When you meet someone for the very first time and tell them that you are an engineer, many assume you are in construction; that you build bridges, tower blocks and skyscrapers. I have to then explain that I am in fact a mechanical design engineer, which means I don’t get directly involved in these so-called big scale building projects, but rather you will find me beavering away behind the scenes, so to speak, with the intricate details, the nuts and bolts. Namely, the mechanisms, systems and components that drive or lay behind these constructions.
You would be forgiven for thinking that not everything in engineering relates to huge physical structures. Many of the items and design engineering projects that I have been involved with over the years, are on the smaller size, such as being asked to construct a 3D CAD model for a mechanical switch or button, or providing technical drawings and data for more complicated handheld medical devices.
A substantial number of these design and development projects have been multi-departmental which warrants employing a design engineering partner that is able to work and communicate with numerous colleagues that invariably have a different approach and varying perspectives. This aspect of being able to solve technical design problems whilst at the same time building bridges with other departments has its own challenges. But the end goal is to produce a product that we are all proud of, so we believe that it is imperative, to work hard at building relationships and not walls.
When we complete a project we very much hope that the client has been more than satisfied with the overall service provided. Of course we endeavour to nurture mutually beneficial relationships as we certainly do not want to burn any bridges, we have worked so hard to build. As far as we are concerned, there is never a bridge too far in design engineering. The prospect of a troll living under the bridge, is a scary thought, but we do not let that put us off. We will sit down and work out a technical solution to solve the ‘monster’ problem.
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