What is your opinion on Mechatronics?
Is it better to pursue Electrical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering, or is a degree in Mechatronics the key to success in the future?

 

What is your opinion on Mechatronics?
Is it better to pursue Electrical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering, or is a degree in Mechatronics the key to success in the future?

It seems to me that a mechatronics engineer is ultimately not a mechanical engineer and not an electrical engineer. This means you are stuck in-between as a partially trained EE and partially trained ME and a partially trained Embedded systems engineer. At any mid-sized company or larger, there will be expert teams for each stage of the project so you'll likely end up working in
A) startup companies - hoping your company will still be open tomorrow. Or,
B) at a mid- to larger company as a technician working in one of the three departments of product development, Or,
C) you'll end up working in field service (repair) Or,
D) technical sales team.

 

I'm not sure if your choice of degree will have much impact on your future success. Choosing who you go to work for and what you end up working on will be much bigger factors. The other thing that will have a major impact is your decision about following a technical track or a management track. How you measure success will also play into things. Can you see how your choice of degree might recede into insignificance?

 

As someone who for many years, serviced Industrial CNC systems and designed some customized versions, a comprehensive knowledge of Electrical/Electronics/Mechanics is essential.

 

As someone who for many years, serviced Industrial CNC systems and designed some customized versions, a comprehensive knowledge of Electrical/Electronics/Mechanics is essential.

With an emphasis on the mechanical. We get lots of possible tech candidates with great electronics training who are clueless about wrenching because they don't work on cars, bikes and machines anymore. Industrial systems repair requires mechanical skills that are sadly lacking in most of the new guys fresh out of school.

Understanding the mechanical is key for building electronics that controls the mechanical.

A really important skill is rigging. Kids today seem to have no idea about hoists, lifts, jacks, chains and leverage needed to move around the heavy things electronics controls.

You don't need to be an expert, just capable of not damaging equipment or hurting personal.

 

I recall back in the 80's - 90's, Siemens came up with the conclusion that there was nothing in between the Industrial Electrician and the Engineer, in order to look after and repair the sophisticated industrial electronic industry, When some crucial machine would go down, a remote located tech had to be flown in to repair such equip. with subsequent loss of production etc.
In order to offset this problem they started Electrical technician training schools in order to combat the issue.

 

I did 40 years of MIllwright along with 20 years of Electrician. Millwrighting has been more influential in my later years as an automation programmer. Electrical helps of course with the physical layout, but the understanding of dynamics, matter in motion, allowed me to design systems that performed. Is Mechatronics a happy balance, I have no idea, but if you can find an employer that offers a path to any of those, take it. I've used extensively both institutional and industry training, and recommend one seeks employers that train.

 

Interesting. I have heard from some mechanical/electrical engineers that they don't like working with mechatronics engineers because they lack expertise.

 

Interesting. I have heard from some mechanical/electrical engineers that they don't like working with mechatronics engineers because they lack expertise.

In my experience, I found very few Engineers that could/want to work at the floor/machine level, the ones that had trouble shooting skills on installed working equipment were Very Rare.

 

In my experience, I found very few Engineers that could/want to work at the floor/machine level, the ones that had trouble shooting skills on installed working equipment were Very Rare.

They probably were biased against them, as I recalled them saying they were "stealing jobs from them".