【Forward】See what level you’re at: Some thoughts on the future prospects for mechanical engineers

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These days, I keep seeing people discussing the future of mechanical engineers and the prospects of the manufacturing industry, and I have some thoughts on this. First of all, never think that mechanics is only about dealing with structures, nor think that structures are simply something that can be created using PROE, SolidWorks, or other similar software. . . . In fact, those working with mechanical mechanisms have an inherent advantage: every product is based on a structural framework, allowing for development in any direction. Working on the structure allows you to gain a more intuitive understanding of the product, making you more meticulous and practical. On the other hand, mastering structure is a long and difficult process, but once the skill is acquired, one needn’t worry about age; in fact, experience only adds to one’s value. Based on my own professional experience, I’ll list a few paths for the development of those who work in structural design (these are just my personal opinions; feel free to give your feedback). They are as follows: Beginner Level 1: Able to use AUTOCAD to create simple 2D drawings, and using these drawings, one can visualize the 3D shape of the product. Beginner Level 2: You are now able to see information such as tolerances, materials, surface treatment, and process requirements on your 2D drawings. And you are the one who marked these information; you know what they mean. Novice Level 3: You can now draw 2D diagrams, and the drawings you create actually look like they can be turned into physical objects. Although you sometimes make mistakes; even Germans struggle with tasks that require high precision, let alone Master Zhang in your workshop. At the leader’s request, you can use some 3D software to create a render image; it may not have much practical value, but it does give a sense of accomplishment. Level 1: You already have a clear understanding of how your product is manufactured, as well as the purpose of each processing step. If improvements are needed, you can generally figure out where to start, and you can also get a rough idea of the possible effects of those improvements. By this point, you have come to deeply realize that 2D engineering drawings are far more meaningful than 3D models. You start to look down on those so-called mechanical engineers who can only create 3D models using 3D software. Level 2 Introduction: You begin to understand what enterprise informatization is. I now realize that 3D design is actually very useful, as it allows you to incorporate information about the crafts you love into 3D designs. By this point, you should be able to use 3D software skillfully to design common components, generate 2D engineering drawings sufficient to guide production, or directly use them for machining on CNC equipment. Expert Level 1: You are now able to use relevant design software to manage production, including creating design drawings and managing bill of materials (BOM) ； You already have a good understanding of the production process, and are able to identify the technical key points and focus on resolving them ； They have even started to use finite element analysis for assessing strength, fatigue, and other factors, and it’s easy to produce lengthy design documents – so deceiving beginners is no problem at all. And if you haven’t yet become a design supervisor, you might need to put more effort into your interpersonal relationships. Expert Level 2: You can already sense that creating designs that are simple and repetitive is a waste of your time, as you are already very familiar with such things. You would prefer to have more time to focus on improving the overall competitiveness of the product, such as how to reduce costs, how to improve production processes, and how to enhance design efficiency. You can see that your product has shortcomings in terms of structure, materials, and functionality; you realize that this cannot be changed by you alone. You begin to make use of the available technical resources to conduct a systematic analysis, develop plans to enhance the product’s competitiveness, and identify specific technical challenges that need to be addressed one by one. Expert Level 3: At this point, you have gone beyond the scope of \"structural design\". You should be well aware that there is little structural potential left to explore in your product. However, by focusing on the structure, it is possible to take into account all the various functional requirements of the entire product. It can be flexibly applied in a range of areas such as EMC, heat dissipation, noise, safety standards, environmental factors, ergonomics, and DFX (DFM for manufacturability, DFI for installability, DFA for assemblyability, DFT for testability), thereby enhancing the product’s core competitiveness overall ； Master level: Being responsible for the core competitiveness of the entire product is your fundamental task. At the same time, you need to be familiar with the relevant standards and regulations in the manufacturing industry both domestically and internationally, so as to understand what challenges your products will face if they are to be sold in Europe or North America, what certifications are required, and how you can improve your products to meet these requirements. You must also have a thorough understanding of your competitors’ products, and be able to pinpoint their weaknesses as well as the advantages of your own products. You are aware of industry trends, able to predict the development directions of this product over the next 5 years or even 10 years, and formulate long-term development strategies to guide your team in accumulating relevant technical expertise