OLMIS

Published Dec-15-2009

Walk down the pathway to Industrial and Engineering Systems if you never stop wondering how things work. If you're a detail-oriented person who loves to use technical and mechanical skills, then consider these pathways. You will use technologies to design, develop, install, operate, maintain, and upgrade physical systems, including working with such things as cell phone towers, electrical power stations, construction sites, machines,
and computers.

Industry Profile: Automotive Repair and Maintenance

Next time you see a crowded parking lot or watch the traffic flow down a busy street, think about what it takes to keep those cars running. Each one has an engine that needs periodic tune-ups, oil that needs to be changed every 3,000 miles, and tires that need to be rotated. This upkeep and repair provides jobs to about 12,500 workers in Oregon's automotive repair and maintenance industry. These workers are responsible for keeping over three million vehicles safe and dependable for their drivers.

Workers in the auto repair industry need to be well versed in both mechanics and electronics. All but the most simple repairs require a mechanic to use a diagnostic computer as well as a socket wrench. However, computers and tools will only get a repair worker so far. Each job requires a worker to "think on their feet." This ability is needed by both the mechanics and the customer service representatives who write the repair order based on the customer's needs.

Kevin Rooper, an automotive technician at University Honda, says that rising gas prices are changing the nature of the auto repair industry. Customers are demanding other types of engines besides the traditional gas engine, and each type of engine requires repair workers to have a totally different set of skills. For instance, the increasing popularity of hybrid drive vehicles (with both gas and electric motors) has required technicians to become educated in how hybrid systems work and how to repair them safely. Other fuel efficient engines may increase in popularity, such as diesel or variable displacement (engines that adjust the number of cylinders being used), increasing the demand for technicians with experience working on these engines. "You're always learning in this business. The day you stop learning is the day you don't know what you're doing."

Not only is the industry continuing to evolve, it also continues to grow. In fact, the automobile population in Oregon is growing faster than the human population, and every car requires service. "There's always a big need for good mechanics," says Kevin. "People are always buying cars, they always break, and there is always something for a mechanic to do."

Kevin has three tips for those interested in getting started in the industry. The first is to gain experience, either by working on your own car or through an automotive technology program. The second is to be a hard worker. A technician that works fast but takes the care to get the job done right should have no problem finding work. And finally, automotive technicians should be "clean-cut." Appearance is important in the industry. After all, nobody wants to place a car worth thousands of dollars in the hands of somebody that doesn't look like they take their work seriously.

Occupational Profile: Making the Tools of Tomorrow

As a model/tool maker for a high-tech computer and printer manufacturer, Carl Wilson works all day surrounded by precision machines. Model maker/tool makers are machinists that build prototypes of computers in development and the tools needed to make the final product. From his computer with all the latest upgrades, to the precision milling machine slicing metal behind him, Carl's work is on the "cutting edge" of technology.

Carl first learned about machining during a mechanical design class he took in high school. When he started his job 27 years ago, the milling tools he worked with did not have computers controlling them. Everything was controlled by hand. "It's a whole different world now," he says. The job no longer requires "just drilling holes and bending metal," which is a common misconception.

Most of Carl's day is spent on a computer, programming the 3-D computer aided manufacturing (CAM) software that controls the milling machines. Engineers order custom parts for the computer printer assembly lines they are designing, and it is Carl's job to figure out how to actually build the parts in the most efficient way possible. This requires him to be "part engineer, part designer, and part builder all at once."

The programming process can take up to a week on a really complicated part, but most require just a few hours. Once his instructions are programmed into the computer, the machine sets about precisely cutting the part out of a piece of plastic or metal. Some of the machines will work for days, carefully cutting just one part. The mechanical precision required in high-tech manufacturing is so great that Carl's shop needs the ability to drill holes smaller than the width of a human hair!

Carl feels that a good model/tool maker should possess math and computer skills as well as have experience with shop tools and mechanical drafting. "Not a lot of young people are coming into the trade," he says, which is unfortunate because "we need young people with creative minds." The lack of young people becoming machinists is surprising since the job pays higher than average wages, and also because the job is fun. Carl enjoys being a model/tool maker because it combines the challenge of design with the satisfaction of actually building something.