Blog

April 27,2019,Philippines—Back in the mid-20th century, the distinction between manufacturing engineering and advanced manufacturing engineering was clear. Manufacturing engineers were on the factory floor generally keeping the gears turning, while AME engineers stayed in offices and wrote papers about new manufacturing strategies. However, the massive technological advancements in the recent years have been blurring the lines between the two, joining them together as one advanced global manufacturing industry.

Today, AME engineers are focused on designing and operating advanced integrated systems which may include computer networks, robots, high-tech tools, and laboratory equipment, for the production of high-quality and market-competitive products.

For a closer look of what is expected from AME engineers, here are some of their core duties and responsibilities.

Manage and supervise manufacturing processes

One of the main duties of AME engineers is to take lead of the manufacturing process from the very start to the end which means it is included in their job to purchase and arrange the production equipment, materials, and product parts after communicating with the client about the design specifications.  

Obviously, it is also their duty to relay information and instructions to the manufacturing team, and see if they are executing and delivering results within the approved timelines and budget.

Evaluate manufacturing processes

Improvements and developments in technology have a huge effect on AME engineering, so it should not come as a surprise that AME engineers are also responsible for evaluating the current manufacturing processes. This can be achieved by designing and conducting research programs about the current state of manufacturing as well as do by studying the possibilities of manufacturing in the future.

It may also be necessary for AME engineers to have discussions with other AME engineers or have regular meetings with their manufacturing team to get their opinions and suggestions about their manufacturing processes.

Develop and improve manufacturing processes

The rapid rate at which recent technological advancements are created and introduced to the public is forcing the global manufacturing industry to regularly update its manufacturing processes. The information gathered from the regular evaluation of the current manufacturing processes is necessary for AME engineers to develop new and more advanced manufacturing processes or simply do an upgrade with the one they are currently following.

Along with the goal of utilizing cutting-edge technology for improved product quality, AME engineers also need to aim for increased efficiency, but with reduced cost.

Assure product design and development process quality

AME engineers are not only responsible for overseeing and managing the entire manufacturing process, but also for assuring the quality of the product design and development process. It is part of the AME engineer’s job to design testing methods to check if the quality of the products are made with the industry standards in mind, as well as evaluate if the manufacturing process is effective or not.

Provide manufacturing decision-making information

Being the overseer of the whole manufacturing process, the responsibility of providing the team with manufacturing decision-making information also lies on the hand of the AME engineers. They would be the ones providing the manufacturing team with the production times and schedule along with the resource requirements and workload assignments.

It is also the duty of AME engineers to calculate the production costs, estimate future requirements, and prepare project reports.

Maintain professional and technical knowledge

Although not a requirement, AME engineers are expected to maintain and even further improve their professional and technical knowledge on product design, manufacture, and assembly techniques, especially with how volatile everything is in global manufacturing. They should be attending seminars and workshops, reading professional AME publications, and keeping an eye out for competitor techniques and technologies.

The job of an AME engineer requires skills of leadership, meticulousness, and even creativity. Considering how the global manufacturing industry is transforming at such a rapid rate in the recent years, AME engineers can expect a heavier weight on their shoulders in the coming years.