Has anyone done this switch? How difficult was it? And can one like switch to any branch of mechanical engineering in masters from civil undergrad?
Also, I heard when you switch majors in masters in engineering, it's hard to get scholarships for the grad school? Is that true?

I'm graduating in December with a a BS in MechE. I have a job offer as an equipment engineer with one of the big three companies. It's in the North West. I also expect to be receiving an offer as a refrigeration engineer with an industry leader in the Midwest.

EE job is offering just north of $80k (a bit low, imo). I expect the refrigeration job will be offering in the low 70s. Cost of living differences between the two areas make the salaries pretty similar.

I know this is a purely subjective question, but I'm interested in other's opinions.

What's a better option to build a career out of? I expect the refrigeration job would be more design with big systems (they are big in the food service manufacturing industry), and likely skills developed that are easily transferrable to other industries. But I also expect the salary potential over the next decade or two would be considerably lower than EE. But it's in the Midwest so maybe that doesn't matter as much.

Conversely, even though EE salary range potential may be higher - and experientially so, considering advancements in technology - I see it as more of a niche field with skills that don't really transfer to "traditional" engineering like refrigeration. But it's also in the North West, and therefore possibly watering down the salary potential due to cost of living.

So in terms of locations (North West vs Midwest), starting salaries, salary potential, wanting to buy a house, potential salary caps, etc etc, what's y'all's opinion? I'm at a fork in the road and I really want to make the right decision for myself, so any and all information is greatly welcomed.

same as heading

Can anyone tell where I can learn more about this interactions between a wheel with a gear and of any sort and a driving chain? Should I just study about gear ratios?

I’m a 17 year old hoping to go to university next year and I’m wondering how much of mechanical engineering involves doing work on a computer because I’m not to fond of that.

This sub has a serious problem. Probably 9/10 posts are more related to employment/getting employment/finding a wfh job than any form of actual engineering. Maybe we could split these extremely repetitive posts off...somehow?

My company (manufacturer with about 1000 people in the USA) just announced today that they will offer up to $10,000 a year for educational reimbursement, up to masters level. This is about double from what it used to be (and I understand the IRS only gives a tax break up to a little over $5000). I'm not saying that I am necessarily going to take them up on this, but I'm wondering what anyone thinks in terms of how good this is.

What roles or tasks might a mechanical engineer do for an ice cream shop that makes its ice cream at the shop? What could they theoretically do that would actually count as mechanical engineering? They have a walk in freezer, walk in fridge, machines, etc. it’s an independent business so not like a Ben and Jerry’s or baskin Robbin’s.

Hi everyone,

I'm working on making a prop with some moving parts and honestly I've found that I'm out of my depth. I've got a lot of sketches and a basic working concept model, but I'm forced to admit that I have no idea what I'm doing. Can anyone suggest someone or some where I can go for some simple consulting or advice?

Any guidance you guys can give me would be appreciated. Thanks a lot!

Let’s say I have a thin film (thinner than a sheet of paper) sandwiched between two plates. One plate has an o-ring in a groove while the other has a flat face so that the two plates form a face seal when fastened together. My question is, if the film has a larger area than the plates so it extends beyond the perimeters of the two plates, will the o-ring still seal?

I guess another way to ask this question is how would you create a water-resistant enclosure that has a long thin slit on one side for a thin film to extend out of the enclosure. The film won’t retract or be moving it will just be partly inside the enclosure and partly outside. It can hep to think about this like designing a waterproof junction box but for a ribbon cable instead of cords.

I know for wires that come out of boxes, I can use water proof wire plugs and adapters but I can’t find any product for sealing the entry way of a thin film.

I’ve looked at Parker’s, and all sorts of online o-ring calculators/articles but I can’t find any product that achieves something similar to what I’m trying to do.

I am a mechanical engineer with many years experience. I have recently started my own business with another engineer doing plumbing and HVAC design. We have recently been approached to quote a 100 unit building for plumbing and HVAC design, along with performing the mechanical inspections.

Looking for advice on what might be a reasonable price to charge as well as how to go about quoting it. By the square foot, as a % of project cost, etc.

TIA

I'm designing a kinematic coupling (cylinder in v-groove) for a tool changer interface and I'm interested in performing a fatigue analysis on it. I'm interested in looking at 2 load cases: First the mate / de-mate of the interface with some preload and second change in loads due to acceleration.

I was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction on this. Since I have been looking at contact stress, I also found rolling contact fatigue equations but I'm not sure that applies for these cases. Any recommendations for research?

My work is willing to pay for classes that are a week long or shorter, or longer if they’re online.

I studied Mechanical Engineering, but my first job involves a lot of technical design work with SolidWorks, and I’m feeling a bit out of my element.

The company designs high pressure water systems for fire trucks and uses JDE for inventory, but the processes for moving files between JDE, SolidWorks, and the floor are extremely inefficient and messy.

Any suggestions?

I almost finished my school library website and now I need a new excuse for why I don't have friends or touch grass.

I know how to design 3d models in fusion360, code in Python, code an Arduino, use electronic components and other microcontrollers, and design PCBs, but now I don't know how to actually use my skills for a hands-on project,

I don't want to do a classic robotic arm but rather something a bit more useful, my first idea was to take an old go-kart and turn it into a small batmobile, but then I remembered that I don't have a garage or a garden so now I'm kinda lost, can anyone help me find some ideas?

I'll be honest in saying I struggled with whether or not to post this here, as it isn't technical, but I decided to post it anyway.

Engineering, whether the general public feels this way or not, is a very technically creative industry and suffers some of the same pitfalls that more "artistic" industries such as painting and book writing does: running out of ideas and "writer's block".

Do you have particular things that you do when you are feeling burnt out, or out of ideas?

What do you do when you feel you aren't being challenged enough? Would you rather feel more challenged or unchallenged?

Personally I tend to get drug every which direction - mechanical design, database management, bidding and estimating, etc. I very much get to dabble in a bit of everything, but at times it doesn't feel challenging - and also at times it feels like I have no idea how to proceed further.

Just curious if others can relate and how they might handle it.

Image context: something to make this subreddit somewhat easy to look at.

No but for real, why is this subreddit strictly business??? Mechanical engineering is one of the most fun degrees with the most opportunities of cool and impressive projects to be shared online.

Why do we not have that? Why does r/ElectricalEngineering have that? Why are you all so business-y. Is there a separate subreddit for mechanical engineering projects?

I am being serious why do we not have that? If we do see projects it’s like 1/10000, with that 10000 being text posts. Huh? ???

AI is starting to transform the engineering field in ways that feel like sci-fi stuff. Imagine being able to extract even the tricky values like tolerances and unique symbols. For years, people went behind  OCR, but that tech alone couldn’t handle the level of detail in our drawings—things like dimensions, symbols, and tolerances just didn’t translate well. But the tech world is making that possible with Intelligent document automation. It’s nothing but your OCR with human intelligence. I’m sure IDP is going to be the ChatGpt of Engineering drawings. 

Even on Reddit, I see a lot of questions to suggest the best OCR tools. Guys, if you’re looking to automate your engineering drawings - IDP is the keyword. A lot of people don’t realize the power of this simple tool, but top companies using these tools are already seeing up to a 40% boost in processing efficiency, especially in the construction and manufacturing sectors. This shift doesn’t just save time; it opens up a whole new world of accuracy, where data is fed directly into ERP systems without human error slowing down the process.

If you’re in engineering, how do you see AI shaping the industry in the next few years? Is anyone here already using it to speed up workflows or tackle data-heavy projects?

Engineers - you know this right, manual data extraction from complex machinery diagrams is such a pain. Interpreting detailed CAD drawings or calculating measurements across multiple scales makes engineers' lives a living hell. But seriously what’s the point in doing all this in today’s day and age?

But here’s where AI swoops in - no I’m not talking about ChatGpt. 🦸‍♂ Gen AI-powered platforms like ML/AI OCR systems technically called Intelligent Document Processing systems allow you to automate data extraction from engineering drawings, slashing processing time and boosting efficiency. These AI tools don’t just extract data—they analyze it, perform instant calculations, and ensure everything is 100% accurate before you even lift a finger.

Now, It’s your call whether you want to burn yourself with manual data extraction and traditional tools or level up with AI. Have you tried any AI data extraction tools for engineering drawings? How was your experience? Comment Below 👇

Hi!

I’m thinking about moving to the US but was wondering how engineering salaries, take home and cost of living compares to London.

I’m at associate level (graduate < engineer I < engineer II < engineer III < senior < associate < associate director < director < board director

Monthly Budget Breakdown

•	Take-home Salary: £3,600 ($4,700)
•	Expenses:
•	Rent: £700 ($900)
•	Bills: £150 ($200)
•	Transport: £270 ($350)

Remaining Budget Calculation

•	Total Expenses: £1,120 ($1,450)
•	Remaining After Expenses: £2,480 ($3,250)

No other fixed outgoings.

25 days paid leave (excluding public holidays)

I have 7 years experience

4 year bachelors (Washington Accord Degree)

Chartered Engineer

I lead the HVAC design on a range of buildings from ultra high end residential, airports, commercial, pharmaceutical etc

Worked with some top architects like Zaha etc

What sort of role would i likely get in the US and what are the salaries like?

TIA

I am designing a fixture and having trouble finding a suitable mechanism. I am imagining something like the focusing ring on a camera lens, where you rotate the outside of it and it smoothly slides in and out linearly, but with a hole in the center. I can't seem to find the correct search terms, or maybe something like this isn't available? Anyone know?

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeHUrhimQHwpWEyZGrrcAk63ckBA-L_qFACIMapabc_CslhWj0nP4sJXwF26jw0NW8g2M8QcNJpZbDhw38xgtZY11o_4D9iq-MsZWEufgUIzF5JQVN5jvzr2v1ijLE819nqPEWiC0CR_F3/s1600/lumix+g+12-32mm.gif

Now I am trying to raise it. How are my chances of getting a job? I am graduating May 2025 and I had an interview for Department of Transportation (manifesting I get it!) although it's not in the ME field, I really want to have experience. Internships keep denying me because most of them require rising seniors (Expecting to graduate in Dec 2025-spring 2026)

Does anyone have any experience using ToffeeX? I’m looking into it for novel geometry development but not seeing many reviews/feedback. Is it worth the licence cost?

Hi guys. Have you ever heard or worked in rapid liquid printing? It's a form of 3d printing but in gel. Am interested if anyone here has worked with something like that?

I’m a mechanical design engineer seeking some career advice.

After 14 years in different roles, I’ve realized that my biggest strength compared to other engineers is my focus on improving processes and finding ways to make our work more efficient. I tend to enjoy figuring out how we can all work better, rather than focusing solely on mechanical design itself. For example, I’ve created some automation in SolidWorks and Excel to streamline tedious tasks, and I find a lot of satisfaction in these improvements. I also enjoy teaching coworkers tips and tricks I’ve picked up to help them work more efficiently.

I'm interested in moving into a role where I can focus more on process improvement, automation, and mentoring, while still working closely with engineering, product development, and manufacturing. Ideally, I’d also like some level of customer interaction, particularly with clients who are engineers themselves.

Does anyone have suggestions on roles where I could do more of this kind of work and make myself more marketable? I’m considering an MBA, a Master’s in Engineering Management, or maybe even a Master’s in Systems Engineering, but I’m not sure if those are the right paths for what I want to do. I am also open to online courses or in-person.

Thanks for any insights!

I am graduating in the spring of 2025. I am worried that I won't be able to find employment post-grad and am looking for any suggestions.

For context, I did have an internship the summer before my senior year, but it was at the department of transportation. I only took it because the professors I asked told me "experience is experience" but that experience feels like it has set me up to not get a job in mechanical post graduation. I also took a position as the VP of a design team at my school, but due to a lack of projects in the club previously I don't know if that will be enough.

I have been debating doing my schools grad program because I have automatic acceptance because of my GPA, but I am paying for college myself and that would cost me 50k for 1 year and they don't offer any aid aside from a 20k loan. Doing a grad year would give me time to do another internship and possibly a co-op however.

Any advice is appreciated!

Situation: I am in my currently position for 1.5 years as a design engineer. I would say I still have tons to learn from this position.

I have always loved maintenance aspect of this job and recently a job opening for that position within the same company.

There is 2 problems which is making me hesitate.

1. the learning curve for each job is quite high, it took me 1 year into the design job just to stretch the surface. there is still so much for me to learn from my current role and I dont like the idea of “quit” midway through a job

2. I might move to a different city in 1-2 years time, it might not be beneficial to me to jump around at this time knowing it would take me time to catch up and actually contribute and learn in a meaningful way.

Thanks for the advice