Oil Ethics

An event that is still fresh on peoples mind is the Horizon oil spill which took place in the Gulf of Mexico. This situation has some serious ethical questions with it. Did the engineers knowingly overlook the possible failure of the pipe because their boss was more concerned with profit?

 

 
The issue of the engineers not taking a stand or not allowing the chance to be heard about this issue has two sides two it. The first being it is hard for an employee to go against the wishes if their boss. The second being the risk taken for the pipe to fail and cause an environmental disaster. In this situation the engineers decided to take the easy way out and please their boss which caused this tragedy.

In their defense it appears the engineers were doing their best to follow orders although this would be understandable in most circumstances the outcome of their risk taking was not justified. A regard to ethics over position must be maintained in order to provide safety to ourselves and our environment.

Thank you,
Dave Dickey

Risks and Rewards of Offshore Manufacturing

Companies have been going through the process of globalization for a little while now. At first it was only the large fortune 500 companies that were able to take advantage of the benefits from offshore manufacturing but now it is hard to find large or small manufacturing business's that don't have ties overseas. This is largely an economic issue but I will discuss how Mechanical Engineers are working on new advancements and cost cutting procedures to keep business stateside. 

The reason businesses move overseas or send work overseas is from the large cost savings mostly made in labor costs. What ME have done to keep work here has largely been in procedures to cut costs by creating less labor intensive production lines. Robotics have came into play largely in the past decade. By designing and programming these robotics now work is getting completed quickly without a large workforce present. For example robotic welders have been used in many applications now without anyone needing to be there watching it. The welder is programed to shut down and send out a diagnostic report of the error over text message or email to the operator. Also robotic arms are being used to change parts in CNC machining centers creating high production parts at low costs. 

Though outside the large cost saving in labor costs from sending business overseas there are also other variables that play a factor. Companies ran into difficulties being able to create the part needed not just from the quality of inspection but because of the variance of raw materials. Countries in Asia do not have the same type of raw materials with the right chemical properties as we have here in the U.S. But there is also a benefit of doing business in a place that has a different assortment of raw materials available and could be used to a competitive advantage.

The technical advancements Mechanical Engineers and all engineers have made to create new procedures and technology have helped keep more business stateside which directly affect both engineers and the private sector. Though the advancements made lessen the demand for a large numbered workforce keeping cutting cost for businesses to keep work here is better than having businesses transfer their work to other countries which will help our economy prosper and that is something that affects everyone. 

Thank you,

David Dickey

CAD Software Review

The two systems I choose to compare and review are the very popular Solidworks and Creo CAD software's. My background using the two programs is I've used Solidworks at my previous job for two years so I consider myself very knowledgeable using that program. With Creo I have not had much time using it. The first time I have been exposed to it was just last month but I have been working with it daily since. I will try to keep myself from being bias because of my lack of experience with Creo but I will state the few pros and cons of each that I have come across so far.

There are many pros each program offers and in many ways do very similar things. Both programs will give you a fully defined blueprint packet and 3D modeling of every part. The main pro I see in Solidworks is that in modeling a part. Solidworks has been able to organize there commands for modeling by keeping the basic step commands together and then by separating the complex commands to be gathered together. I feel Creo has an assortment of commands all together which makes it more time consuming to create the part. Now a pro of Creo is in the formatting of the blueprints. They have a well structured way to create section, projection, detail views, and cross section views which is a good time saver for the engineer.

Those of a few examples of the Pros and Cons I've felt each program does well over the other. Overall both programs are great and by spending time working with either program you will come to appreciate the benefits they provide. At this point it would be hard and even bias for me to rate one over the other because of the lack of time I have spent with Creo. I will continue to learn more about each program with the exposure and time I put into them.

These two programs can also be compared in costs. Operating costs for Creo average around 15 K annually. While Solid Works average annually costs are between 10-12 K. The prices can very depending on any extras purchased with the standard package.

Mechanical Engineering Overview

On an average day a Mechanical Engineer will be problem solving issues at their job or designing a new prototype. They will fix issues that come up in current operations of machines that are already on the floor operating. Mechanical Engineers take the knowledge they have gained through their discipline help them solve real world issues no matter what industry they are working in. Also you have to remember that Mechanical Engineers also need to use other resources to complete some of their projects such as, electrical engineers, manufacturing engineers, computer engineers, or possible industrial engineers. Most teams at a job consist of a mixture of each engineering field that work together to complete projects or solve problems.

Mechanical Engineering is the discipline which includes the a knowledge base of physics, thermodynamics, material science, machine design, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and mechanics. Mechanical Engineering has such a diverse curriculum because it is used in so many industries from manufacturing to petroleum and bio-medical.  Mechanical Engineering is one of the broadest fields of engineering which largely developed during the industrial revolution.

A large proportion of mechanical engineers spend there time designing mechanical systems. Computer-aided design (CAD) software is an important tool used by mechanical engineers and they need to have knowledge using this type of software. Most of the tools used by an individual during their daily activities today has involved a mechanical engineers design or process for example vehicles, cell phones, computers, kitchen appliances, etc.  Mechanical engineers create the processes and systems that drive technology and industry.

Mechanical engineers will always be needed in every situation that deals with motion or mechanics. An engineering team will never be complete without a Mechanical engineer. I am excited to become a part of such an important position and to help problem solve issues that occur each day.


Thank you,

David Dickey