What Do They Teach in Manufacturing Engineering

Manufacturing Engineers are trained in various methods that enable them to operate a manufacturing facility successfully and efficiently. A Manufacturing Engineering curriculum begins with the foundational mathematics such as calculus, differential equations, and statistics that all engineers must study. Introductory physics and chemistry are also required. Later on students move to introductory engineering subjects such as computer science, material science, statics and dynamics. These subjects help them understand the way materials are created and shaped during the manufacturing process.

As students begin to specialize in manufacturing, they take courses such as Design for Manufacturing, Quality Control, and Systems and Controls. Design for Manufacturing teaches students how to create and read technical drawings. They also learn how to design products and devices which maximize manufacturing efficiency. For example, they study how to create the strongest parts with the least amount of material, or how to create a multi-part object which is quick and easy to assemble. In order to understand how well a manufacturing process is performing, students must learn about Quality Control and Assurance. They learn how to quantitatively measure the level of accuracy of a process, compare that to the standards they wish to achieve, and figure out the most efficient way to make up the difference. All of this requires a solid background in statistical analysis.

Systems and Controls is a course requiring advanced mathematics such as differential equations, in which students learn to study the way that many factors influence the outcomes of a complex system. The main job of a manufacturing engineer is to streamline the manufacturing floor. For example, through careful study of empirical data, they might discover that a certain step of the process takes an inordinate amount of time, or frequently encounters delays because of faulty parts, lacks of materials, or some other reason. A manufacturing engineer must have a number of tools at his or her disposal to quickly resolve the problem, foresee and avoid future problems, and improve overall efficiency of the manufacturing plant.

Since manufacturing engineering chiefly involves supervising and coordinating employees to run an efficient business, other relevant non-engineering courses might include management, economics, and business.

Finally, hands-on experience is vital to any well-rounded education. Manufacturing engineers are trained to use of the various machines, that they may one day supervise, such as milling machines, lathes, waterjets, laser cutters, and plastic production machines such as injection molding and thermoforming machines. Proper safety procedures are also taught, as well as the use of Computer Numeric Control, or CNC, to operate these machines is taught.