If you're doing it from scratch it's not about the cad program but about the knowledge behind it.Īlso from my understanding the definition of engineering can vary widly from Australia to the US (assuming you're from the US). If the work has been done, all you need to do is learn sw Or are you designing parts from scratch for a company to be economically viable and safe? So I guess the question is: have the parts been designed and tolerenced and all you have to do is cad them up and some one else has thought of all these factors? Failure, stress concentrations and safety factors in regards to risk levels. Manufacturing processes that will influence how you design parts as realistically the have to be manufactured, assembled and be economically viable.ĥ. Tolerencing (and geometric Tolerencing)Ĥ. It won't teach you how to design.ġ- Mechanical engineering technical drawing standards.ģ.

Knowing Solidworks or Inventor or NX or any other CAD software is not the same as actually knowing about a certain job function like thermodynamics or heat transfer or other subjects.

Too many people are confusing the software with the job position. Can you possibly get a CAD job at a company and work your way up to more demanding positions like design? Sure, but that opportunity is less and less common these days, plus you would always be screwed if you had to find a new job at a new company because to some degree you'll have to work your way up again. Plus if a company is hiring and they have 10 resumes on their desk and every candidate but one has an engineering degree, they will circular-file that last resume.Īn engineering degree, simply put, opens up more opportunities for you.

Just knowing how to use a program doesn't mean you know how to actually design. You will be greatly limited without a degree.

Engineering design with solidworks 2005