Materials Engineers
On June 26, 1995, the motorcade of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak came under gunfire from terrorist elements while he was in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. He survived, thanks to his armored car, which stopped the bullets from penetrating inside, along with his security detail managing to kill the attackers. We've seen scenes like this before in movies and on TV, showing politicians, top officials, and celebrities facing assassination attempts and street chases, and we've seen how the armored cars built specifically for such figures are what save them. But have you ever wondered how the body and glass of those vehicles are able to stop bullets from getting through? Or how those cars are able to smash through and get past concrete walls and barriers? The bodies of those vehicles are made from specific materials called "ballistic steel," and steel is a group of iron alloys that are processed and improved, with other elements added to turn them into steel. There are experts in factories and labs responsible for the processes of improving and developing the materials used to build armored vehicles, or even the ordinary cars we know — and they're called "materials engineers." When it comes to materials engineers, we can tell you that most industries in the world depend on their work. The materials engineer is responsible for examining and studying the raw materials needed to manufacture various products, whether vehicles, electronic and electrical devices, medical equipment, or anything else, and then works to develop, improve, and process those materials to serve the different purposes and needs they're manufactured for — such as making a certain material able to withstand high temperatures or severe impacts, prevent corrosion and rust, or become insulating or conductive of electricity, along with the many other essential qualities different products need.
Meet the Writer: Waleed Abo Omiraa
What You'll Actually Do
The core tasks and responsibilities that fill a typical day.
- Analyze product failure data and laboratory test results to determine causes of problems and develop solutions.
- Monitor material performance, and evaluate its deterioration.
- Supervise the work of technologists, technicians, and other engineers and scientists.
- Design and direct the testing or control of processing procedures.
- Evaluate technical specifications and economic factors relating to process or product design objectives.
- Conduct or supervise tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality.
- Perform managerial functions, such as preparing proposals and budgets, analyzing labor costs, and writing reports.
- Solve problems in a number of engineering fields, such as mechanical, chemical, electrical, civil, nuclear, and aerospace.
- Plan and evaluate new projects, consulting with other engineers and corporate executives, as necessary.
- Review new product plans, and make recommendations for material selection, based on design objectives such as strength, weight, heat resistance, electrical conductivity, and cost.
- Design processing plants and equipment.
- Modify properties of metal alloys, using thermal and mechanical treatments.
- Guide technical staff in developing materials for specific uses in projected products or devices.
- Plan and implement laboratory operations to develop material and fabrication procedures that meet cost, product specification, and performance standards.
- Determine appropriate methods for fabricating and joining materials.
- Conduct training sessions on new material products, applications, or manufacturing methods for customers and their employees.
- Supervise production and testing processes in industrial settings, such as metal refining facilities, smelting or foundry operations, or nonmetallic materials production operations.
- Write for technical magazines, journals, and trade association publications.
- Replicate the characteristics of materials and their components, using computers.
- Present technical information at conferences.