REQUIRED SKILLS FOR MECHANICAL DESIGN ENGINEERS

Audio: Required skills for mechanical design engineers – part 2

In my previous article, Required skills for mechanical design engineer – part 1, we talked about mechanical engineering knowledge, industry knowledge, technical skills, and communication skills. This article will continue down the list and talk about analytical and problem-solving skills, organizational skills, and creativity. Like in part 1, I will also give you some advice on sharpening those skills.

5. Analytical and problem-solving skills

In simple words, analytical skills are the ability to analyze information and draw conclusions from it. Problem-solving skills are abilities to identify and understand a problem and solve it.

In our line of work, we all use these skills, whether we know it or not. We are constantly analyzing the information that we receive, and we are drawing a conclusion from it. For example, If I change feature A, that will influence feature B.

The outcome of our analysis is highly dependent on the information we gather. The more information we have about the specific subject, the better conclusion we can draw out.

I will try to give you a generic example. Let us imagine that we have a product that sometimes fails and sometimes does not. The first thing we have to do is gather information about how many products failed from how many. This information will immediately give us an idea of how severe the problem we are facing is (10% or 50% is a big difference). Also, in most cases higher the percentage of error, the easier it is to figure out what is wrong (not necessarily easier to fix).

The next step is to figure out under what conditions we have a failure. That means that we will, depending on our problem, start collecting the information about the failure. You will talk with the person who reported the failure or read the report about it and what led to it.

We could have two scenarios:

The failure mode is known
- If the failure is known, for example, “I did A, and then failure happened,” then we can move forward by replicating the steps that led to the failure to prove that was the case and that there were no other conditions contributed to this failure.
- Once we prove that was the reason for the failure, we can proceed with analyzing if this failure should or should not have happened. That means reviewing our user cases, calculation reports, intended environment, product specifications, etc. This will give us information on whether we should continue with our analysis. For example, our product is rated up to -10°C but it was in an environment that was on -20°C and failure occurred (the decision if we are going to upgrade our product or not to fit this use case is not a concern in this analysis).
- In case that failure occurred when it was not supposed to happen, we must proceed to gather more information on what could have led to this failure. Depending on the failure, you will measure the components, check the tolerances, and tolerance stackup, investigate the assembly process, look into the defined loads, and compare them with the loads that appeared during the failure. We will basically not leave one stone unturned until we truly understand the reason behind it.
- The result of our analysis should be a clear problem statement; for example, the failure on the 3D printer that resulted with the printing head colliding with the print bed was due to the distance sensor being mounted too high during the assembly process.

The failure mode is unknown
- If the failure is unknown, for example, “it was on laying on the desk, and out of nowhere, it failed, ” we first have to determine the reason for the failure. So we are going to start by analyzing the failure and its outcome and then assume different failure modes and proceed with experiments until we prove the reason for failure.
- Once we do that, the steps afterward are the same as in the previous scenario. Usually, with this approach, we will already have some information about what could possibly lead to the failure.
- Once we get our problem statement, we can proceed with solving the problem if needed. The first step is to define what exactly we want to achieve by solving this problem. Sometimes, it will not make sense to solve the complete problem but a fraction of it. This will require a decision to be made (next chapter). Basically, we will decide either to solve the whole problem, part of it, or none of it (yes, sometimes doing nothing at this point in time is also a solution to a problem).
- The next step is to generate possible solutions. In our previous example of a 3D printer’s sensor being mounted too high during the assembly process, we can have multiple solutions like updating the assembly instructions, creating a fixture for mounting the sensor in the proper position, redesigning the sensor’s holder, and updating the drawing.

- After we generate the solution, we must analyze it. Which solutions give us the highest value with the minimum resources spent? Maybe we could combine two solutions, one used as a short-term and the other as a long-term solution? What would it take us to implement it/them?
  
  Naturally, after this previous step next step is to make a decision.
- Our final step is to plan and implement this solution based on our decision. For our previous example, the short-term solution is to update the assembly instructions, and the long-term solution is to redesign the sensor’s holder so that it is impossible to mount the sensor too high.
- Analytical and problem-solving skills are highly valuable skills to have. We are using them all the time, and we should keep developing them. These skills could be a big differentiator between you and others.

Here are some tips:

Always keep your mind open to new ideas; no matter how stupid the idea you think it is, it might lead to other valuable ideas or insights.
No matter how stupid you think that your failure mode is, consider it. No matter how stupid you think they are, the warning labels were put with the reason; someone actually did what the warning label is saying not to do. I saw a warning label saying, “Do not put your credit card in the opening for the parking card,” and I am pretty sure it was not there without a good and funny reason behind it.
Always gather information on the products you are working on and similar products to yours, and have a designated place to store that information. You never know when a similar problem will occur to you, and you will want to have a head start on your information-gathering process. If you want to learn more about this, see Knowledge base for mechanical design engineers.
Learn supporting techniques like problem analysis, root-cause analysis, fishbone diagrams, 5 Whys technique, etc.

Learn how to ask good questions.
Learn how to use techniques for generating ideas, like brainstorming.
Keep pushing even when you think you are not going anywhere; sometimes, the correct insight will come when you are not expecting it.
Properly document your process and experiments. My approach is like this: if I go for two weeks of PTO next week, will I be able to continue when I am back? If the answer is no, I know that I need to better document my progress.
If you are using abbreviations, always write down the legend. It happened to me more than I would like to admit: I would look into my poorly written notes and wonder what “GLUC” and “GRUC meant.
When being asked your opinion about different problems or failure modes, you can give your opinion (“initial gut reaction”) but always make sure that you finish your thoughts with: “… but in order to have the better answer, I would need to conduct proper analysis to draw out correct conclusions”.
Learn how to properly communicate your results: see Engineering communication.

6. Decision-making skills

Decision-making skills are the ability to select the optimal solution between one or more alternatives.

These skills are also something that we are using in our everyday life and work. We constantly weigh the different options to get to the optimal decision. Everything we do and achieve in our personal and professional life is based on our decisions. While the decisions in our life are often made based on our feelings, intuition, subjective opinions, and personal goals, mechanical design engineering decisions are made (at least they should be) based on the information we have. Usually, they are backed up with some kind of analysis. For example, our goal is to produce a cheap consumer product. Therefore, we could create a quantity/cost diagram of different manufacturing processes and decide based on that diagram.

For decision-making, information plays a huge role. You should gather as much information as possible before making a decision. In mechanical design engineering, the decisions are rarely one-dimensional. Every decision that we make usually impacts more than just one thing.

For example, we had some issues with the tolerances on our components. We analyzed the problem and have a few solutions we could implement. We decide to change tolerances and update our drawings. As a result of this decision, we have an additional cost related to changing our drawings, creating an ECR, and properly documenting the change. We are also impacting the component’s price because now, with the tighter tolerances, our supplier must add additional setup costs, extra time for manufacturing, and use more expensive equipment for measuring the component. All these things I listed before should have been involved in the decision-making process.

When we get to the point where we have solutions, we already know that our solutions will work. Now with our decision, we are determining what kind of impact our solution could have. The questions, of course, are, is our decision cost-effective, and does it bring the value we want it to bring? Answer to these questions should be answered before we make a decision.

Here are some tips:

Gather as much information as you can before making a decision. This information could include:
- scientific analysis,
- cost analysis between solutions,
- value analysis between solutions – for example, some solutions may be less expensive, but they are bringing less value to our customers,
- risk assessment,
- inputs from your coworkers and other experts.
Always have a complete overview of why you made a certain decision. You do not want to say to your boss that you do not remember why you made a decision, but you know it was right.
If you have a big decision to make, and you have time to make it, sleep on it.
Sometimes you will have to get your decision approved. When you do, always try to get a written confirmation (e-mail).
When making a big decision, permanently archive all the details.
This should go without the saying but always make ethical decisions.

7. Organizational skills

One of the biggest compliments I received as a mechanical design engineer was when I was told I was really organized. I would say that this is one of the most prominent characteristics of a great engineer in general. Usually, we are operating in the domain of chaos, and being able to introduce some of the order in that chaos could be a difference between the success or failure of the product.

In general, you have different project managers making sure that everything is going according to the plan and the budget, and you have product managers making sure that the right things are developed based on the customer requirements. It does not matter how many managers you have and how many plans they make; you will have to keep your side of the project on schedule.

As a mechanical design engineer, you will work with many people with different levels of responsibilities. For example, you will work with managers, marketing professionals, sales professionals, and other engineers from quality, testing, or production; you will have different teammates developing different product segments. Furthermore, you will have different regulatory bodies which standards, certification, or compliance requirements your design must satisfy.

Then you, of course, have your own responsibilities from designing, prototyping, testing, simulations, calculations, preparing reports, attending meetings, solving problems, etc. Furthermore, you will have to eventually create engineering drawings adjusted for different manufacturing technologies, you will have to talk with your suppliers and get quotes, then you will have to setup BOM and create and maintain the data inside of your ERP system, etc. As you can see, the input and output information you will get are enormous.

You have to be able to organize and prioritize all of your project work and tasks.

Here are some tips on how you can get better organized:

Learn how to use your e-mail software. Organize your e-mail: create project folders and sub-folder; highlight specific keywords, categories of your e-mails, etc.
For each specific project, issue or topic, create an approval folder and keep e-mails with approvals there.
For the things that have a big impact on the product or your work, ask for an e-mail confirmation.

To learn more, read “E-mail organization for mechanical design engineers.”

If you get a request to do something, always get your manager’s approval for your time.
Keep two separate task lists. One with all the tasks you should do, and one with the priority tasks. The priority tasks always keep visible. Always write down all of your tasks, do not keep them in your head.
Learn how your company is organized. For example, who is responsible for what, and who is a go-to person for what?
Learn the documentation release process in your company.
Always take a conservative approach when giving a time estimate for your work. There are always things that could go wrong. So under-promise, over-deliver.
If your task is connected to other people, estimate your work with the “IF” statement: “IF person “A” finish this by tomorrow, I will be able to finish my work by the end of the week.”
Standardize your report and presentation templates.
Always keep the notes during the meeting (so-called “meeting minutes”).
Keep your design journal up to date.
Archive all the relevant information in your knowledge base.

8. Creativity

Creativity is the ability to recognize ideas to solve problems in a way that has not existed before. This could also be applied to communicating with others, approaching situations, or entertainment. Without me getting into too many details, you can read more in this article.

Why is it important for the mechanical design engineer to be creative? Every day you will solve different problems, and it will require a lot of creative energy to get a satisfactory solution. You will have to figure out a new technical solution, new ways to test your products, more efficient ways to communicate your design intent and solve all the other challenges that come your way.

Sometimes you will have to juggle between different tasks that are technical in nature and then switch to creative work and go back to technical tasks. It takes a lot of energy and practice to switch between tasks and “summon” your creativity when you must. In our line of work, you cannot wait days to get the inspiration to do creative things.

Here are some tips on how to get your creative juice going:

Create a trigger – I have been working in this field for quite some time. I have been working on the same tasks for days and weeks, and I have been working on several tasks a day, switching between the technical and creative work. What I found that works the best for me is to have a trigger that will get me in the mindset of generating ideas. My trigger is when I take a pen and paper and start drawing. I have been doing this for so long that my brain automatically switches to the exploration mode.
Use a 3D model to visualize different options – sometimes, when the assembly I am working on is too complex and has too many constraints, I use a 3D model to completely understand all of the limitations and space I have for connecting my component to existing assembly. Having constraints laid out in front of you will give you a roadmap to your solution. Again, I would use a pen and a paper, and I would separately solve each constraint on a paper, generating all my options and ideas. Then I would combine different constrain solutions until I get one solution covering all the constraints.
Practice exploring new ideas without technical analysis – the most challenging thing during the idea generation process is to stop analyzing ideas that are coming out. What I mean by that is that when you draw potential solutions, your brain will automatically start analyzing the solution to see if it fits all of your criteria; in the ideation process, that is not a good thing. Instead, what we want to achieve is to have a free flow of ideas because even the ones that are not technically feasible could lead to a different, better solution.
Learn things outside of your industry solutions – knowing how different devices and products are solving various problems for other people outside your industry could inspire you on how to solve problems in your industry. For example, the haptic feedback from buttons on your remote control could give you an idea or a reference point for the haptic feeling on the product you are designing.
Write your ideas down – during the ideation process, you could have a lot of different solutions that will not fit your current problem. But that does not mean it will not work for other problems you could sometimes have down the road. Write down your ideas in your knowledge base or where you feel comfortable storing them.
Practice, practice, practice – like with everything in life, the more you practice, the better you get. So spend time daily generating new ideas of any sort. Think about how different products could work and how they are made. Give your imagination a playground to grow and expand. Think big and think freely. Create imaginary what-if scenarios and let your imagination go wild. With practice, you will get better for sure.

Closing words

To become an excellent mechanical design engineer, many skills need to be perfected. But I would say that is required for excellence in any profession. Developing these skills will take time, sacrifice, planning, deliberate practice, and hard work. But if you are ready to pay the price to achieve excellence, you will reap the fruits of your labor. Being a mechanical design engineer can be gratifying careerwise and moneywise. As you get better and gain experience, you will feel more confident in yourself and your abilities. So, keep working, keep grinding, be smart about it, and you will achieve great things!

This was my opinion on the required skills for the mechanical design engineer. What do you think? Did I overlook any of the skills that you find equally important? Share your experience and thoughts in the comments below!

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