Engineers Perform?