Scientifically Advanced Graduate Engineering Careers
A large number of disciplines come under the umbrella of Engineering. Both auto and aero engineering appeal to a wide cross-section of people who want to be at the forefront of technology and science.
The United Kingdom boasts a very technically advanced aerospace sector comprising of over six hundred companies turning over more than seventeen billion between them, according to Loughborough University. With regard to the automotive sector Britain also plays a significant role here, with several hundred thousand people being involved in the industry.
Reputable Training
There are many internationally recognised British university degree courses that train students to a very high level in both auto and aero engineering. Students can also go on to do post grad work at many institutions. (There are of course less academic college courses available around the country). Undergraduates can take the opportunity to put the knowledge and experience they've gained in the first two years of their degree programme into practice by taking a one year industrial placement in year three.
There may also be options for part-time study in some educational establishments. If you're prepared to agree to work for a particular organisation following graduation, you may be able to negotiate a sponsorship deal. Take time to look into the various university, college and sponsorship options. You have many exciting possibilities in front of you.
Automotive Engineers
Auto engineering concerns all aspects of motor vehicles, from conception to assembly. It takes in elements of many other engineering disciplines. There are many new technologies in the automotive arena, so a great deal to think about for the student who's just getting started.
Let's take a look at the engineering stages we go through in the production of a vehicle. Design engineers obviously come up with the vehicle's design, but they also have to check each component part. The engineering attributes of an automobile are the responsibility of development engineers. They liaise with designers with regard to technical specifications and so on. Determining how to make the automobile is the job of the manufacturing engineers.
An automotive engineering student will be taught many product disciplines. The various elements of your training will ensure you become proficient in core automotive subjects like engine design and vehicle dynamics. One of the most crucial areas of auto engineering is safety engineering. All aspects of a vehicle are stringently tested in both partial and full vehicle crashes and simulations.
It's one thing for a component or system to work in isolation, but quite another for it to work in harmony with everything else on the vehicle. So an understanding of development engineering is necessary. 'Trade-offs' come under this function, for example balancing fuel economy with engine performance. Development engineers ultimately have to be sure that everything on the completed vehicle not only meets the manufacturers spec, but is also compliant with the latest regulations.
The manufacturing process takes over once all the design and development work has been done. This is where it all comes together, and so every last detail has to be planned and engineered. At every assembly plant, manufacturing engineers have to plan out the body shop, the area for engine and transmission placement and the chassis and trim area.
Engineering - Aeronautical
We think of aeronautical engineering as the science of aircraft, but it also embraces space technology and missiles.
Students who train as aeronautical engineers would be preparing themselves for a career in the aerospace industry -a most interesting industry at the forefront of science and technological developments. (That said, engineers working in Formula One use aerospace technology too!)
Modern aeroplanes have to undergo many severe conditions in order to safely negotiate the skies. Therefore aerospace engineering divides into very specialist areas, such as materials science and aerodynamics, which all come together to form the whole.
Degree courses will cover design, systems (such as landing gear), flight mechanics, forces, materials, performance and stability. A thorough treatment of analytical subjects will be included. Modules that deal with solving problems, like thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, are what we mean by analytical subjects. Modern computing methods can now simulate the behaviour of fluid, which reduces the need for empirical testing in wind tunnels. (However students will still carry out experiments using jet engines, large structural testing machines and wind tunnels).
Practical application is an important element of training to be an engineer. All academic programmes will involve a mixture of group and individual assignments to design and build actual machines or components. Undergraduate engineering training programmes also provide other useful skill-sets for their students. These could include time management, teamwork, organisational techniques, leadership and foreign languages.
The UK aerospace industry attracts the very best graduates, and the work is both compelling and highly remunerated. To apply for professional status following graduation, engineers should contact the Engineering Council - a national body that promotes and advances the science and practice of engineering.
