Education is often not fast enough to keep up with technology. While materials and processes may not change very quickly, the machines that do the job change very quickly. Mathematics is a good foundation on which to base education. However, as electronics change, I see a little bit of ladder concept and a lot of planning. If the electronic is a little black box full of what could be described as “black magic,” then the code is certainly a form of grimoire (a book of magic).But wait: Mechanical engineers (MEs) are not engineers. It is important that these designers understand the materials and processes, not the code.
However, many engineers end up in the factory rather than in the construction office. As movements such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) drive product lines to become more electrically and software-driven, should machine engineers start learning how to make plans?MEs often take the concept of a ladder. As high-end programs begin to integrate with controllers and drivers, however, it is becoming increasingly useful to have some form of system understanding. While there may be anti-change thinking, new devices offer high-quality editing languages that can give the competition a leg up. Educational institutions should consider the application of the basic program in the MEs curriculum so that they are comfortable in the field. ME may work in a factory that works with a step ladder, but what happens when a manager wants to assemble a robot arm that starts with a high programming language in another line? There is a tendency for production lines to have proof of the future, but I have never heard much about ensuring the future of our workers. The idea of a ladder will never run out and educated engineers will always have a job. But new lines will see that ladder ladder plays a vital role. Automation and robots will increase, as will advanced systems.
