Job Title: Design Engineer
Company: Avcorp Industries Inc.
Industry: Aerospace
What I Do
Avcorp designs and builds major airframe structures for some of the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers. I fill a multi-function role split between designing tools for sheet metal fabrication, providing engineering support for estimating costs on new projects, and liaising between our production environment and our customers when parts or assemblies do not meet engineering design specifications.
A Day in the Life
I work 7:30 to 4:00 Monday to Friday, plus occasional overtime, at Avcorp’s main facility in North Delta, BC. I interact mostly with our Engineering team, which encompasses tool design engineers, liaison engineers, design engineers, and stress engineers. Due to the nature of liaison work, however, I also often work with our production employees and manufacturing engineers, as well as engineers from our customers: Cessna, Bombardier, Boeing.
Why My Job Is Great
I like the fact that I am continuously learning new things. Being exposed to the manufacturing side, I learn the limitations of different manufacturing methods and common problems that occur during production. Being exposed to design and stress engineers, I learn about aircraft structural design and stress analysis principles. I also enjoy the consistency of a regular 40 hour work week.
The Downside
Avcorp prides itself on providing the high quality required by a highly regulated aerospace industry. Ensuring that we meet stringent quality control standards entails a healthy amount of “paperwork” (which is mostly electronic). Though I understand the necessity of it all, it can sometimes be frustrating.
Off the Job
I enjoy outdoor recreation, such as skiing, climbing, hiking, biking, etc. I also enjoy simply hanging out at home with my wife and watching TV.
Experiences from my Undergrad to Learn From
In high school I was in the Royal Canadian Air Cadets which fostered my interest in aviation. A natural inclination towards sciences and learning how things work led me to become an engineer. My passion for outdoor recreation is what brought me here to BC.
The Best Part
The best part is that mechanical engineers are needed in a huge amount of industries and can be employed in a number of different roles within any of those industries. The basic skill set of a mechanical engineer allows them to solve a wide variety of problems.
My Advice to You
If you’re leaning towards becoming an engineer but aren’t sure which kind of engineering is right for you, take the mechanical stream. The curriculum encompasses a wide variety of subject areas ranging from electrical systems, fluid dynamics, stress analysis, kinematics, material sciences, chemistry, manufacturing, and even project management. Once you gain the skill set, you can decide which area you like best and specialize in it.