Can a non-engineer (BSc in Computing), who is very familiar with Solidworks, get into the 'engineering' field?
I don't know anyone to ask this question so I posted it here. If it is the wrong type of question to post here then let me know and I will remove it.
I am very familiar with Solidworks and am able to create complex models. I try to apply my understanding of physical limitations and limited engineering knowledge when creating these models and over the last 6-7 years have been able to learn and utilize all of Solidwork's modeling functions in various works. I have even implemented motion, simulations and even done stress testing but am not 100% sure of the last two since I only know what I have read.
So the question. In my situation, what options do I have in order to further my love of design and modeling using this piece of software?
2 Answers
Well, it's tricky... you see: Even though the profiles in grabcad are called engineers, we dont really work much as engineers, because most of the design we make is sthetical and not functional, so we work more like industrial designers.
If what you want is to get into the work market of engineering (i asume it's mechanical engineering what you mean), it's not as easy. In one hand, for many engineering jobs you will need a degree in engineering, as required by your potential employers and some legal requisites, because in some applications, only graduated engineers can sign projects. On the other hand, there is quite a big set of subjects you should domain to be an engineer beyond the mere modelling, such as material science, calculus, physics, chemestry, knowledge about modern manufacturing techniques, structural analysis and others. You should also notice that FEM analysis seems easy, but if you dont have a basic structural analysis and theoretical background, you will most likely missjudge the kind of inputs you should use in FEM analysis, getting wrong results without even noticing it.
I mean, you could learn all of this stuff from books, and you could be better than a graduated engineer over the years, but if you are really interested your best bet is to study engineering.Hope thiese coments had cleared your mind about this subject and i wish you the best of luck for this new path you want to take,. if you have any question, free to ask.
You could seek work as a 'Draughtsman'. Many projects are of a basic nature and don't require any calculations or analysis only a common sense approach. There are many aspects to engineering projects that the designer often needs awareness of and skills in. These include; materials, standard parts, manufacturing processes, project management, estimating, H&S, Quality, marketing, problem solving, ergonomics, aesthetics, team-working, etc. If you can include some of these on your CV as well as SolidWorks, you'd be of interest to many companies.
