Example Career: Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Career Description

Apply engineering theory and principles to problems of industrial layout or manufacturing production, usually under the direction of engineering staff. May perform time and motion studies on worker operations in a variety of industries for purposes such as establishing standard production rates or improving efficiency.

What Job Titles Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians Might Have

• Industrial Engineering Technician
• Manufacturing Technology Analyst
• Quality Control Engineering Technician (QC Engineering Technician)
• Quality Technician

What Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians Do

• Test selected products at specified stages in the production process for performance characteristics or adherence to specifications.
• Compile and evaluate statistical data to determine and maintain quality and reliability of products.
• Study time, motion, methods, or speed involved in maintenance, production, or other operations to establish standard production rate or improve efficiency.
• Read worker logs, product processing sheets, or specification sheets to verify that records adhere to quality assurance specifications.
• Verify that equipment is being operated and maintained according to quality assurance standards by observing worker performance.
• Aid in planning work assignments in accordance with worker performance, machine capacity, production schedules, or anticipated delays.
• Evaluate industrial operations for compliance with permits or regulations related to the generation, storage, treatment, transportation, or disposal of hazardous materials or waste.
• Adhere to all applicable regulations, policies, and procedures for health, safety, and environmental compliance.
• Analyze, estimate, or report production costs.
• Assist engineers in developing, building, or testing prototypes or new products, processes, or procedures.
• Calibrate or adjust equipment to ensure quality production, using tools such as calipers, micrometers, height gauges, protractors, or ring gauges.
• Conduct statistical studies to analyze or compare production costs for sustainable and nonsustainable designs.
• Coordinate equipment purchases, installations, or transfers.
• Create or interpret engineering drawings, schematic diagrams, formulas, or blueprints for management or engineering staff.
• Design plant layouts or production facilities.
• Develop manufacturing infrastructure to integrate or deploy new manufacturing processes.
• Develop or implement programs to address problems related to production, materials, safety, or quality.
• Develop production, inventory, or quality assurance programs.
• Develop sustainable manufacturing technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, minimize raw material use, replace toxic materials with non-toxic materials, replace non-renewable materials with renewable materials, or reduce waste.
• Identify opportunities for improvements in quality, cost, or efficiency of automation equipment.
• Monitor and adjust production processes or equipment for quality and productivity.
• Oversee equipment start-up, characterization, qualification, or release.
• Oversee or inspect production processes.
• Prepare layouts, drawings, or sketches of machinery or equipment, such as shop tooling, scale layouts, or new equipment design, using drafting equipment or computer-aided design (CAD) software.
• Prepare production documents, such as standard operating procedures, manufacturing batch records, inventory reports, or productivity reports.
• Provide advice or training to other technicians.
• Recommend corrective or preventive actions to assure or improve product quality or reliability.
• Select cleaning materials, tools, or equipment.
• Select material quantities or processing methods needed to achieve efficient production.
• Set up and operate production equipment in accordance with current good manufacturing practices and standard operating procedures.

What Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians Should Be Good At

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

What Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians Should Be Interested In

• Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
• Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

What Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians Need to Learn

• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
• Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.