/r/industrialengineering

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Industrial Engineering focuses on optimizing processes of technology and people, often in manufacturing settings. Different disciplines include human factors, supply chain and logistics, production planning, mathematical optimization, LEAN 6 Sigma, and more.

A place for Industrial Engineers to talk about efficiency, 6σ and more.

To combat spam, posts that do not follow the rules below will be removed on sight. See any posts breaking these rules? Hit the report button!

  1. Posts must be in English.
  2. Posts trying to sell products or services are not allowed.
  3. Replying to requests is the only exception to rule #2.
  4. Surveys, questionnaires and (market) research are not allowed.
  5. Use common sense. Unsure of something? Message the mods!

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Other subreddits you might enjoy:

/r/Engineering
/r/EngineeringPorn
/r/EngineeringResumes
/r/Manufacturing
/r/SupplyChain

/r/industrialengineering

15,064 Subscribers

0

What types of electric motors in industries are high duty and low efficiency?

I'm conducting some market research on industrial electric motors with a goal of trying to improve motor efficiency. I'd love to hear from those of you in plant operations / purchasing / electrical engineering about electric motors that could benefit the most from higher efficiency.

I am most interested in working with those motors that run constantly, use high power, and would benefit the most from better efficiency. With the control algorithms I'm looking at, we should be able to handle changing speed, changing torque, etc. My hypothesis is that classes of motors that have a frequently-changing operating point are likely "good for all operating points but great at none" and have a lot of potential to improve.

To make this request more specific, I'd love to hear about the following:

  • industry and application (e.g. extrusion, water pump, HVAC blower motor)
  • performance characteristics (fixed vs. intermittent duty, fixed vs. changing torque, etc.)
  • typical motor manufacturer and model that you'd turn to by default
  • application specs (required torque, volts, current, AC vs. DC)

If there are industry surveys I should be referring to, I'd love to be pointed in that direction also.

Cross-posted this to the r/motors sub as well with a few modifications.

Thanks in advance.

1 Comment
2024/03/13
23:30 UTC

2

Food Industry

Hey Guys! I have done my master's in industrial engineering and I want to get into food manufacturing industry especially in Continuous Improvement/Process Engineer roles. Anyone here already working there with whom I can network and we can discuss?. Thank You

0 Comments
2024/03/13
23:11 UTC

5

Anyone done chemical Engineering before masters in industrial engineering? Did it work?

2 Comments
2024/03/13
19:54 UTC

3

I don't know what to choose?!

So, I can choose between bachelor in mechanical engineering and a 2 year master in industrial engineering and management, OR a full 5 year industrial engineering and management program.

I have no idea what to choose, since I like both the technical and management side of engineering.

Could someone with more insight please help me with this choice?

0 Comments
2024/03/13
18:39 UTC

8

Industrial engineer that has worked in warehousing/distribution for almost 10 years, currently interviewing for a role in quick service restaurant industry concerned about transition?

I’ve been working as an industrial engineer in warehousing/distribution for almost 10 years now, as a continuous improvement engineer, consultant and with warehouse management systems.

Currently, I’m interviewing for my next role as I was part of an unexpected layoff due to economic factors.

One of the roles I had my eye on and seems to be progressing well is within the quick service restaurant industry. It’s definitely an industry pivot, but I get to apply the same IE principles and techniques to improving efficiency and saving costs.

My only concern, if I go down that route then would I be pigeonholed or stuck in that specific industry to move up, if I see it isn’t the best fit? Or would I still have opportunities to transition back easily to warehousing/distribution.

I’m looking for the quickest way to management hopefully.

Thanks for your replies.

6 Comments
2024/03/13
01:41 UTC

1

Excel - Templates

Can someone help me where can I find best Excel templates like yamazumi, what ever I can use in my job as IE/ME

0 Comments
2024/03/13
00:53 UTC

9

Should switch my major to industrial & manufacturing engineering?

I’m an aerospace engineering major, currently projected to graduated in 2 years by spring 2026 if I don’t take any semesters off.

However, after a recent internship at NASA JPL and a realization that I am heavily interested in human space flight & human factors I found myself looking ay my schools course catalog for an IME major and I think I might be more interested in it more than aerospace.

To compare:

The rest of my aero major course work looks like:

  • controls theory
  • thermodynamics
  • gas dynamics

-low and high speed fluid dynamics

  • wind tunnel testing
  • orbit estimation and control
  • space vehicle design

I’m pretty certain that all of these dont interest me at all. I dont care much for structures engineering, controls is a but overwhelming for me, i only really have interest in orbits and space vehicle design but again but im starting to think it might not be worth it for me.

Ive also considered switching to mechanical engineering as I do find myself more mechanically inclined, hands on, and hardware interested.

At JPL, i was most interested in mechanical integration and testing.

But i really want to work at NASA Johnson as they focus on human spaceflight.

I looked at the course catalog for IME and I found particular interest in:

Human factors engineering as well as much of the other courses seemed much more interesting to me.

I just have a deep interest in human space flight infrastructure.

Is IME the move for me?

Edit:

Worth noting, ive been in my undergrad since 2016.

8 Comments
2024/03/12
20:51 UTC

2

Remote job

Hi, do anyone here knows about any remote jb offer for IE? In sales or logistics field?

3 Comments
2024/03/12
16:22 UTC

8

Feeling lost after graduation.

When I started in college, very early on I realized that many of my colleagues started seeing very specific subjects about their respective careers in engineering. However, I felt lost in IE because it was not until two years into the career that I started to actually see specific subjects about IE, and yes I saw the potential about it, which are inmense BUT i felt really overwhelmed about it.

Fast foward to 2020 (everyone knows what happened in 2020) and I just graduated from college with my bachelors degree in IE and said to myself know what? I started to look for entry level jobs and couldn't find ANYTHING until 8 months later I found a data entry job at a pharmacy for about a year and got another job at a local consulate doing the same thing and know I find myself lost because it was a determined contract and the due date came on the 8th of march, so I find myself jobless and pretty anxious about it.

I have been trying to find other paths within and outside IE. The latter, I've tried data analyst as a whole, I signed up on Codeacademy and went hard on SQL I saw the huge potential of SQL but SQL it isn't enought so I bought some courses on Python but I just can't see myself actually doing them. After two years of working, I have come to the realization that I have a natural tendency to optimize processes and make adjustments to improve their efficiency, whether it's in my own work routine or in the office, and make suggestions accordingly.

So here I am trying to see other options and read others peoples point of view about it,

2 Comments
2024/03/12
12:26 UTC

36

Is industrial engineering the easiest engineering?

I saw these memes on engineeringmemes that industrial engineering is the easiest engineering and not even 'real' engineering but a business major? Do you agree/disagree?

62 Comments
2024/03/12
09:44 UTC

3

is it worth it?

hello guys i am first year IE from Eastern European country and my question is: Is it worth it in Europe for EI? Is it easy to get a job and have a good salary? All of the alumnis i spoke to here in my country all are just working some part time shifts or for big companies like HP, Coca cola and more but they are not earning very good money. thanks in advance

3 Comments
2024/03/12
09:13 UTC

3

What master's should I look for?

I am graduating next year with my Industrial engineering degree. I want to do a master's, but I can't figure out on what. The area I am interested the most is process/operation/ production, with a focus on automation. What master's can I do? Sorry if that's a very broad description, ask me questions if needed!

1 Comment
2024/03/12
06:27 UTC

2

Laptops?

Hello! I am an incoming college freshman who plans to major in Industrial Engineering! What are the best laptops to get? I want to get a MacBook but have been told it is not good for engineering. What are your opinions?

9 Comments
2024/03/12
01:34 UTC

1

where to study? price doesn’t matter OOS

I wanna do consulting maybe

View Poll

6 Comments
2024/03/11
18:45 UTC

21

Transition away from IE or out of Manufacturing without a full fresh start

I’m looking for options and stories of those who have moved away from Industrial Engineering, or had a manufacturing background and moved to a new area in another sector.

I have my Bachelors in IE, as well as my MBA with various certifications (Lean/Six Sigma Green, CAPM, CHEP/CHSP). I have about 6 years of professional experience currently with the bulk of it being in manufacturing. I did a one year stint in healthcare as well, it was not IE related, but as a director position in emergency management.

I’ve quickly learned that manufacturing just isn’t where I want/should spend my time. I have never been mechanically inclined, and haven’t enjoyed the environment/work it provides. It’s been long hours, tight schedules, rough company cultures, etc.

I’ve always loved working with excel and data while being on the business side of companies. I’ve self taught myself a ton in excel along with basic/intermediate VBA writing, and have used Minitab a ton for visualization.

It’s always been tempting to learn SQL or another analytics language, but I’m unsure where I could transfer my skill set to without starting over fully.

Bit of a long post, but would love to hear some other stories of those who moved away from manufacturing, or away from IE in general without fully starting over.

I’ve read a lot of old posts here, but many were outdated or had limited info.

Thanks in advance!

19 Comments
2024/03/11
17:11 UTC

12

AI Based Optimization for Brewery

I will start an optimization project in a bottlenecked bottling and filling line of a brewery. The goal is to produce the maximum number of cans and bottles of beer with minimum downtime and slowdowns. My managers want this project to be done with a combination of AI + Optimization, according to them, this artificial intelligence system should constantly update its decisions and plan according to the data coming from MES, IoT, ERP and dynamically optimize the process itself without leaving the optimization to planners and operators. I guess classical optimization and machine learning methods will not work here, but I can't think of any other method other than Reinforcement Learning. I am waiting for your recommendations.

6 Comments
2024/03/11
16:53 UTC

11

Can I interview you?

Just as the title says, I'd like to schedule an interview with an Industrial Engineer currently active in the field. It will include 5-10 questions about your experiences and expertise. I'd like to do this between Mar 14-16, via remote video; zoom, skype, etc. I respect your time and will do my utmost to make it brief. Let me know if you're interested.

6 Comments
2024/03/10
17:53 UTC

4

What's the difference between Process flow diagrams and Flow charts? How do I use each one

Thank you for your help

1 Comment
2024/03/10
17:34 UTC

2

MS in Industrial Engineering (non-thesis)

Hi guys, I would appreciate your opinion on which university would be a better choice for pursuing a non-thesis Masters program in Industrial Engineering. Any reasons you can provide would be really helpful.

View Poll

0 Comments
2024/03/10
17:22 UTC

18

Supply chain management or industrial engineer

I know that industrial engineer is much better

but I don’t know if I can pass the rigorous classes. ultimately I’m scared that if I take that path I’ll want to back out and it would waste time. My strong suit is math but I wouldn’t say im great at it, 25 act in math and 22 in science. I didn’t study but it’s still really bad.

What are your guy’s thoughts. Need anymore info?

17 Comments
2024/03/09
17:30 UTC

14

Project Management/Engineering and Systems Engineering

Throughout my time in undergrad I’ve grown to really enjoy working in teams and on projects with a defined end goal. There’s something that I find fun about strategic planning, matching people and their skills to appropriate assignments, and aiming for an optimal result while following a set of constraints.

Does anyone here work as a Project Manager, Project Engineer, or Systems Engineer? What’s it like? I’m thinking that those sound like interesting jobs for me to try out even if I later change my mind and switch to something else.

4 Comments
2024/03/09
16:31 UTC

18

Computer systems engineer vs industrial engineer degree

I'm currently a international sophomore in computer systems engineering but the numerous coding courses(10+ computer science courses to go, not including electives) is eating away at me from the inside. I consulted my mother(house breadwinner ) and academic advisor about the matter and i might have to consult a therapist after what she said.

She threatened to pull me out of college and compared me to the worst employee she knows and a disgrace of a father who is barely in my life, living barely above the poverty line and made me by mistake(idc about this situation till it's used against me) if i choose to change majors just because of money(125k : 75k). She isn't even interested in how, what or when I study and makes up excuses like i play games all day and never study or I'm a lazy asshole who will end up like my father.

Currently i have decent grades in my major despite struggling so I'm not worried about the minimum gpa required.

Any advice? I'm at my wits end and about to shut her out of my life as well to get a job in my home country.

11 Comments
2024/03/08
19:52 UTC

7

BS in biology looking for a masters in Engineering (IE)?

I'm at a crossroads in my academic and professional journey and could really use some guidance. I'm currently a Biology major set to graduate this summer, but I've been deeply considering a career switch into Industrial Engineering. After speaking with an advisor, I've learned that I'm eligible to apply for a PlusOne program at my school, which would allow me to start working towards a Master's in Industrial Engineering as soon as next year.

Here are the options I'm weighing:

Completing my Bachelor's in Biology and then pursuing the MS in Industrial Engineering through the PlusOne program. This path would see me entering the workforce sooner, but I wonder about the implications of having a non-engineering bachelor's degree. Extending my undergraduate studies by another three years to obtain a Bachelor's in Industrial Engineering instead. This would obviously take more time and delay my entry into the job market, but would it make me a more competitive candidate? I'm particularly concerned about job prospects and whether having only a Master's in Industrial Engineering, with a 6-month engineering-related co-op on my resume, would be sufficient for a successful career switch.

Would employers value the Master's degree in Industrial Engineering despite my undergraduate background in Biology? Or would it be more prudent to pursue the Bachelor's in Industrial Engineering to ensure a more solid foundation in the field?

Any advice, personal experiences, or insights into the job market for industrial engineers with similar educational backgrounds would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your help!

5 Comments
2024/03/07
01:10 UTC

1

FE Exam?

Was wondering if there is any value to going the industrial PE route outside of just an internal challenge and possibly a boost to the resume if I were to ever change careers? I currently work in defense.

1 Comment
2024/03/06
20:56 UTC

10

Seeking Advice: Roadmap for Industrial Engineering Career

Hey everyone,

I'm currently a third-year student studying engineering, with a specialization in the industrial track. I'm really passionate about this field and eager to start planning my career path. I would greatly appreciate any advice or insights from those who are already established in the industrial engineering field.

Specifically, I'm curious about the following:

  1. What are some key skills and knowledge areas that are essential for success in industrial engineering?
  2. Are there any specific certifications or additional qualifications that could enhance my career prospects?
  3. What are the typical entry-level job roles or internships that I should be aiming for?
  4. Are there any particular industries or sectors where industrial engineers are in high demand?
  5. How can I make the most of my remaining time in university to prepare myself for a successful career in industrial engineering?

Any guidance or personal experiences you can share would be incredibly valuable to me as I navigate my way through my studies and into the workforce. Thank you in advance for your help!

4 Comments
2024/03/06
20:15 UTC

14

What’re some good resources to keep up to date with trends, tech, skills, etc.?

0 Comments
2024/03/05
05:24 UTC

1

Equivalent Degree in US/Europe?

Hi everyone. I am looking for some advice to leverage my studies in case I wanna work in the US/abroad in the future. I live in Latin America, where I am studying at a university with a 6-year program.

In my first 4 years of school, I did a BSc in Computer Science, and an Industrial Engineering Minor. The 2 other years are what is considered an Engineering Degree in my country. I chose to study "Industrial Engineering, Computer Science Diploma", so in practical terms it's pretty 50/50 with the content of both IndEng and CS.

I don't plan on applying or moving to another country in the near future. However, I would like to gather some years of experience and then trying my luck overseas.

I have had people told me my degree would be equivalent to a CS BSc + IndEng MSc in the US or European countries. Other people told me it's two BSc degrees. On the other hand, I've heard about experiences where those 2 years are not recognized at all, so they just are BSc in some markets.

My uni makes an effort to provide a good education, which would be equivalent to an American style of program. For example, we are required to pass the FE Exam, which few schools do here. A lot of my classes (eg. Fluid Mechanics) I take and some concentrations are ABET accredited.

So I would like to use my degree and knowledge as leverage and a means to be able to land a good job and salary in case I want to move out of LATAM.

What should I do? I appreciate any ideas, suggestions and experiences.

0 Comments
2024/03/05
00:54 UTC

5

Seeking Advice for Operations Quality in Courier Business

Just landed a gig as an Operations Quality in courier delivery and am eager to excel.

What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) I should focus on to ensure smooth operations and customer satisfaction?

What additional skills or tools should I learn to excel in this role?

Looking for advice on important KPIs to track and . Any insights?

0 Comments
2024/03/04
12:49 UTC

5

Questions About Industrial Engineering and Coding

Dear all,
Pretty simple run of the mill question on a pretty simple question. How much coding should I know as an Industrial Engineer and how often will I end up using it. I'm taking my uni's introductory CS course and I loathe it and think it's pretty boring to say the least. I've spent more time learning introductory Matlab and Excel and I just starting learning SQL on my own. One of my relatives works as an IOE and from what I know she only gets by with using excel for a factory analysist as an IE. I've read from people here are there who use matlab and coding and some that only get by with excel and VBA. I want to know other people's experiences with either learning coding to get a job or meet requirements in Industrial and Operations Engineering, if you use it at all, or if there are any other skills I should learn while I'm in college to be prepared in my four years to get a decent job.

TLDR: Just a broke college student with imposter syndrome loathing coding in C++ and wanting to know if other Industrial Engineers code in what kinds of jobs.

Thanks so much! :))

13 Comments
2024/03/04
04:39 UTC

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