[modeleng] Re: Engineering education - rant

Peter

The 'Subject' should have read: Lack of Engineering education.

Dave
Saudi-Arabia-On-Sea


> 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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