How to Become a Design Engineer

What Does a Design Engineer Do? (with pictures) - wiseGEEK
Design engineer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Design engineer job description - Totaljobs

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The very first prerequisite is better communication skills. People need to know clearly what you want and how they can help you to achieve your desires. [Proper grammar, punctuation and spelling helps to both codify thoughts and reduce confusion.]

Next is identifying what type of design work you wish to do; internal combustion engine design, gas turbine engine design, steam turbine engine design, tool design, bearing design, etc.

Next comes a hard question to answer. Why can you not do this design work now? Answering this question for yourself will be the best guide for you.

Everything Redfred said plus you will also need the tools of the trade. Depending on the country & discipline you choose you might need specific qualifications/licenses. You will almost certainly be expected to use a CAD system of some sort. You will have to start from the ground but your experience in manufacturing will be useful, at least you will design parts that can be made.

Good luck with whatever you do.

If you already have a degree in mechanical engineering or any other field, you are still a mechanical engineer doing design work. The crossover is subtle. One day you are a ME; the next a design engineer. It is an arbitrary title. There may be design engineering degrees available in today's schools, but when I went to school, there were only, mechanical, electrical, civil and chemical degrees.

Coming from manufacturing, you may in a sense already be a design engineer. If you think back through cases where you conceived or designed solutions to problems, you could highlight them in resumes or job applications. Or are you thinking more of aesthetics? In that case, you could put together something like an artist's portfolio.

I could print a certificate to hang on the wall that affirms you as a design engineer, but as most have already said, there is good chance that you are already through to the semi-finals on your past and current mechanical engineering pursuits. Maybe change your business card title, your job description contract or name on the door to read "Mechanical / Design Engineer" if that makes you feel more comfortable.

You might also start using words like 'mechatronics' and get the organisation you work for now to get a (low cost) 3D printer and some low cost/no cost 3D design software from the net. If there are to be board room battles, then also read up on 'gamification' which is becoming the buzz word in a range of disciplines including design engineering. Here is one of many links.

Before becoming a design engineer one should become familiar with similar machines in operation to know what functions it should do,what level of accuracy is required, safety aspects,vibration,noise level,maintenance,warranty etc

Spend a few years as a manufacturing engineer, learning how to fix other designers mistakes. With enough experience you will be qualified to make your own mistakes.

Sorry, we you are in a position to make your own design mistakes, you have achieved Design consultant status ... much above just a design engineer.

From experience, the very first thing that you must satisfy and possess to be a successful designer is to have a creative thinking.. An imaginative mind of how physics and other related theories are applied in any given or chosen field. An ability to use your thought processes to analyze, develop and come up with "something solid" based on those applied sciences. Coupling them with new innovative ideas, concepts, and together coming up with something useful and tangible for our society.

Being a "mechanical engineer", is a good starting point. I would assume that by now you already have gotten a very good understanding / feeling of all the physical characteristics together with their limitations of things around you.

Good luck!

Are all design engineers mechanical engineers,there are civil,electrical,electronic, chemical engineers as well.

Pnaban:

If you have not noticed I put the " " in my response to the OP.

A design engineer can be anybody and doesn't even have to be a degree'd individual to be qualified! Pls read my full response..

Thanks..

You may be best served by checking job postings for the design job(s) you would like to move towards. Note the differences between their requirements and your qualifications, and take action to reduce those differences, via seminars, webinars, or other forms of further education. You may feel you have enough knowledge to simply apply and take the shot at an interview, impressing your potential employer enough with your existing qualities that they are willing to take you onto their team, believing that you can pick up the rest. redfred correctly points out that the key question is, "Why can't you do this job now?"

As a mechanical engineer you are building things other people have designed. Someone else has understood a problem and come up with a solution. That solution has been transferred to either a drawing or a specification. You ae obliged to manufacture to that solution unless you negotiate a variation. As soon as realise there is an opportunity to do a job in a different way you have crossed the divide. There are many designs but most of them are based on innovation - an adaption of existing ideas. If you feel you have the experience to understand why you are using materials of the type and dimension you are, you understand the limitation of the materials and can convert a problem into a solution you have jumped the fence and can call yourself a design engineer.