I'm a junior that went into this field simply because I like to design and build things. Due to my intrinsically motivated nature, I have a ton of personal project experience and am currently doing design work for multiple engineering student teams while working a full time internship. It's extremely busy, and I can only say I juggle so many responsibilities because I love what I do... except for my job.

I was scared of the horrors of internship hunts, and for my first internship jumped at a project management role, because I didn't think I'd get anything better. As you can expect my whole term has been spent with Excel data entry. There is absolutely zero creative work involved. This company welcomes interns back for full time and part time quite easily, and it seems others are quite satisfied with their jobs. I understand that this kind of work is a huge part of my field, but I my heart just isn't in it and never will be.

My term ends in December, and I've decided to continue doing 8 more months of internships instead of going back to school to leverage the slightly more advantageous winter internship hunt simply because I want to get into mechanical design so badly it keeps. I'm worried, however, that these design based roles are so competitive that I won't be able to land something I love.

Has anybody been in a similar situation that can provide some advice on how to leverage my current experience to get a mechanical design based role?

I've been wanting to build robots, drones, quadcopters and other stuff. I already thought of the Bambu Lab A1, Costs 30,000 Rupees (about 300$ in USD). Should I buy it, or am I too young for all this?

Hey there, I’m 18 and just started community college a few weeks ago. I wanted to become a software engineer before because I love computers and problem solving, but with the way that market is going I don’t think it’s smart to base my career path on a gamble. So I was thinking about doing mechanical engineering, but I don’t know if I’m cut out for it.

A little background about me and why I don’t know if I’m cut out for engineering. I have adhd and depression. Sometimes I can’t find the meaning in doing anything and I can have very little to no motivation. When things get harder or more stressful than they already are I’ll get majorly depressed and usually give up on things. I stopped going to school for months at a time in highschool because this got so bad along with my anxiety. I still got good grades because I did all my work from home, but I couldn’t get myself to go consistently.

I also used to randomly set this big challenges for myself without really understanding that I’d have to keep doing them when things got tough, and then I’d inevitably fail. That was fine when I was younger outside of making me lose trust in myself, but I cannot do that when so much wasted time and money is at stake.

I don’t want to be the type of person that gives up anymore, but I also don’t know if I could really change enough to be able to get through an engineering degree. I always overestimate what I can do and I guess that’s what I’m scared I’m doing now.

Should I still try to be an engineer? Or is it smarter to figure something else out?

I want to get some perspective from folks in the greater Portland area. I've been hearing some rumors that the economy is really down in Portland compared to the rest of the country, and therefore engineering work is becoming harder to come by. I'm currently looking for work in the energy sector, and some people in my life have been telling me I'm shooting myself in the foot by only looking in Portland.

Anyone have any perspective on this? Are opportunities particularly scarce in Portland, or is it the same as other major cities like Seattle, San Francisco, etc.?

I interviewed at Apple for an internship twice...first time I made it to the last interview but I messed up on my train of thought, second time I made it to the last interview without tripping up, didn't get chosen but got told I was secondary.

I'm graduating soon, so the road left for internships is coming to an end. I'd like to get more relevant experience to do well in future interviews, so my question is what industries or companies would be worth looking into if I wanted to eventually try again at Apple or a similar company? Medical devices? companies with a startup mentality, with high ownership, even if it isn’t related to product design?

Pretty much all of the interviewers I was with told me they started as interns, so I got the impression "outsiders" applying to those positions would really have to be aligned with the role and skills they need, making it hard to get in as a product designer if my first job was at HVAC for example.

I hear "experience is experience" is a thing too but l've also been told by my past bosses that the first job will set your impressions for recruiters and hiring managers on the skills you have and trajectory your career is starting to align with. And I’d imagine Apple or similar companies can be picky with this trajectory impression.

Basically I'm just trying to gauge how picky I should be with my first few jobs if my end goal is a hard to get into company.

I recently received a prototype for a two-piece lid/rim mechanism I’m developing for a cosmetic container, and overall the concept seems like it can work.

The purpose of the cover is to gently stir/agitate only the top layer of a very thick body cream as the customer twists the cover during the initial opening of the package. This is primarily to create the desired appearance/texture of the top surface when the customer first opens the product.

The prototype is currently made from a relatively hard plastic, so it is somewhat difficult to insert into the rim of the silicone liner. The intention has always been to eventually manufacture it in a softer/more flexible plastic or similar material, which I expect will make installation easier.

However, I’ve run into a different issue that I think may have more to do with the very thick viscosity of the body cream than with the prototype itself.

When the components are outside of the cream, the lid rotates very easily against the rim.

Once everything is assembled with the thick body cream inside, however, twisting the lid sometimes causes the entire silicone liner to rotate against the ceramic container, rather than the lid rotating relative to the rim as intended.

I attached a ChatGPT drawing to illustrate this. The red squiggly lines represent the areas where rotation is currently occurring versus where I want the rotation to occur.

My current theory is that the friction/resistance between the silicone liner and the ceramic container is lower than the rotational resistance created by the thick cream against the lid. Therefore, when I twist the lid, the system takes the easier path and the silicone liner rotates inside the ceramic.

Does that logic sound correct?

I’ve been thinking about a few possible solutions:

1. Increase friction between the silicone liner and ceramic container. Possibly by adding some type of removable adhesive, tacky surface, friction feature, or other method of preventing the liner from rotating.

2. Redesign/enlarge the plastic rim so that it grips or indexes directly against the stationary ceramic container rather than relying entirely on the silicone liner. This is probably my preferred solution if feasible. The challenge is that the lid still needs to rotate and interact with/stir the cream.

3. Change the material of the lid/rim assembly.
The prototype is currently hard plastic, but the production version was already intended to be somewhat softer/flexible. I’m wondering whether a softer material could reduce the resistance created as the lid moves through the thick cream.

1. Attach the silicone component to the plastic rim/lid assembly.
   My chemist suggested bonding/adhering the silicone piece to the plastic component. I’m less convinced this solves the underlying issue, because the resistance from the thick cream would still be transferred into the assembly and could potentially continue rotating the liner.

Ideally, I would love for the rim/mechanism to mechanically grip or register against the ceramic container, so the ceramic becomes the stationary reference while the lid rotates independently.

I’m not sure whether that is realistic given the geometry, though.

For anyone with experience in mechanical design, packaging, injection molding, silicone/plastic interfaces, rotational mechanisms, or friction-fit assemblies, which direction would you explore first?

Is increasing the friction between the silicone liner and ceramic likely the simplest solution, or would you redesign the rim so that it mechanically engages the ceramic itself?

https://www.image2url.com/r2/default/videos/1788436554230-13b3c342-2fdc-4aa3-a427-e1b7301a632c.mp4 this video link also shows the problem

Hi everyone, not sure if this is the right subreddit for this question but it has been bugging me for a while:

How much weight am I actually carrying doing a normal pushup?

I weigh about 80kg or 176lbs. If I pick something up that weighs that much it's quite heavy, but when all four of my limbs touch the ground to do the pushup I don't feel like I weigh 80kg.

I get that the weight gets distributed through my arms and legs, so then how much weight do my arms and legs hold up?

If this is the wrong subreddit for this type of question please lmk and tell me where I should ask instead. I thank you all for your help in advance.

I'm curious to know what other people's experience working at companies with fairly large engineering teams split into multiple groups.

Specifically, if you need to discuss with another engineer in another group how responsive are they typically?

I work in aerospace at a place with a decently sized engineering group (not massive though) and am routinely completely ignored by other engineers in other groups. Especially frustrating because I work in production support and often times need to discuss with the Design team to resolve a problem (e.g. need to know the underlying design rationale, etc.). I make an effort to keep all my messages friendly/polite, brief, and with a specific question. Will follow up if no response after a day or so as well. And since we work at different sites (factory vs design offices) I can't just walk over to their desk to bug them.

At some point continuing to ping them without a response is just embarrassing and it feels like they see my group (supporting production) as third rate engineers not even worthy of a reply. Tried talking to my manager about it and he was not much help.

I previously worked in a similar role at a huge aerospace company and there was a similar (although not quite so bad) dynamic there.

Has anyone else experienced this?

I've been designing a jet engine scale model for some time now and am happy to say it is almost done and I will be accepting pre-orders soon. I made an animation (my design skills are better than my animation skills) so showcase my engine and its detail. It will come in a toolbox with all the parts (3d printed/hardware) and assembly instructions so you can build it yourself! It's fully motorized, complete with an engine start sequence and an adjustable exhaust nozzle with LEDs and fog to simulate afterburner. If you're interested as to when it will become available, you can add your email address to the website here: https://additivepropulsion.com/

hey guys, nice to meet you all.

im not really a mechanical engineer, although I am a civil engineer. Despite that, I'm still planning on joining a high-end racing team in my college called "Bimasakti racing team" in indonesia. In order to join, I just need to answer this question along with some other things that I already understand except this:

“How can I geometrically optimize the design of a rocker arm to achieve a stable motion ratio graph throughout the entire range of suspension travel?”

i understand suspension travel in general, but i havent gone to the part discussing about a motion ratio graph, and is this a pullrod suspension or like the engine rocker arm?

i just need some assistance on answering and understanding parts of this question, i hope you understand please dont be mean to me

I am currently taking a CNC machining course and working on exercises. We were assigned this particular exercise, but I can't figure out how to machine both curves because the R25 radius isn't centered. I was thinking of using a G02 command from the bottom-left corner to the top one, but I can't determine the coordinates; I need help figuring out how to define these curves. It is also worth mentioning that I am using a 10mm diameter end mill. I hope someone can guide me.

I have about a little under 5 years of experience in the industry (all 1 company.) Most of my experience is in CAD design so drawings, models, GD&T, and PLM type stuff. I want to get into mechanical design but im worried i dont have the design analysis background to get through technical interviews. And ive never had to do analysis since its not in my role.

What type of questions do you typically ask?

I know fundamental materials/solid mechanics concepts are typically asked but its been so long since ive used it, that i dont think i could answer many of them. (Even basic, like young modulus tbh.) Is that really a deal breaker?

Hi everyome,

I’m an undergraduate mechanical engineering student. With the rapid acceleration of AI models (code generation, CAD automation, automated FEA/CFD scripting, generative design), it feels like traditional "handbook calculations" and basic drafting tasks are quickly being commoditized.

For experienced engineers and senior professionals in the industry:

Core Competencies: Which areas of mechanical engineering do you think remain most resilient to automation? What foundational skills should I double down on right now?

Emerging Niches: Are there specific cross-disciplinary domains (e.g., thermal management, semiconductor/precision hardware, robotics/mechatronics, multiphysics simulations) where AI acts purely as an accelerator rather than a replacement?

Practical Strategy: How can a student leverage modern AI tools today without neglecting the core physical intuition, workshop/manufacturing practicalities, and first-principles thinking?

Looking forward to hearing your insights and real-world perspectives on how the role of a mechanical engineer is evolving.

Hey everyone. So I kind of want to know y’all’s opinion on a decision I made. I’ll keep the story short.

Some backstory:

So I was a ME intern (11 months as an intern) at a medical device manufacturing company, I really didn’t do much other than NCR’s and CAPA’s support I also managed the CMMS, so I was in charge of scheduling PM’s and asset management and problem solving within the CMMS.
Time pass and now I’m a technician (this was supposed to be temporary until the company approved a ME position) with kinda the same responsibilities but now I also help on with facilities services such as (cctv, buses, taxis, cafeteria, cleaning contract, suppliers) I talk with contractor and negotiate prices for big PM’s, boss left so I was left of being in charged of the other technicians, I handled payroll, approved OT, and day to day priorities for whatever issues arise at the line of production. Then a new boss comes in and starts making my life impossible, so I start looking for a new job. Story short I spent almost 7 months looking for a job while still working as a tech because my new boss wouldn’t promote me. As a technician I spent 1 year and 4 months.

My old boss calls me and tells me if I want to work as a facilities engineer at Abbott (great an engineering position), but then someone else’s win the position (IMO she deserved the position, has more experience than me), so my old boss offers me being a facilities planner and I agree to it. Pay is the same as an engineer. But now I feel I’m stuck again handling the CMMS (Maximo, if this adds anything), scheduling PM’s and basically fixing another CMMS.

So, finally. I feel like I’m losing YOE being a CMMS administrator. I don’t do CAD, don’t go and fix the machines, nothing other than being a CMMS admin, I like it but is this something normal an Engineer does? Am I wasting my self being this? I dob’t have experience as a Manufacturing engineer, and neither as a Mechanical/Facilities engineer.

If you were me would you start doing some other courses CSWA, CSWP, PMP? What suggestions do you have for me? Should I look for another job?
Basically looking for life advice and what you guys think about my situation. I feel I will have a hard time looking for a job if I leave here.

I work for a EPC that designs process plants like refineries & lube oil blending facilities, and storage depots. My job is designing tanks, vessels & piping and providing clients with detailed fabrication drawings.

We design the equipment with help from code checking calculation softwares and then the drafting department produces fabrication drawings.

Since the department uses autocad and do not create 3D models i have to check drawings for even the tiniest details like:

1) dimensions of every part everywhere because i frequently find dimensions of the same part warying across different sheets if the draftsman forgot to update.

2) BOQ quantities and weights, i have to recalculate every weight to make sure there wasn't calculation error.

3) find parts that do not belong in the drawing

4) variations in scale in same views

5) interference has to be calculated

6) plus fixing these mistakes takes much more time simce every sheet is a different file and has to be updated manually

I think if they switched to 3D paramatric modeling and assemblies they could reduce lead time since most items can just be reused with minimal mate changes and most of the above listed probems will become much easier to deal with.

This is my first job in this field so i have to idea what the standard in the industry is but this has been bugging me lot because i discussed this with my colleagues and they think creating 3D models would increase the time since now they are only creating drawings.

I will create a 3D model on solidworks of a tank on my own time this weekend to see how long it will take.

Hello my fellow mechanical engineers,

I am currenly completely renovating my home office and i'm looking for inspiration on how to set it up. I am hoping some of you are willing to share a photo or similarly of your home office setups if you feel you've got something good.

Whatever you have might not exactly match with the details below, but I am still curious to see what others have done.

Some details (also see pics):

The room is kinda small, 2,5m x 3,6m. The radiator might be replaced with floor heating, to better utilize the space. The location of the cabinet is not fully fixed.

I am aiming for something which does not compromise too much on functionality (has sufficient storage, utilizes the space efficiently).

I am looking to install: a desk with a computer; a book shelf; general storage for IT-stuff and engineering stuff; my 3d printer (negotiable, but I've had room for it before. Might move it into my garage)

Hi! I just got my Bachelor degree, but I need to do a gapyear before masters bc of my mental health. Is there any books or websites where I can solve problems or etc to keep my brain moving?

Thanks for the help.:)

As the title states, I completed my 3 year advanced diploma in mechanical engineering technology and currently I’m pursing a b.tech in engineering and applied science.

I’ve worked as a technician at 2 big companies gaining hands on experience and skills. I rlly am tired of all the technician roles and although im young i can do more of it. But my personal goal is to work in engineering adjacent roles, more of hybrid like floor work to office work.

Is there any advice for me? What roles should I pursue to help get me there?

Hi everyone, I’m a 3rd year undergraduate Mechanical Engineering student at CFTI College looking for a winter internship opportunity during my upcoming winter break. I’m particularly interested in the manufacturing and automotive sectors, where I can gain practical industry exposure and apply my engineering knowledge. During my 2nd year, I completed an internship in Additive Manufacturing at C-DAC, Kolkata, which gave me practical exposure to additive manufacturing & 3D Printing processes and their applications.

I also have a strong foundation in SOLIDWORKS, including CAD and FEA analysis, along with working knowledge of MATLAB, Python, and IoT.

I’ve been trying to hustle by cold emailing HRs and messaging professionals on LinkedIn. My emails are mostly getting ignored, and the few LinkedIn replies I have received basically hinted that preference is heavily given to candidates with internal referrals or personal connections.

So, I wanted to ask the community if there are any working professionals, seniors, or engineers who could guide me on how to approach companies for a winter internship, recommend companies or internship programs that accept undergraduate mechanical engineering students, or share any advice on improving my chances of getting shortlisted. I’m mainly looking for an opportunity where I can learn, contribute, and gain genuine hands-on industry experience, rather than simply obtaining an internship certificate.

Any guidance, leads, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.