Switching from equipment engineering to process engineering

I advise you not to switch fields. As the saying goes, different industries are like separate mountains; since you work with equipment, you need to learn the knowledge specific to manufacturing processes. This will require you to invest more than twice as much time and effort as those who are already familiar with these processes, and it’s not worth it. You should strive for excellence based on your existing equipment, and raise yourself technically to a new level. Of course, by simultaneously learning some knowledge related to techniques and gradually mastering them, you can approach problems from a more comprehensive perspective, broaden your horizons, and achieve more holistic development in this industry.

The original poster’s idea is great. I have a colleague who works with equipment; he thinks that the aspects related to process engineering aren’t that complicated and wants to learn more about it in order to make a career change. He keeps telling me that process engineering isn’t difficult. I’m speechless – perhaps for some professionals, process engineering does seem easy, as it mainly involves coordinating various tasks. I can’t communicate with him; there’s a big difference between working with equipment and working in process engineering. Process engineering requires a broader perspective. If you want to become an expert in this field, you need to start from scratch, which means spending another 3-5 years. In effect, you end up starting 3-5 years later than those who are new to process engineering, and even 3-5 years behind those who work with equipment. It’s hard to have such conversations with colleagues, haha

I kept trying, as the saying goes, hard work pays off

If you have already achieved some success, there’s no need to change fields anymore. The focus in process development is on the overall framework, while equipment-related aspects require more detail and precision. Moreover, the standards and approaches used for equipment and processes are fundamentally different; process development also involves considerations such as overall optimization. Changing fields is equivalent to starting from scratch~~~

　　It is recommended that you consider your career path based on your personal abilities; it is certainly possible to switch from a field related to equipment to one related to processes. However, it is advised that you focus on equipment first and gradually move towards processes. Nowadays, there is also a push for the development of professionals with multiple skills – it’s not necessary to be an expert in everything, but it is important to be competent in one’s area of expertise. To determine one’s own place in life, one needs to put in many times more effort than others in order to achieve even modest results; otherwise, in the end, one will think they understand everything yet actually know nothing.

It’s quite difficult; the gap in expertise is huge. Principles of Chemical Engineering, Chemical Thermodynamics, Organic Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Process Automation, Reaction Engineering – it seems like you lack knowledge in too many areas

I saw this topic a long time ago, but didn’t know how to express it. It’s not appropriate to browse forums late at night and reply to technical posts; let’s talk about this issue instead. After all, although the choices vary, they are often quite related to things in our daily lives. Personal opinion: If you have just graduated one or two years ago, truly love the craft field, and have no regrets about your choice, then you can switch fields – this will require perseverance on your part. If you have been working for over five years, it is advised that you avoid changing jobs; instead, you can learn some specialized knowledge in manufacturing techniques. This will be very beneficial for improving your skills related to equipment, and it may even lead to a significant improvement in your design experience and capabilities. If you are in a factory, then the latter will give you more opportunities to move into positions related to machinery and equipment management. There is generally a consensus that in state-owned enterprises, process engineering offers more career opportunities than equipment management; for example, one can progress from a process engineer to deputy head of process engineering, then to head of process engineering (in the technical department), and eventually become the technical director, production manager, or chief engineer, among other positions. In a design institute, when moving from equipment work to process engineering, having prior experience in that area allows you to become a project manager more effectively; focusing solely on process engineering might represent a waste of your previous expertise in equipment-related tasks. Actually, personally, I feel that people always think one mountain is better than another, but once they actually go there, their feelings might be different. Please think it over carefully, OP. There’s no problem with the basic knowledge; universities teach us the methods to acquire it. I don’t think there’s anyone who has succeeded by relying solely on the basic knowledge provided by school. Maybe it takes others three minutes, but you can take ten minutes – and that’s merely a difference at the initial stage. The master shows the way, but it’s up to the individual to practice. . . Keep trying; I hope the original poster finds a position they like.

It still doesn’t get any better! It’s not that easy to enter a new field! But if one can master the techniques and also become proficient with the equipment, then they truly are an expert among experts! Of course, this is assuming that one has first mastered the techniques! Haha, it depends on your determination!

It’s easy to switch equipment to a different process, but it’s more difficult to switch a process to use different equipment

Mature processes can be transferred, while newer processes remain challenging. :D

It seems that anyone can excel in any field; there’s no need to change. Of course, if your interest lies in craftsmanship or you have other considerations, that’s also fine. Then you’re in for a tough time – first, you have to learn the basic courses in *craftsmanship as well as the specialized courses, all of which have to be learned on your own. If a technician cannot have a thorough understanding of process knowledge, then there is no future for learning such processes.

You really need to think carefully about this, ah. Skills in this field can’t be learned in just a short time. I think you should take a look at how those who came in with you and are also learning these skills are doing now Just make the device that has a bright future