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Technical Engineers Careers - Mechanical & Aero

When we talk about Engineers, we can mean many things. Those looking for a career in aeronautical engineering or automotive engineering are likely to be seeking work with challenge and innovation. According to Loughborough University, there are more than 600 companies in the aerospace industry in Britain alone, with a combined turnover in excess of 17 billion pounds. Automotive design, development and production are significant employers, and the UK motorsport industry is recognised globally.

Finding The Right Training Courses

There are many internationally recognised British university degree courses that train students to a very high level in both auto and aero engineering. Graduates can also follow on and take a PhD or MSc if they wish.

It's also possible to find other engineering diplomas and fitting vocational courses. Degree courses can be studied with or without an industrial placement year. Engineering departments often have good links with industry for gaining work experience.

Part-time sandwich training is also an option for those who prefer to split their time between studying and working. Engineering students can also look into sponsorship options which are provided by both private industry and the Armed Forces. As you do your research into the different training options, look for details of graduate sponsorship programmes.

Automotive-Engineering

Auto engineering concerns all aspects of motor vehicles, from conception to assembly. The automotive engineer's skills are tested right from the initial design concepts. There's a lot to take on board, and new technologies are being developed all the time - often to deal with government environmental standards.

We can split auto engineering into product or design engineering, development engineering and manufacturing engineering. The designers have to create the parts on a vehicle and ensure that they meet all of the stated requirements. The engineering attributes of an automobile are the responsibility of development engineers. These engineers often have to liaise with designers on certain specs. Their work is then given to the manufacturing engineers, who establish how the vehicle will be built.

Auto engineering courses are very in-depth, and mastering the detail will take time and experience. In addition to gaining comprehensive knowledge of automotive engineering and design, students should also learn transferable skills on a graduate programme.

One of the most crucial areas of auto engineering is safety engineering. All aspects of a vehicle are stringently tested in both partial and full vehicle crashes and simulations.

All the components of a vehicle have to do the job they're individually designed for, but also be brought together and function harmoniously. And so training must include elements of development engineering. This area also covers trade-offs - such as learning how to achieve performance whilst maintaining fuel economy. Finally the development engineer has to conduct tests on the full vehicle, such as level testing, validation and certification.

When the design and development work are completed, the vehicle is ready for the manufacturing process. Automotive manufacturing engineers plan both the building of the component parts and the entire vehicle. At every assembly plant, manufacturing engineers have to plan out the body shop, the area for engine and transmission placement and the chassis and trim area.

Aeronautical Engineering

Aeronautical engineers are involved in the research, design, manufacture and maintenance of all forms of aircraft. Studying for an aeronautical engineering degree will prepare you for a successful and highly respected career within the aerospace industry. You might also be interested to know that the development and design of a Formula One racing car uses aerospace technology!

All aircraft have to endure severe conditions and stresses, such as changes in atmospheric pressure and temperature, and structural loading on the components. Consequently the building of an aircraft will take many engineering disciplines and aeronautical engineers will all deal in specialist technologies.

With a strong emphasis on analytics, training will include all aspects of design, materials, forces and integration of systems. Analytical methods will be developed which allow aeronautical engineers to design and analyse aircraft. Computational fluid dynamics is used to simulate the behaviour of fluid today, which reduces wind-tunnel testing time and expense. All the same, students shouldn't miss out on aeronautical projects that carry out tests in wind tunnels.

Engineering students will get a lot of practical hands-on experience. All engineering students will get the chance to contribute to a practical group assignment to create an automobile or flight vehicle. Other more broad based vocational skills may be incorporated into an engineering degree programme.

Such areas as time-management, writing skills and presenting can all help at interview.

Aero and auto engineering degrees not only provide the opportunity to develop technical expertise, they also put graduates into the top sector for employment opportunities. To apply for professional status following graduation, engineers should contact the Engineering Council - a national body that promotes and advances the science and practice of engineering.