Automotive News

Posts Tagged ‘engineer’

Would you like to make “I’m a rambling wreck from Georgia Tech and a heck of a heck of an engineer” a reality in your life? Have you always enjoyed tinkering around with cars and figuring out what made stuff work? Does being a team player developing products that are the cutting edge of technology appeal to you? Then automotive engineering might be the career for you.

Generally, an automotive engineer is one who works on the design or manufacture of automobiles. The word design is slightly misleading since an automotive designer is a stylist basically concerned with the appearance of the automobile while the engineer specializes in the performance of the automobile and its components.

The engineer works on developing new or improved structural parts, engines, transmissions and suspension systems. The engineer is involved in production cost estimation, reduction of production costs and implementing cost/quality control improvements. The engineer must be sure that the product meets all federal regulations. In the case of new designs, it is the engineer who determines driveability.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor Dictionary of Occupational Titles, automotive engineering is a sub-specialty of mechanical engineering.

Even though the automotive manufacturing industry is in a slump at this time, there is still a demand for engineers due to the current focus on fuel economy and alternate fueled vehicles. The field is expected to grow as fast as average through 2014.

While there are global opportunities for automotive engineers in countries as far flung as Malaysia and the United Kingdom, most jobs within the US are centered in the Midwest since that is the major location of the auto industry. The big three employers in the United States are Ford, General Motors and Daimler-Chrysler.

The working environment is a combination of office and on site. The entry-level salary starts at around $48,000 annually and a Bachelor of Science degree is required. In addition to the degree, the engineer should have excellent communication skills, strong troubleshooting skills and the ability to work as part of a team.

As with any engineering degree, the choice of a college is crucial. While all engineering colleges are selective, the better and the best are even more so.

One characteristic you need to look for in a college is the quality of instruction. Are all the classes taught by professional teachers and not graduate assistants? Do these teachers have industry connections? Is simulation and hands-on an integral part of the program?

Does the college offer internships or work study opportunities? Internships and work-study are very important as they offer a path to instant employment upon graduation. The same is true of having instructors with industry connections. It also doesn’t hurt to consider a college that offers advanced degrees in the event you decide to go further than a bachelor’s degree.

To ensure admission to the college of choice, a high school graduate should have a high GPA with a strong background in calculus, advanced math, statistics, physics, chemistry and geometry. Vocational classes in automotive mechanics are also helpful. It will also be necessary to score high on whatever college admissions test the school requires as the admissions committee will base their decision on both your high school record and admissions test scores.

Recent innovations in automotive engineering have produced active safety systems ranging from side alert, often called blind spot warning, to adaptive cruise control, to collision detection and warning. What this means to the average consumer will change over time as these products become increasingly available. What this means to the automotive engineer is increased attention to safe technology.

Many impressive innovations beyond the now customary car navigation system have existed – and even been on the market – for years now. Adaptive cruise control has been available since the early 19990s. Electronic stability control has been an option for many vehicles since 1995. Scanning radars, crash sensors, pre-crash mitigation and vehicle and occupant safety systems are also emerging. Such systems offer insights into how roads can be made safer in generations to come and where automotive technology is heading. In other words, as cars become “carputers,” automotive engineers are driving shifting technologies.

The myriad of promising innovations includes vehicle occupant safety systems. For example, a crash sensor generates a signal based upon a potential crash or one already transpired via a continuously variable severity output signal. If an accident has occurred, sensors signal certain actions like deployment of airbags. If an accident is likely to occur, sensors can alert the driver in various ways so that she or he can try to take necessary actions to avoid an accident and/or the sensors can take action themselves by pretensioning seatbelts or initiating automatic braking. In many ways, this process is not dissimilar to the functioning of the human brain: The brain sends a signal to the body to complete an action, often in response to stimuli received from the outside world. Who knew humanity would serve as its own model for creating devices designed for our safety?

Often, though, such examples of automotive technology are integrated into high-end, expensive cars first, due to high pricing. As the benefits of these products become more widely known and their popularity expands, costs decrease due to economies of scale and advancing technology. As research and development pay off, these advanced products become more widely distributed.

The advantages of automotive system and component integration expertise will continue to increase over time. Such knowledge may be paramount to an industry focused on better fuel economy, safety advancements and financially feasible products. Engineers versed in not only the basics of these systems but also in how to integrate them is only the beginning. Savvy engineers who are engaging in up-integration – adding software that makes one electronic module do many things – and sensor fusion – using complementary technologies to enhance object detection and classification – may have an edge in an ever-competitive job market.

In the rush to meet consumer demand and stay competitive, suppliers tend to be increasingly eager to develop ways to integrate safety and other technology systems. Many vehicles currently come with automatic on/off, high/low beam and rain sensor technology for instance. A separate camera, of course, is not necessary for this. Install a camera for a lane departure warning system, and suddenly a world of possibilities opens up. Intelligent headlight plus pedestrian and sign recognition programs can also be added, to name a few, without the need for additional cameras. Separate module manufacturing for each technological innovation becomes unnecessary. Multiple functions and features on the same apparatus decrease cost and increase functionality

So, what’s next? It seems to be the perpetual question that automotive engineers ask – no matter how far we advance. Perhaps an entirely self-driving car. Perhaps hover vehicles on highways, following designated pathways and communicating with surrounding vehicles to avoid crashes.

What do consumers want? The evolution of technology. Inventions born of new ideas. And, ultimately, innovative products that can even make us all safer. It’s the engineers, though – the technological innovators themselves – who make it possible.