[modeleng] Engineering education - rant
- From: peter.chadwick@xxxxxxxxxxx
- To: modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2007 06:29:14 +0100
So I'm out here at the office in San Diego. We needed a special test
fixture, and rather than do sketches that get turned into proper drawings
(or draw things correctly as I was taught 40+ years ago!) followed by
trying to find a jobbing shop that will follow drawings rather than
'improve' things to their ideas, I made the necessary fixture in the home
workshop in the UK and shipped it out here. Bit of turning, boring out 1
inch diameter brass bar to fit 22mm copper water pipe and a 21mm diameter
1mm pitch thread cutting , with bits of material threaded to suit, other
turning, threading, knurling and milling jobs - very much an apprentice
job of 40 years ago.So I find all the engineers here (oldest is about 50)
marvel at this.'Where did you learn to do this?' sort of thing. 'How do
you get this funny finish on a thumb screw?'
'Oh, you mean knurling'
'Is that what it is?'
Just what sort of engineers are we turning out these days? OK, these are
integrated circuit designers, but if you're working on radio stuff, you
must realise that specialised fixtures are needed. I can see that in 10
years time, this branch of engineering will all be designed in the far
East because our so-called engineers won't know how to produce the
necessary mechanical fixtures. At the same time, 'one offs' that don't
actually justify the time taken to program a CAE machine just won't be
available. Meanwhile,our so-called 'engineers' have a very narrow view....
I wonder if the 'amateur' or 'model' engineer will suddenly be in demand
for 'craftmanship', although God knows, I'm no craftsman. Go to the ME
exhibitions, and marvel and wonder at the real craftmanship.......I do.
Not that I know any mechanical engineering. I took ONC Applied Mechanics 5
times................and failed 5 times. Then gave up.
Peter Chadwick.
Radio Engineer (and proud of it!)
Swindon - sometimes. San Diego this week.
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