[modeleng] Engineering education - rant

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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