6 Publications Development of Mechanical Engineers Skills
6 Publications Development of Mechanical Engineers Skills
6 Publications Development of Mechanical Engineers Skills
Abstract— The last ten years have seen a steady stream of The ecosystem of smart electric transportation includes
inventive and beneficial advances in the field of electric more than just electric vehicles. New electric mobility
vehicles (EVs), which may help society in a variety of ways, technologies will undoubtedly alter the demands of the labor
from improved quality of life to economic and environmental market in cities. A wider and more adaptable set of skills are
benefits. The field of engineering is expanding in the world of necessary for highly qualified professionals [3]. In order to
electric vehicles. Engineers that can collaborate across many keep up with trends in the business and in the field of
disciplines are far more in demand by businesses. The study of research, academic programs must incorporate new
job duties and technical competencies based on market
technologies. The authors of [4] focused on challenges
demands for mechanical engineering is presented in the
related to electric mobility to identify acceptable educational
current article. This study is based on job descriptions and job
postings from EVs firms. Following the investigation, job roles,
approaches that would be helpful when teaching about
technical abilities, and engineering tools needed to build a electric mobility at various educational levels. The
career for mechanical engineering graduates in the field of EVs improvement of graduate curricula in advanced automobile
and Electric Mobility are categorized. A list of topics that are industry has been covered in earlier works. The experiences
crucial for knowledge and comprehension in the field of from global initiatives created through partnership with
electric vehicles is revealed by the analysis. Additionally, students from various colleges around the world have been
integrating new engineering software tools for systems design recounted in [5].
and analysis into the designed curriculum is imperative for
A Center for Advanced Automotive Technology (CAAT)
mechanical engineering graduates. The present analysis is
helpful for creating new programs, adding courses, or was formed as an Advanced Technological Education center
upgrading existing ones in the area of electric vehicles. with financing from the National Science Foundation [6] to
support the collaborative work, developing and driving
Keywords— Engineering Education, Electric Vehicles, systematic curricula improvements. The center identified
Technical Skills, Job Market, Mechanical Engineering curriculum deficiencies with the help of business partners
and gave teachers professional development to remedy such
I. INTRODUCTION gaps. The authors of [7] described a two-year graduate
The last ten years have seen a steady stream of inventive curriculum in smart electromobility. Programs from across
and beneficial advances in the field of electric vehicles the world have been analyzed to determine potential growth
(EVs), which may help society in a variety of ways, from areas for electric vehicles and smart mobility. Computer
improved quality of life to economic and environmental science, mechanical and electrical engineering, law,
benefits. The market for plug-in electric vehicles for marketing, and public policy are among the subjects covered
passengers is growing significantly. In 2021, a total of 6.75 in multi- and transdisciplinary courses.
million electric vehicles were sold. In 2021, more EVs were Universities and open-education programs must provide
sold in a single week than were sold in the entire year of resources to support personal and professional development
2012. In the first half of 2022, a total of 4,3 million new EVs in order to enable the next generation to meet the skills
were delivered, an increase of +62% over the first half of requirements and challenges of the EV employment market
2021 [1]. In the following years, it is expected that this and E-Mobility. Company involvement is crucial in the
tendency will continue. The governments of KSA and the creation of engineering education programs, even though
UAE are making significant investments in the Gulf area to university curricula shouldn't be wholly determined by how
achieve a 30% EV penetration rate by 2030 [2]. By putting employers view their educational needs. The current article
money into EVs and renewable energy sources, KSA and the presents an overview of technical skills and job roles based
UAE have demonstrated a progressive approach to the on market demands. This study is based on job descriptions
adoption of EVs. and job postings from EVs firms. The analysis produced a
classification of the job duties, technical abilities, and
engineering tools necessary for a mechanical engineering
Fig. 1. Major components of electric vehicles, HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), PHEV (Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle).
they are highly helpful in emphasizing the key tools and skill
needs for engineers to work in this emerging field. Jobs with
III. MARKET ANALYSIS OF JOB FUNCTIONS AND mechanical engineering background requirements are only
REQUIRED SKILLS considered in the present study. Tables I to VI contain the list
The authors made use of LinkedIn, one of the biggest of positions that require a mechanical background. The job
professional networks on the internet, to publicize posts from functions are described, and the knowledge and skill
reputable businesses in the electric vehicle industry. requirements are also given. Other soft skills necessary for
"Engineers, Electric Vehicles, and Electric Mobility" are the the jobs are not included. Because they apply to all job
search terms. The research produced a wide range of job functions, soft skills are not included in this list.
names, responsibilities, competencies, and prerequisites. The The analysis shows a set of subjects that are essential for
data are filtered and categorized, and it is discovered that knowledge and understanding in the domain of electric
vehicles. Also, engineering software tools have become very C. Product testing software
essential for an engineering graduate. The software tools Another class of software tools provide integrated
required in EVs industry are categorized in the following solution for test-based engineering that combines high-speed
sections with a brief description of each to highlight the multi-physics data collecting with an extensive set of
subject area and essential topics supported by this software. integrated testing, analytics, and modeling tools for a variety
A. Mechanical Computer-Aided Design (MCAD) programs, of test purposes. An example is Simcenter Testlab.
or CAD software
TABLE I. BATTERY PACKS ENGINEER JOB FUNCTIONS AND
SolidWorks, Siemens NX, PTC Creo, and CATIA 3D REQUIREMENTS
solid modeling are examples of 3D solid modeling software. Job Description: Battery Packs Engineer
These resources are essential for any business today that
designs and manufactures physical items. Regardless of the Job Functions:
complexity of the model, they are used to build exact - Mechanical design and packaging of battery back components, power
geometry, carry out simple static structural analysis on electronic enclosures and thermal management systems.
components and assemblies, and evaluate the kinematic - Mechanical integration of battery pack components into vehicle
platforms.
motion of designs using integrated design animation. - Mechanical structural design, cell mounting, spacing, connecting,
Additionally, additive manufacturing design tools are cooling, integration of electrical fuses, contactors, wiring, and cooling
included. system.
- Bill of Materials Management (BOM) and production support.
Additionally, programs like ANSYS that use finite- - Development of design reports and documentation.
element modeling are crucial for the numerical resolution of - Using parametric CAD models for production of design drawings.
a wide range of engineering applications such as static and - Implementation of relevant ANSI and ISO standards.
dynamic structural analysis, heat transfer, fluid flow, - Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) for multi-part
functional assemblies .
acoustics and electromagnetics. - Tolerance stack up analysis of an assembly requirement.
- Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA or DFM/A) in
B. Product quality, planning, and management software product design.
Software for advanced product quality planning (APQP) - Collaboration with lead engineers and members of multidisciplinary
is crucial for the automobile sector. In order to ensure that teams (vehicle, modeling, and simulation).
the product being produced complies with specific quality Job Requirements
Knowledge:
management standards. The main phases of the APQP Engineering materials - different materials and grades - mechanical
process include plan and define, product and process design, simulation techniques and processes - manufacturing processes -
and validation, feedback evaluation, and corrective action. automotive standards - design for manufacturability - basic power
electronic – electric vehicles systems & architecture – electrical, thermal,
A comprehensive PLM software system called Product and mechanical characteristics of battery cells/modules/packs and testing.
Lifecycle Management (PLM) is used to handle an Skills:
organization's data, content, documentation, and processes. It Background in: modeling, simulation and analysis of durability, thermal,
offers all the resources required for the distribution, electrical systems - prototype development and component validation –
transmission, visualization, and publication of the product plastic injection mold design - seals, machining, Aluminium die casting -
metal stamping.
data. A good example is the Windchill software, which can Familiarity with: Advanced product quality planning (APQP) procedures
handle models made with PTC Creo and other important and techniques to develop products – Development of CAD models on
CAD programs. commercial platforms such as CREO, NX and CATIA - routing wire
harnesses, sheet metal parts, plastic parts, and machined items using CAD.
Design For Six Sigma (DFSS) tools are used to design
and build new products or services with at least a 4-Sigma
performance. The DFSS strategy uses experiments and data TABLE II. VEHICLE PLATFORM ENGINEER JOB FUNCTIONS AND
analysis in a systematic manner to design, implement, and REQUIREMENTS
improve products and services. By developing products and Job Description: Vehicle Platform Engineer
services that are more useful, practical, safe, and durable, the
aim is to decrease waste across all processes and boost Job Functions:
customer satisfaction. - Lead the development of Vehicle Platform systems through the entire
product development process from Project Definition to Product
Control of requirements is essential to reduce costs, Launch.
increase efficiency, and improve the quality of products. - Develop mechanical system concepts to meet vehicle platform
Engineering Requirements Management tools are used to requirements and utilize analytical tools to verify a robust design.
- Utilize DFMEA and DVP tools to mitigate system design risk
collect, trace, analyze, and manage changes to product throughout the concept, design, and validation phases of the program.
information. An example is Systems Applications and - Create and maintain up-to-date project schedules and develop
Products (SAP) that is a business application integration mitigation plans as needed to meet program milestones.
software solution for enterprise resource planning (ERP). - Coordinate regularly during the development process with other
IBM® Dynamic Object-Oriented Requirements System engineering teams.
Job Requirements
(DOORS) is another example. Knowledge:
Other software are used for managing the stages and of Vehicles components and systems
Skills:
product development, including requirements capture,
CREO / CREO View / Windchill (or similar) - Phase Gate development
problem tracking, workflow automation, and test planning process - Use of Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) tools.
and execution such as TestTrack Quality Management
Software (QMS).
TABLE III. MECHANICAL DESIGN ENGINEER JOB FUNCTIONS AND TABLE VI. THERMAL ANALYSIS ENGINEER JOB FUNCTIONS AND
REQUIREMENTS REQUIREMENTS
Job Description: Mechanical Design Engineer Job Description: Thermal Analysis Engineer/ Powertrain Cooling Engineer
The authors would like to thank the British Council for the
funding of the project on “UK-Saudi Electric Vehicles