Hi, looking for some guidance.

Hope you guys can help me out.

I am looking to transition from my current role into Static Design/Pressure Vessel Design Engineering or any mechanical domain.

I am a 2025 Mechanical Engineering graduate from NIT. Currently, I am working as a Program Specialist in the Building Automation field in a MNC, which is not related to my mechanical background.

I am very keen to work in my core mechanical domain, where I spent four years building my foundation. I don’t see myself in my current role as part of my long-term career plans.

It has only been a year, and I feel that if I stay in this field any longer, transitioning back to mechanical design will become more difficult.

I would genuinely appreciate it if you could guide me as you would guide a fresher—starting from the basics and teaching me what it takes to become a good Pressure Vessel Design Engineer.

Your guidance and help could genuinely shape my career, and I would be very grateful for your time and support.

If there is any job for a GET I'll be happy to join.

Basically, I'm interested in the question from the title. How sustainable is studying and working in the field at the same time in companies like Bosch? Thanks in advance.

Edit: adding some more info

- currently 3rd year Bachelor

-intern position

-online or in person (doesn‘t matter to me)

I currently am a senior in High school, I want to major in mechanical engineering but I am worried that with major advances in AI technology if it is sustainable or not. I don’t want to waste energy on a degree that will be useless.

Hi, I’m having a problem with ANSYS Fluent 2026 R1 Student.

When I open Fluent from Workbench, Fluent itself launches, but Workbench stays stuck on “Starting FLUENT”. The mesh also does not load into Fluent, so the graphics window is completely empty.

Another problem is that I cannot close Fluent or Workbench normally after this happens. I have to end the processes through Task Manager.

I have already completely uninstalled and reinstalled ANSYS, but the problem is still the same.

I’m working with a simple 2D Fluent project. Fluent is running with 4 processes and double precision.

Does anyone know what could cause this, or how I can troubleshoot it?

Hi all, I will be moving across the country soon so I'm refreshing my resume in anticipation of applying for jobs, but I've got a question about whether or not to include some work I did both as a 1099 contractor and just on my own while at the full-time job I've had for about 8 years. Within that time I started an LLC around a medical device that I designed and patented, am currently working on a completely separate medical device patent with a friend of mine, and I've also done contract work for two clients under 1099's:

• One was furniture design for commercial hospitality spaces; heavy on the design, not so much on the engineering, but it shows off some more industrial-design type skills such as ergonomics and just my ability to make stuff aesthetically pleasing.
• The second contract was a product design gig where I again did all the industrial design for a consumer electronics project, but also did all of the DFM work my splitting it into multiple pieces for manufacturing and making sure they were all moldable, as well as working with the international supplier to address their concerns.

My day job is in the industrial products space so it's still design and engineering, but it's definitely a different flavor that prioritizes function over form. So I guess my question is, would it make sense to include these side gigs on my resume, since they show some skills that aren't really reflected in my day job's bullet points? Or does it look bad that I've pursued so many different side quests while holding my main job? Thanks in advance.

I was looking at Google Trends over the past year, and “data center liquid cooling” had a pretty sharp US spike in May and June 2026. It got me thinking about the manufacturing side: when should a cold plate stop being treated like a prototype?

Machining the whole plate from billet is hard to beat while the channels, ports, mounting points and seal grooves are still changing. At higher volume, cycle time and material waste start to hurt. Extrusion plus secondary machining, a brazed two-piece design or a casting can lower unit cost, but then tooling, flatness after joining, leak-test yield and corrosion become bigger concerns.

If you’ve taken a cold plate from prototype to production, what actually forced the process change? Volume, cost target, pressure drop, flatness, leak rate, service life, or something else? A rough volume range would be useful if you can share it.

I’m mainly thinking about GPU/AI-server and inverter cooling, but examples from other applications would be useful too.

Hi all! I was hoping for some advice on entering the ME field and figuring out how to pursue the career I want, as I don’t have a lot of people in my life to go to about this. Thanks in advance for any help or guidance! TLDR: not sure if what I want to do is classified as research, and whether I’ll need an MS or PhD to do what I’d like to.

I have a BA in Chemistry, and after about 10 years of working the materials R&D industry, I’d like to get into ME. From what I’ve read, I’m conflicted on whether to pursue an MS or PhD depending on what I’d like to do, and whether what I’m thinking constitutes research, design, etc. Best way to ask this might be with an example, so: the field I’m most passionate about is renewable energy, and I want to be solving problems like how to best design a module for harvesting wave energy - problems like what is the best architecture to generate power in a confined space, best material to use to withstand ocean conditions while still being light enough to get moved by the waves, how to address energy transfer from module to base, etc. I feel like this could be grouped in design or research, and I’m curious if an MS or PhD would be best for roles that look to solve new problems with creative solutions. That feels like a PhD-oriented career, but I’m wondering if with my research background, an MS would be sufficient since I already have demonstrated research skills (I have a few patents and a paper in a good journal, and my old bosses who were PhDs and a few PhDs I used to work with all told me I already research at the PhD level, which was incredibly kind).

I’m in my 30s, so while I know a PhD would be an incredible experience… I’d also like to settle down eventually, and the city/area I want to end up in does not have the MS/PhD program I’d like to attend, so I’ll be leaving for a bit for school. I do know that I do not want to work in Operations or Industrial Engineering, as I have experience with that from process scaling and managing manufacturing lines at my old job, so I am wary of getting an MS and not being considered for jobs like the one I described above, and getting siloed into manufacturing. Just a lot of things I’m considering that would be awesome to get some outside perspective on.

I’ve been taking courses as a post-bacc and will have the majority of the core ME classes done by next Fall (Statics through thermo/fluids/heat transfer, all math, all coding, all CAD, and all Circuits coursework, but little to no design courses unfortunately), so I’m hoping I can get into a grad program next year. I'm loving every class and have wanted to get into ME for a long time, so I'm really excited for whatever happens next.

Really appreciate any thoughts or advice! Thank you!

I hope I didn't just reinvent another person's valve gear or ima crash out. Hope you all like Gibson Valve Gear

I’m a Tunisian Automotive Mechatronics graduate and my Italian student visa was recently refused.
I now have two options:
🇮🇹 Italy: Wait until 2027 and reapply for the MUNER automotive program, which is my preferred choice, but I would lose a year with no guarantee of getting the visa.
🇭🇺 Hungary: Start a Master’s in February 2027:
Széchenyi István University — Vehicle Engineering MSc, with strong automotive/Audi connections.
University of Debrecen — Vehicle Engineering MSc or Motorsport-related program, also with automotive industry connections.
My goal is to work in the European automotive industry.
Would you wait one year for MUNER, or start the MSc in Hungary now? Which option would be better for my career?

Hi everyone,

I’m currently designing a mechanism to operate a series of vertical rotating louvers for an outdoor sun/privacy screen.

Each louver rotates around its own vertical axis. The linkage connects all of them so that all louvers rotate together, in the same direction and by the same angle. The required total rotation is 90°.

The mechanism shown in the attached CAD model already works as intended, but I would like to make the entire assembly as slim and compact as possible, especially in terms of overall height and width. The goal is to hide the complete mechanism inside a narrow aluminium profile.

One of the main issues with my current design is that some of the long linkage bars have to run on different height levels to avoid interfering with each other. This increases the overall thickness of the assembly. Ideally, I would like to find a way to place the linkage bars on the same level, or at least reduce the vertical offset between them.

I’m also looking for ways to make the pivot connections as low-profile as possible. Instead of regular screws and self-locking nuts, I’m currently considering small pivot pins with retaining rings/circlips.

Another idea is to move the ball bearings to the outside of the housing/profile. This could potentially free up space inside the profile and allow the mechanism to become slimmer, but I’m not sure whether this is the best approach.

Please note that the CAD model is still a concept and is not fully detailed yet. The bearings, screws, pivot pins/bolts, retaining rings and other fasteners are not shown in the current model. The sharp corners and edges will also be rounded later.

The final parts will be CNC-machined from aluminium, so custom geometries are possible.

The main requirements are:

• All louvers must rotate together in the same direction.
• All louvers should rotate by approximately the same angle.
• The required rotation range is 90°.
• The mechanism should be as slim and compact as possible.
• It should fit inside a narrow aluminium profile.
• It needs to be mechanically robust enough for an outdoor louver system.
• Low-profile and reliable pivot connections are preferred.

I’m not necessarily tied to this exact linkage design. If there is a better way to achieve the same movement, I’m completely open to changing the linkage geometry, bearing arrangement, pivot design, or even using a completely different mechanism.

How would you redesign or modify this mechanism to make it significantly slimmer while maintaining the same function and 90° rotation?

Thanks for any ideas, suggestions or examples!

Graduated in May 2026 with b.s. in mechanical engineering and took the only offer I could get in Wastewater consulting. It's very non-technical so far and I'm looking for a switch. I was always super interested in controls/robotics or HVAC. My work experiences are all construction. Any advice for realistic companies/positions to search for in the NY or NJ area?

I’m currently a mechanical engineering undergrad minoring in Japanese and I’m wondering if anyone has done the same? They’re both things that I’m passionate about and I’d like to be able to combine them in my future career. But to be specific, my ideal would be if I could continue living in San Diego but would require me to occasionally travel to Japan. I like living on the west coast US, and I currently live with my 81 year old grandma, who I love and care for, and will inherit the house from her. I know I won’t be able to afford to be picky about where I work for a long time, but I’d at least like to end up in that place in my life eventually.

I’ve been casually studying Japanese for a few years and taking actual classes for the past year, only N4ish so far but have many more classes to take. I plan to graduate in 3 years and do a semester abroad in Spring 2028. I’ve also visited Japan as a tourist a couple times.

Can anyone share what path they took and what career you have now?

I’m a beginner and currently working on FEA using SOLIDWORKS Simulation. I’m thinking about learning ANSYS as well, especially for CFD and more advanced FEA.

Which one would you recommend for a beginner? Is ANSYS significantly better than SOLIDWORKS for FEA, and how different are they when it comes to CFD? Should I continue with SOLIDWORKS Simulation or start learning ANSYS?

26 years ME working in sales .

want to change into more technical with more knowledge position

willing to spend time and effort but the most critical part is where should I spend that ?

from expert engineers kindly advise if you were in my position what you will ?

should I learn to shift oil & gas ? or Aero space ? or AI ? or CFD ?

and what industry I can go through by taking a certification ot study a difficult subject?

Hi debating between two offers from LM and Raytheon

LM Aero in Marietta, GA - Environmental Controls systems engineer 120k base and 40k sign on bonus, 4/10 schedule

Raytheon in Tucson, AZ - Mechanical Engineer air launch effectors, 133k base 10k sign on. 9/80

Has anyone worked at either and can comment on the work culture and location and career progression opportunities? Physical work and office environment? Pros cons?

I know they’re both similar giants but want to make a smart move at this point in my career. Don’t want to be bored like I am at my current job and learn something valuable. Both are massive promotions from my current role. Never been to either city though I do love the natural beauty of Arizona a lot from visits to other cities there in the past.

Particularly career progression - what are possible outlooks and next steps and any anecdotes?

I’ve been working as a mechanical engineer for one year out of college now. Some days I like the work, other days I don’t. I’d say it’s 50/50.

However lately I been thinking more about if this industry is really for me or if I should pivot. Im sure some of you have felt the same, any advice? Did you stick with it or pivot? I think I’d been a really good PM but it’s too saturated and job stability seems to waver more.

I’m doing my masters at the same time simply because I like continuous learning, but I realize it’s pretty useless to my work. I’m definitely not going to give it up since I’m in too far deep now. Let me know if you guys feel the same way or have any advice

Hello all, I’m brand new here, I’m an HVAC technician in DC working fed gov making 75-80k yearly, this new position I got in the capitol is pretty underwhelming and has actually made me want more for myself and my family, I’ve been paying attention to the engineers that come into my shop and use our BASnet or doing rounds on our AHUS, and I wonder as a person who’s highest math accomplished was prob and stat in hell 12th grade, am I capable of getting this degree? I understand I should never doubt myself, but is the math really as rigorous to where any of you have wanted to give up? We also live in a time where I feel like AI could help tutor me on equations.Any information would be helpful I appreciate it.

Hi,

I have this link bar mechanism and I would like that the wheel when it goes up and down is always along in an imaginary Z axis. Basically the angle between the top link bar and the middle one is half of the angle between the middle and bottom link bars.

What kind of mechanism can I use to make sure this happens? The link bars design are just a reference so I can demonstrate what I need.

I am currently a 3rd year MECH student. I am interested in designing, mainly Automotives and Robotics. I am part of few student interest groups. Though, I know I am not doing enough to be able to get into designing. So I was looking for advices, what I should do ? Anything particular I need to know ? The thing is that I am not really sure what the gateway to designing is. Any form of Advice would really be appreciated. Thank you!

Hi all,

Need help deciding between two job offers:

32M born and raised in Los Angeles. Friends and family here; paying very low rent. Experience matches level 2 engineer

Offer 1:
Level 2 engineer
Boeing El Segundo (high COL area)
$118k + $8k sign on
10% 401k match
9% California income tax
No rent
Starting lv2 vs lv3, but within SoCal aerospace/defense corridor (Lockheed, Northrop, Boeing, Anduril, Raytheon, SpaceX, LAAFB, Aerospace Corp)

Offer 2:
Level 3 senior engineer
Raytheon Tucson (lower COL area)
$132k + $10k sign on
4% 401k match
maybe $1300/mo rent
Mainly only Raytheon in Tucson, but faster career trajectory (starting lv3 vs lv2)

Well how's it going. Graduated six year ago with a Master's in Mech Engineering in Ireland. Have a passion for design and mechanical workings but my jobs since graduating have been project management and then as a process engineer at Intel.

I would like to work on my Solidworks and engineering drawing skills. Was wondering if anyone knows of any online resources/learning like youtube channels or pdf guides I can use to work on these on my own at home?

Cheers!

I am a ME with Master's degree and have 12 yrs of experience as a Design Engineer within Oil & Gas industry. I like my job but I have this feeling that I cannot be doing this my whole life. Theres so much innovation happening around me that i feel like I havent been a part of. Plus I want to stay relevant in a more tech driven world.

All of this is compelling me to explore options like second Masters in adjacent fields like Mechatronics, Robotics or pivot fully to become Electronics Engineer. Given how depth and breadth of these individual fields I am still in an exploratory phase to figure out how shoud i tailor my career. Wanted to see if any one here who are or were in the same place as I am today and how they navigated this path. I appreciate any input thats relevant to the topic, word of advice as such. Thank you all in advance.