Mechatronics engineers design and develop intelligent systems, such as robotic devices, smart home appliances, and aeroplanes, through combining technologies from mechanical, electronic, computer, and control engineering. They create blueprints or design documents for parts, assemblies or finished products using software programs, and also oversee and manage projects.
Mechatronics engineers work full time, generally on set schedule. They often work longer hours to meet project deadlines. They almost always work indoors. In some circumstances, they may be exposed to hazardous equipment. They may wear safety attire, such as masks and hard hats, to protect themselves.
Mechatronics engineers have a high level of interpersonal relationships. They spend a large part of their day talking to clients or coworkers about projects. They regularly work as part of a group or a team. The outcome and results of their work can significantly impact other workers.
Mechatronics engineers often work near others, in a same office space shared with other engineers. They usually set daily tasks and goals without talking to a supervisor first.
A bachelor’s degree in mechatronics, computer science, electronics, mechanics, or any related field is generally required to work as mechatronics engineer. In some cases, a master’s degree may be required, typically in countries where the engineer title is associated with a master level in the education system.
ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:
the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.
Mechatronics engineer is a Skill level 4 occupation.
This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of mechatronics engineer.
Engineering principles: The engineering elements like functionality, replicability, and costs in relation to the design and how they are applied in the completion of engineering projects.
Design drawings: Understand design drawings detailing the design of products, tools, and engineering systems.
Electrical engineering: Understand electrical engineering, a field of engineering that deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism.
Mathematics: Mathematics is the study of topics such as quantity, structure, space, and change. It involves the identification of patterns and formulating new conjectures based on them. Mathematicians strive to prove the truth or falsity of these conjectures. There are many fields of mathematics, some of which are widely used for practical applications.
Technical drawings: Drawing software and the various symbols, perspectives, units of measurement, notation systems, visual styles and page layouts used in technical drawings.
Physics: The natural science involving the study of matter, motion, energy, force and related notions.
Engineering processes: The systematic approach to the development and maintenance of engineering systems.
Computer engineering: Engineering discipline that combines computer science with electrical engineering to develop computer hardware and software. Computer engineering occupies itself with electronics, software design, and the integration of hardware and software.
Electronics: The functioning of electronic circuit boards, processors, chips, and computer hardware and software, including programming and applications. Apply this knowledge to ensure electronic equipment runs smoothly.
Mechanical engineering: Discipline that applies principles of physics, engineering and materials science to design, analyse, manufacture and maintain mechanical systems.
Control engineering: Subdiscipline of engineering that focuses on controlling the behaviour of systems through the use of sensors and actuators.
Mechatronics: Multidisciplinary field of engineering that combines principles of electrical engineering, telecommunications engineering, control engineering, computer engineering, and mechanical engineering in the design of products and manufacturing processes. The combination of these areas of engineering allows for the design and development of “smart” devices and the achievement of an optimal balance between mechanical structure and control.
Robotics: The branch of engineering that involves the design, operation, manufacture, and application of robots. Robotics is part of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science and overlaps with mechatronics and automation engineering.
Mechanics: Theoretical and practical applications of the science studying the action of displacements and forces on physical bodies to the development of machinery and mechanical devices.
Automation technology: Set of technologies that make a process, system, or apparatus operate automatically through the use of control systems.
These skills are necessary for the role of mechatronics engineer.
Gather technical information: Apply systematic research methods and communicate with relevant parties in order to find specific information and evaluate research results to assess the information’s relevance, relating technical systems and developments.
Conduct literature research: Conduct a comprehensive and systematic research of information and publications on a specific literature topic. Present a comparative evaluative literature summary.
Develop electronic test procedures: Develop testing protocols to enable a variety of analyses of electronic systems, products, and components.
Perform data analysis: Collect data and statistics to test and evaluate in order to generate assertions and pattern predictions, with the aim of discovering useful information in a decision-making process.
Adjust engineering designs: Adjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements.
Perform scientific research: Gain, correct or improve knowledge about phenomena by using scientific methods and techniques, based on empirical or measurable observations.
Test mechatronic units: Test mechatronic units using appropriate equipment. Gather and analyse data. Monitor and evaluate system performance and take action if needed.
Analyse test data: Interpret and analyse data collected during testing in order to formulate conclusions, new insights or solutions.
Simulate mechatronic design concepts: Simulate mechatronic design concepts through creating mechanical models and performing tolerance analysis.
Develop mechatronic test procedures: Develop testing protocols to enable a variety of analyses of mechatronic systems, products, and components.
Design prototypes: Design prototypes of products or components of products by applying design and engineering principles.
Report analysis results: Produce research documents or give presentations to report the results of a conducted research and analysis project, indicating the analysis procedures and methods which led to the results, as well as potential interpretations of the results.
Define technical requirements: Specify technical properties of goods, materials, methods, processes, services, systems, software and functionalities by identifying and responding to the particular needs that are to be satisfied according to customer requirements.
Prepare production prototypes: Prepare early models or prototypes in order to test concepts and replicability possibilities. Create prototypes to assess for pre-production tests.
Approve engineering design: Give consent to the finished engineering design to go over to the actual manufacturing and assembly of the product.
Design automation components: Design engineering parts, assemblies, products, or systems that contribute to the automation of industrial machines.
This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of mechatronics engineer. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
Telecommunications engineering: Discipline that combines computer science with electrical engineering to improve telecommunications systems.
Electromechanics: The engineering processes that combine electrical and mechanical engineering in the application of electromechanics in devices that need electricity to create mechanical movement or devices that create electricity by mechanical movement.
Micromechatronic engineering: Cross-disciplinary engineering which focuses on the miniaturisation of mechatronic systems.
Firmware: Firmware is a software program with a read-only memory (ROM) and a set of instructions that is permanently inscribed on a hardware device. Firmware is commonly used in electronic systems such as computers, mobile phones, and digital cameras.
Hydraulics: The power transmission systems that use the force of flowing liquids to transmit power.
CAE software: The software to perform computer-aided engineering (CAE) analysis tasks such as Finite Element Analysis and Computional Fluid Dynamics.
Quality standards: The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.
Microelectromechanical systems: Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are miniaturised electromechanical systems made using processes of microfabrication. MEMS consist of microsensors, microactuators, microstructures, and microelectronics. MEMS can be used in a range of appliances, such as ink jet printer heads, digital light processors, gyroscopes in smart phones, accelerometers for airbags, and miniature microphones.
Pneumatics: The application of pressurised gas to produce mechanical motion.
Safety engineering: The engineering discipline used to ensure that systems, machines and equipment work according to the set safety standards and laws, such as environmental law.
Optoelectronics: Branch of electronics and optics dedicated to the study and use of electronic devices that detect and control light.
Cybernetics: The science, mechanisms and components of cybernetics. The type of systems theory focused on the control of regulatory feedback across both living and non-living systems.
These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of mechatronics engineer. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
Keep up with digital transformation of industrial processes: Keep up to date with digital innovations applicable to industrial processes. Integrate these transformations in the company’s processes aiming for competitive and profitable business models.
Provide technical documentation: Prepare documentation for existing and upcoming products or services, describing their functionality and composition in such a way that it is understandable for a wide audience without technical background and compliant with defined requirements and standards. Keep documentation up to date.
Communicate with customers: Respond to and communicate with customers in the most efficient and appropriate manner to enable them to access the desired products or services, or any other help they may require.
Design firmware: Design the appropriate firmware to a specific electronic system.
Perform test run: Perform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, and adjust settings accordingly.
Define manufacturing quality criteria: Define and describe the criteria by which data quality is measured for manufacturing purposes, such as international standards and manufacturing regulations.
Create technical plans: Create detailed technical plans of machinery, equipment, tools and other products.
Calibrate mechatronic instruments: Correct and adjust the reliability of an mechatronic instrument by measuring output and comparing results with the data of a reference device or a set of standardised results. This is done in regular intervals which are set by the manufacturer.
Write routine reports: Compose regular reports by writing clear observations on the monitored processes in a respective field.
Use CAM software: Use computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) programmes to control machinery and machine tools in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimisation as part of the manufacturing processes of workpieces.
Monitor automated machines: Continuously check up on the automated machine’s set-up and execution or make regular control rounds. If necessary, record and interpret data on the operating conditions of installations and equipment in order to identify abnormalities.
Coordinate engineering teams: Plan, coordinate and supervise engineering activities together with engineers and engineering technicians. Ensure clear and effective channels of communication across all departments. Make sure the team is aware of the standards and objectives of the research and development.
Install automation components: Install the automation components according to the specifications of the circuit diagram.
Examine engineering principles: Analyse the principles that need to be considered for engineering designs and projects such as functionality, replicability, costs and other principles.
Draft bill of materials: Set up a list of materials, components, and assemblies as well as the quantities needed to manufacture a certain product.
Use CAD software: Use computer-aided design (CAD) systems to assist in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimisation of a design.
Apply technical communication skills: Explain technical details to non-technical customers, stakeholders, or any other interested parties in a clear and concise manner.
Replace machines: Evaluate when to invest in replacing machines or machine tools and take the necessary actions.
Perform project management: Manage and plan various resources, such as human resources, budget, deadline, results, and quality necessary for a specific project, and monitor the project’s progress in order to achieve a specific goal within a set time and budget.
Program firmware: Program permanent software with a read-only memory (ROM) on a hardware device, such as an integrated circuit.
Assemble mechatronic units: Assemble mechatronic units using mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, electrical, electronic, and information technology systems and components. Manipulate and attach metals through using welding and soldering techniques, glue, screws, and rivets. Install wiring. Install drive systems, sensors, actuators, and transducers. Mount switches, control devices, coverings, and protection.
Build business relationships: Establish a positive, long-term relationship between organisations and interested third parties such as suppliers, distributors, shareholders and other stakeholders in order to inform them of the organisation and its objectives.
Maintain safe engineering watches: Observe principles in keeping an engineering watch. Take over, accept and hand over a watch. Perform routine duties undertaken during a watch. Maintain the machinery space logs and the significance of the readings taken. Observe safety and emergency procedures. Observe safety precautions during a watch and take immediate actions in the event of fire or accident, with particular reference to oil systems.
Train employees: Lead and guide employees through a process in which they are taught the necessary skills for the perspective job. Organise activities aimed at introducing the work and systems or improving the performance of individuals and groups in organisational settings.
Set up automotive robot: Set up and programme an automotive robot working on machine processes and substituting or collaboratively supporting human labour, such as the six-axis automotive robot.
Prepare assembly drawings: Create the drawings that identify the different components and materials, and that provide instructions as to how they should be assembled.
Perform resource planning: Estimate the expected input in terms of time, human and financial resources necessary to achieve the project objectives.
Develop product design: Convert market requirements into product design and development.
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