# mechatronics



## KennyW (Aug 31, 2013)

I have an associates degree in mechatronics (actually 12 years ago when I took the program it was called "Robotics and Automation", but they have renamed it to mechatronics as of a few years ago.)

You learn a bit of everything- hydraulics, electrical, programming, manufacturing; but none of it is very in depth really. I think that goes for anything though- nobody straight out of school has any real concept about how anything they've learned actually applies to the real world, but overall it was good because you haves wide set of carreer paths/industries you can work in when you finish.


----------



## Hand4Hire (Aug 26, 2013)

What did you end up doing with it?


----------



## KennyW (Aug 31, 2013)

That could be a long post. :laughing:

I'll try to summarize:

I finished school in 2000. 

I spent my first two years out of school doing circuitboard design and microcontroller software design/programming for a company that made specialized computer peripherals. 

Got sick of sitting in an office to I became a maintenance tech at a manufacturing facility for a couple years, I was basically half millwight and half electrician/technologist. 

Then I spent about a year doing machine programming and electrical design for a company that manufactures packaging equipment- also specifying servos, valves, etc for improvements to machine control. 

Now for the last 7 or 8 years I've been working for a Systems Integrator. I do engineering consulting on process control, machine control, electrical design, operator interfaces and SCADA design which covers a very broad range of activities, depending on the project. 

On some small jobs I like to take on the whole thing, even the electrical install and wiring up sensors etc. So for example a customer will be building some automated machine, they will present the concept, and I'll work with them to select a controller, fieldbus, sensors, etc that meet their requirements. 

Then we'll review the system architecture, control philosophy and write a functional specification for the operation of the machine. 

Then I will spec parts, do panel drawings, build the panels, write the PLC code, build it all, and test it all. 

Obviously thats a relatively small project. On bigger projects more people and trades get involved and I will just do programming, or electrical design, or just the HMI and will work with a team. 

I also get involved in service calls and site upgrades from time to time but its less now days. 

I also do a lot of startups for VFD's - particularly multi-motor and/or master-slave applications from 300-800hp. Smaller stuff we have lots of guys who do it, but I generally take care of the riskier stuff.


----------



## Hand4Hire (Aug 26, 2013)

Sounds like a one man band


----------



## KennyW (Aug 31, 2013)

Hand4Hire said:


> Sounds like a one man band


Small jobs, yes, big jobs, no. 
Our projects range from something like $50,000 to $12,000,000, and we have about 30 techs. 
Sometimes you do a big part of a small job by yourself, other times a small part of a big job working with a dozen other guys. Just depends on the job. Also, some guys only do "one man band jobs", and some guys just have a niche and do nothing but HMI or nothing but lighting design on large jobs. Just personal preference. 

I like to mix it up and see the big jobs, but I like to be on the tools now and then or I go crazy, so I like to take on little pet project jobs and do everything. 

Also I think doing some field work helps my engineering/design skills since you keep the actual installation constraints in mind when you design more that way.

That said I just happened to land in industrial control system work, lots of people who take mechatronics go in totally different directions- consumer electronics, etc.


----------



## pudge565 (Dec 8, 2007)

KennyW said:


> I have an associates degree in mechatronics (actually 12 years ago when I took the program it was called "Robotics and Automation", but they have renamed it to mechatronics as of a few years ago.)
> 
> You learn a bit of everything- hydraulics, electrical, programming, manufacturing; but none of it is very in depth really. I think that goes for anything though- nobody straight out of school has any real concept about how anything they've learned actually applies to the real world, but overall it was good because you haves wide set of carreer paths/industries you can work in when you finish.


I am currently taking classes for this exact A.A.S degree. I already have the basic electrical background so it is a little easier. I can't wait to get into the PLC portion but the way I have it laid out that isn't until next Spring.


----------



## Hand4Hire (Aug 26, 2013)

I want to be on industrial control as well. Working on an instrumentation associates.


----------



## Hand4Hire (Aug 26, 2013)

http://www.lonestar.edu/m/mechatronics-tech.php

That's our local mechatronics offering


----------



## pudge565 (Dec 8, 2007)

How much are they charging for these certificates?


----------



## Hand4Hire (Aug 26, 2013)

A couple hundred bucks per class


----------



## pudge565 (Dec 8, 2007)

Hand4Hire said:


> A couple hundred bucks per class


That's probably not too bad. My A.A.S. classes are 1k per credit on the tech side, the gen eds are 400 or so for a 3 credit class.


----------



## Hand4Hire (Aug 26, 2013)

What are the classes like?


----------



## pudge565 (Dec 8, 2007)

Hand4Hire said:


> What are the classes like?


I'm not sure, I've just started. The first was machining which I enjoyed, now I'm doing electrical 1 which I tested out of most of it.


----------



## Hand4Hire (Aug 26, 2013)

Cool. It seems like they want a technician that can perform a variety of tasks. All the assembly line workers are being replaced by robots-- they just need people who can operate and maintenance the automation.


----------



## CFL (Jan 28, 2009)

Hand4Hire said:


> Cool. It seems like they want a technician that can perform a variety of tasks. All the assembly line workers are being replaced by robots-- they just need people who can operate and maintenance the automation.


In the near future the robots will be repaired and built by other robots. It is inevitable.

Those classes sound interesting though.


----------



## Hand4Hire (Aug 26, 2013)

CFL said:


> In the near future the robots will be repaired and built by other robots. It is inevitable.
> 
> Those classes sound interesting though.


Thanks for the hope of a dystopian society.


----------

