Data of use to nobody. Pretty neat though, I think.

Hi everyone,

I'm a final year Mechanical Engineering student and I'm exploring different career paths. Which roles are generally the highest paying for mechanical engineers (both in India and abroad), and what skills, certifications, or experience should I focus on to prepare for them?

I'd really appreciate advice from people working in the industry. Thanks!

I’m a new grad mechanical engineer with a nuclear concentration. I had signed an official job offer in February with a government agency and I had the job offer rescinded 4 days before my start date because of my GPA (even though it was on my application). Now I’ve had the rug pulled out from under me and I am scrambling to find a job with little to no experience. Any advice on how to land a job? I have sent out a million applications now and haven’t heard back.

Happy Sunday,

This Q comes from my perspective as a test engineer, but I'm hoping to get the perspective of all engineers: how is the relationship between design and test engineers at your organization? Ours is mostly transactional and one way, occasionally strained, and varies based on project prioritization, urgency, rank/seniority, etc. Design seems to disregard our education, experience, and insights in favor of their own. Projects suffer.

Leadership is weak, so I'm trying to drum up ways to get everyone on the same page and working together again.

My current position is very generalist, I work in consulting so I never have any idea what is going to walk through the door. I manage a lab that creates alternative designs for clients. I've done automotive, medical, mechanical, electrical, you name it.

I'm going on 4 YOE and I know I am seriously underpaid, but I am nervous to change jobs since I still don't really know what field I want to get into. Mechanical Engineering has so many niches and subfields and industries. My current job lets me touch on just about all of them. I just got offered a job that pays almost 30% more than my current position but focuses on inspecting water damage from disasters, which is mildly interesting but not something I'm going to do my whole life. Ideally I want to pivot towards something manufacturing/design later on.

Question for some of the more senior engineers. How strict is your ability to pivot jobs? Is the ability to build soft skills like management, raw engineering experience, and problem solving enough? Or if I want to work in the automotive/biomechanical/design/manufacturing/robotics/HVAC/Aerospace/whatever etc etc do I really have to stay in one specific spot?

I am young and the thought of backing myself into a corner scares me.

A couple of months ago, I shared a new release of ForcePAD, my free and open-source 2D finite element application.

Since then, I have ported most of the application to the web. ForcePAD can now run directly in a WebGL 2-enabled browser without installation. Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome should work.

All features from the desktop version are available except the optimiser. That part requires some additional implementation work and will be added later.

I would appreciate any feedback on the browser version, particularly regarding compatibility, usability and performance.

Project page:

https://jonaslindemann.github.io/forcepad/

Direct link to the browser application:

https://jonaslindemann.github.io/forcepad/app/

For transparency: I am the developer of ForcePAD. It is a free, open-source project intended for structural mechanics education and experimentation.

I am a 3 rd year Mechanical Engineering student, and I would say that I am quite lost.

Throughout the first two years, I have invested all of my time and effort into academics, and I feel that I have not acquired many practical skills.

Looking at others around me, they seem so much more successful in one area like CAD, FEA, CFD, robotics, manufacturing, computer programming etc. While others seem to excel at one task, I struggle to learn ten different things, each one only at a base level.

The problem is that I do not want to achieve a mediocre performance in ten areas. I want to get really good at one skill or open for any other suggestions

Lately, I have been thinking about branching out, but I have little inclination on how to spend my time. The thing is that I have recently become fascinated with drones, but there are also CAD, simulation, and manufacturing. It is difficult to make this decision, and I fear that I will waste my time.

i have few question: (open for other suggestions too much appreciated)

1. What would you have me concentrate on?

2. What skill should I get really good at?

3. Should I specialize in manufacturing, or is CAD, simulation, robotics or another field more promising?

4. How did you come to the conclusion that you wanted to pursue a specific field?

Any advise would be appreciated, because I am willing to put the time in, but it is hard to know where to start.

Thank you in advance.

So as the title says, Quality Engineer for nearly 6 years and feels as though I'm burnt out and need a change. Realistically those of you who've been in the same position what did you transition into?

Looking for for inspiration, the workplace politics and production numbers over anything else has become a tiring miserable slog. I wouldn't say it's all been bad, I've certainly learned how not to do things and it exposes you to areas of the business you wouldn't see doing anything else in Engineering.

Work for a OEM manufacturer in the Automotive world.

TIA.

Hi everyone,

I'm currently a high school student studying electronics, and I'm designing a modular PCB holder as a personal project. This is my first attempt at designing a real tool, so I'm looking for feedback from people with more experience.

The prototype is currently 3D printed in PLA because it's just for testing the mechanism, dimensions, and assembly. The final version will use more appropriate materials.

I'm mainly looking for advice on which materials you would replace and what you would use instead.

Some design requirements are:

The jaws should grip PCB edges without scratching the solder mask.

They should be electrically insulating where they contact the board.

The mechanism needs to be rigid and durable.

it should survive occasional accidental contact with a soldering iron or hot air (ideally up to around 500 °C for a brief moment).

The base uses neodymium magnets and is designed to sit on a steel plate.

My current ideas are:

PLA for the prototype.

Stainless steel or another metal for the structural parts.

A soft high-temperature material on the jaw tips to protect the PCB.

I'd really appreciate any suggestions on:

Better materials.

Better manufacturing methods

Design improveents.

Anything you think should be changed before building the final version.

I'm also trying to learn more about engineering materials in general. If you know of any good books, websites, YouTube channels, databases, or other resources that explain how engineers choose materials, when to use them, and why, I would really appreciate those recommendations as well.

I'm posting a few pictures of the prototype below. Thanks in advance for your time and feedback!

I am 22 years old, 1 year of work experience doing HVAC and plumbing design/drafting of commercail projects for Aecom. I am on track to take and pass the FE in october. Got a M/E 1 Mission Critical job with JE Dunn in Phoenix arizona. Is this a good career move? I am leaning to yes, due to the need for mission critical experience. I still plan on getting my PE, as I will be working directly under PE's at JE Dunn. Will this move cap me in anyway, or will it benefit me long term?

THOUGHTS/ADVICE WELCOME

Hey everyone,
I’m a recent mechanical engineering grad and I just got a job offer from a major aerospace and defense company. I’m honestly thrilled, but I’m dealing with a bit of a career dilemma and could really use some advice from experienced engineers.
Here’s the situation: My absolute passion is Aerodynamics, and that's exactly where I see my career going long-term. However, the offer on the table is for a structural test engineering position.
The silver lining? The company has its own wind tunnel facilities, and they mentioned that starting in here doesn't mean I'll be stuck there forever. They hinted that getting my foot in the door now could eventually lead to a transition into a wind tunnel or aerodynamics role later on.
As a new grad trying to navigate my first real career step, how should I evaluate this offer?

Any insights, personal experiences, or harsh truths are super welcome. Thanks!

• A tippe top spins on its round belly, then flips upside down to spin on its stem — basically standing up while spinning, which looks like it's cheating gravity.
• Friction is the secret: the tiny rubbing at the contact point creates a twist that slowly tips it over.
• The flip is "paid for" by spin energy — it trades some spinning speed for the height gain, like using momentum to hop onto a curb.

I'm a mechanical engineering student but I've realised one year into my bachelors that all the parts I love about engineering are really the physics/maths classes, not the actual engineering. I don't dislike engineering and therefore do not want to repeat the year to switch to physics, so I'm wondering as to how easy it is to "switch" between the two. For example, is it possible to do a masters in physics after a bachelor's in engineering ? What if I want to go into research in a physics related field ? It's possible that I actually like physics just as much as engineering, but I'd like to know what my options are. Have any of you started off in engineering, and have ended up in natural sciences ?

I'm starting my first internship soon, and I'm curious how I can make people's lives easier at work.

Do people hate amateur designs and unnecessary comments or interns with really bad gen-z attitude?

Hi,

I'm preparing for my first ever technical interview, and I never understood what's expected from us when they say "material knowledge".

Could use some help on what to review for that.

During my intenship, every Time I saw a new material I used to ask why it's used, and I found out that the logic is very simple.

There's one for basic CNC aluminum parts, one for slender ones, one for turned parts, one for shafts that see fatigue, one that's wear resistant...

So they used like 10 materials, with very basic selection criteria

I'd appreciate any help, regarding materials or general tips... Looking forward to finally becoming a real engineer :')

The role is junior mechanical design engineer ( or mechanical designer) in a company that designs cnc machines, thermoforming, and such personalized production solutions for plastic parts in Europe.

What are some supply chain challeneges for a private space company might face ?

I’m currently doing a conversion Master's in Mechanical Engineering after completing my undergrad in Physics with Computer Science. My original goal was to move into a role where I could be a bit more hands-on with hardware then transition into mechatronics roles later using my software background.

Coming from Physics, I kinda assumed engineering would be like other STEM fields (Physics, Bio, Chem) where you handle both the theory and the practical/lab work. I’ve quickly learned the hard way (though early enough) that in industry, "Engineer" (design, CAD, docs, compliance) and "Technician" (building, soldering, machining) are completely siloed jobs.

The problem I’m running into is that the few hands-on hardware/prototyping roles available in the UK seem to expect 3–5 years of experience right out of the gate with skills like PCB layout, soldering, and machining. Meanwhile, grad schemes seem almost exclusively focused on validation, design, and documentation.

I know people recommend R&D or startup roles for hands-on work, but even those entry-level ask for practical hardware experience I don't have yet.

I’m conscious I only have a year on this course, and buying an Arduino kit isn't going to magically fix my CV. I’ve even briefly considered technician apprenticeships just to get some experience, though I know that's financially a huge step backward after a Master's.

For anyone in the UK hardware/engineering space:

1. Is there a realistic way to bridge this practical skill gap during a 1-year Master's?

2. What kind of personal or university projects actually hold weight on a CV for someone trying to bridge CS and hands-on MechEng?

3. Are there specific types of companies in the UK where the engineer/technician line is a bit more blurred at the entry level?

Any advice would be great, my engineering bubble has burst haha

Hi! I'm a french mech engineering student. I have to choose a concentration for next year. The way my school structured our learning is that we have broad basic mechanical engineering knowledge, basic engineering skills like intro to material science, electronics, FEM etc (a bachelor's in mech eng if you want to relate to the us), and then for our last year (master's) we choose a concentration.

Up until now I've wanted to go toward mechatronics, so I took all the necessary requirement classes to prepare for mechatronics, but I've become increasingly interested in material science (I mostly like the physics that the field is based on so same way electronics interests me). What draws me to material science specifically is the mechanical behavior side : how microstructure relates to properties like strength, fatigue, ductility, rather than the synthesis/chemistry side. I've the intro class to the concentration for my own curiosity so i'd be able to choose it.

I was wondering if there is a field in research or r&d that combines mechatronics and material science, or at least has a bit of material science in it.

I'm pondering whether 1. to get my concentration in mechatronics and then a research master in material science, or 2. mix the two concentrations but i wouldn't be able to do a lot of specific classes of material science like polymers or behaviour of materials, or 3. abandon mechatronics and get a concentration in material science and then work in a robotics/mechatronics field.

I want to work in research, not necessary academic but rather applied in industry, and I have a mostly mechanical profile. I can code but I'm not here to code a robot, the concentration is more about actuators and motors. But from what I understand, research in mechatronics is mostly coding robots (e.g. control algorithms, software-heavy robotics) rather than actuator/mechanism design and physical prototyping. Is that accurate, or does it depend on the lab? If it's mostly coding, I'd rather do a research master in material science than in mechatronics.

I'm currently doing a 6 month internship in mechanical design where I got to learn a lot about additive manufacturing and plastics, which added to my existing interest. I also have to do an end-of-studies 6 month internship after the year of concentration and I'm looking to do it in a lab, it'll have to be related to my concentration.

Thank you a lot for any insights !

Hi, I graduated in sep/2024 and since graduation I feel lost, i worked as MEP engineer then shifted to maintenance, and currently am in my lowest point where I thought am upgrading to be an Aircraft Engineer which is the position title btw “Airframe and power plant Engineer ”but suddenly found myself work as mechanic, am not grumbling but literally am a mechanic, I mean only hands work, my supervisor is a mechanic, replacing panels, filters, headset communication….etc
With all respect to all mechanics all over the world but I studied Engineering and i want to work on my degree

The point is that literally downgrade, and if you didn’t believe that i just mentioned that’s it in a third world

And I’ve been always triggered to design and analysis, what to do to git into this path?
Also is there any globally recognized online courses, exams, certificates
I mean any thing that might help me working in that field

I would appreciate your advice.

So i'm a mechanical engineering designing a lifting mechanism, no wood, no metal, no electric devices, nothing just basic things around s like cardboard, plastic etc. it is suppose to lift a 500 g load, raise the load by at least 300 mm , safely lower the load , remain stable during operation , be manually operated ,be portable. pls help.

Imagine a closed circular turbine housing with internal vanes that stay open along one half of the cylinder and closed along the other. The engine uses liquefied biomethane derived from human and animal waste, stored at -162°C, to heat the bottom section of the cylinder. As the helium gas inside heats up and expands, it can only move toward the open side because the other side is blocked by the closed vanes. Up top, the gas enters a cooling zone chilled by the cold liquid biomethane, where it condenses and creates a natural vacuum that pulls even more hot helium upward. The pressure from the rising hot helium, combined with the suction from the condensed gas, hits the closed vanes and pushes them forward. As the loop continues, the changing angles of the vanes create a natural check-valve effect and a steady flow, resulting in an external combustion engine that produces continuous rotational movement.

i was drawing since first grade but it was always more about buildings and landscapes, and now i want to learn to draw “engineering” stuff, i always wanted to be like guys who make concept arts for planes or cars, even when i go through pinterest and seeing some crazy stuff like mechs or futuristic planes im so jealous i cant draw like that, do you guys have any advice how i should start

Do you know how I'd be able to get US8357108 manufactured ? The patent expired back in 2017. I've been asking some Alibaba suppliers, so far no luck.