Engineering Technician

The engineering team plays a vital and creative role in providing society with the services and products it needs, such as water, housing, transport, electricity, communication, manufacturing, entertainment, medical equipment, etc. There are many different branches of engineering, with sub-branches under each one.

At a professional level, there are three different categories of engineers: professional engineers, professional engineering technologists and engineering technicians and artisans. Graduate engineers are educated at universities, while technicians and technologists study at technological universities and vocational training schools.

Engineering technologists

Engineering technologists are educated and trained to solve complex engineering problems. They are required to research and analyze these problems carefully and, if they have the necessary experience, plan their solutions accordingly.

The work may be of such a nature that standard engineering methods can easily be applied to solve them. On the other hand, new approaches may be necessary if specific problems are encountered. This may involve the design of new processes, equipment, structures and anything else that may be necessary.

They will be required to supervise the execution of the work. Each member of their staff will be assigned specific tasks to ensure that the work progresses satisfactorily. It is important that regular meetings are held with staff on site and elsewhere to ensure this. In addition, they must assume full responsibility for all work carried out under their control.

Engineering technicians

An engineering technician is the most practical of the professional engineering qualifications. Technicians possess a high degree of knowledge necessary for manual work; however, the application of that knowledge requires a fairly high degree of scientific and engineering knowledge and a considerable amount of experience.

Examples of the work carried out by technologists and technicians in the main engineering sectors:

Aeronautical engineering: they design, plan, develop, manufacture and test aircraft, missiles, satellites, etc. Technologists are involved in aircraft testing and safety while technicians gather information, perform calculations and carry out tests

Agricultural engineering: they design structures and machinery for agricultural purposes, such as dairies and warehouses, irrigation, water storage and drainage, soil conservation and processing, and transport, storage and processing of agricultural products. They also participate in research and development of agricultural production systems.

Chemical engineering: they deal with the manufacture of chemical products on an industrial scale, as well as industrial processes that convert raw materials into products of higher economic value through physical, thermal or chemical changes.

Chemical engineering technologists and technicians are qualified to carry out a wide variety of activities. They research, develop, design, build and operate the plants needed to manufacture a wide variety of processed products, from bricks, metals and plastics to chocolate, soap and cheese.

Civil engineering: civil engineering projects involve controlling and adapting the physical environment for the benefit of humanity. This includes the design and construction of bridges, roads, docks, airport runways, railways, tunnels, reservoirs, canals, sewer and drainage systems, gas and water supplies and other large structures.

Electrical engineering: they participate in the design and testing of equipment before it leaves the factory, or in the installation and testing of power plants.

Technologists deal with the maintenance of advanced equipment or control systems, research and testing. Technicians assist engineers in supervising power generation and the distribution of electrical energy to the end consumer. There are numerous areas of specialization in the field of electrical engineering. Electronic engineering: microelectronics has caused a revolution in the field of electronics and makes it possible to produce more sophisticated, smaller and cheaper electronic products, such as computers, microwave and satellite communication systems, electronic medical equipment, as well as control systems for airplanes and missiles.

Electronic equipment is designed and developed by a team made up of the electronic engineer, the technologist and the technician. Engineering technicians implement, install and maintain engineering equipment designs. Technicians usually work in fields such as telecommunications and computing.

Industrial engineering: they design and develop facilities for the economical manufacture of products. There are many fields of specialization, such as home equipment and furniture, car equipment, aircraft interiors and medical equipment. Emphasis is placed on the application of industrial processes and on the use of personnel. The duties are a combination of engineering and business administration.

Mechanical engineering: they deal with all types of machines and are involved in the manufacture, construction, layout, operation, maintenance and supervision of moving mechanical machinery and apparatus. Activities include transport, power generation, air conditioning and other services such as water supply to mines, factories and large buildings.

Metallurgical engineering: they are engaged in the extraction of various types of metal from ores. The ore is crushed, concentrated and then processed into metal, either by a smelting or chemical process. They are also asked to determine the cause of metal defects and to propose possible solutions.

Mining engineering: they ensure effective and safe production. They often work with other engineers and with technical management. They are engaged in ore extraction activities from both underground and surface operations. Technicians look for the most economical and practical ways to extract metals from ores.

The work of the engineering technician involves both intellectual and practical work. In large companies they may be employed in a highly specialized capacity, using sophisticated techniques and equipment. The work environment varies, including laboratories, offices, factories and production sites.

Where does an engineering technician work?

• Manufacturers
• Mining industry
• Research laboratories
• Universities and universities of technology
• Government departments