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Explore Everything in Detail About a Career as a Mechatronics Engineer

Career as a Mechatronics Engineer

Are you interested in machines and metal? Have you tried to open up any of your metal toys or maybe a Beyblade while playing? Do you wish to make machines or large appliances like maybe an electronic door or a robot that works with electricity or a battery? Do these things simply mesmerize you? Do you often read about newly discovered gadgets or almost always think of turning screws and knobs to build a large device that can walk around maybe? Then you must be interested in a career as a Mechatronics Engineer. Read on to find out more about it and know how else Mechatronics Engineering can be applied in today’s industrial world.

As a Mechatronics Engineer, you will be researching, developing, designing, manufacturing, and testing automated machines or machine components or mechanical systems using principles of Mechanics, Mechanical Engineering, Electronics, and Computer Sciences. For example, have you heard of car wipers that start automatically when the rain starts falling? How does it work? The windshields of such cars have sensors that trigger a computer/electronic processor. The processor switches on the wiper movement. In normal cars, the driver must start the wiper manually. So, the automated wiper is a Mechatronic System designed by a Mechatronics Engineer.

Why Become a Mechatronics Engineer?

As a Mechatronics Engineer, you will be researching, developing, designing, manufacturing, and testing automated machines or machine components or mechanical systems using principles of Mechanics, Mechanical Engineering, Electronics and Computer Sciences. For example, have you heard of car wipers that start automatically when the rain starts falling? How does it work? The windshields of such cars have sensors that trigger a computer/electronic processor. The processor switches on the wiper movement. In normal cars, the driver must start the wiper manually. So, the automated wiper is a Mechatronic System designed by a Mechatronics Engineer.

Check out a few examples

Have you ever walked into a Mall where the door opens as soon as you stepped in front of it? How does it work? Here also, there is an infrared sensor that falls on your body and triggers an electronic processor which in turn switches on the mechanical process of opening the door.

Have you heard of robotic surgical machines which can perform medical operations on human bodies? Complex mechatronic systems are behind these.

Then say for example, an ‘escalator’, or moving stairs, that so many of us are even scared to ride. Some escalators are always moving and some others wait for us to stand on it or walk toward it. Then it starts going up or down. How does that happen? Mechatronics Engineering is the answer.

Have you ever been inside a house/ office where there is a Wi-Fi-enabled automatic climate control system, a thermostat? Or inside such a car or bus? How does the system operate? Mechatronics, of course. There’s a temperature sensor that triggers an electronic processor. There is an in-built logic in the processor. The logic is – if the temperature is, say, 40 degree Celsius, then control the air-conditioner to 25 degrees.  

So, what will be your work be like?

Let us discuss a few points regarding what your work will be like as a Mechatronics Engineer. You will have to generate a new concept of how an electromechanical instrument/system can be made and then draft its design to demonstrate to others how it works. However, this kind of job is not easy to get.

You will usually be involved in improving existing designs to create the next generations of them. Designs can be created by using popular software like CAD and Solid Works. Then you will have to build and launch a physically working model of your design (a prototype). Thereafter, you will have to participate in testing your prototype and write down documents to clearly and precisely explain how your machine works and for what purposes it can be used apart from other technical and legal details.

You may also be involved in publishing this paper or submit it for a patent grant if your concept is new in the industry. Patents will protect you from anybody who tries to copy your design. There are various other types of roles that you can have as a Mechatronics Engineer too. The following sections will give you an idea.

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Functional Fields of Work

As a Mechatronics Engineer, you will be involved in any one of the following broad functional domains and will assume responsibilities accordingly:

  1. Functional Research and Design

This is laboratory-based work that involves inventing new designs and working models of mechatronic systems. Sometimes you may have to work on existing models to improve its capacities or make them better (to create the next generation of existing products!).

  1. Process Development and Prototype (Model) Launch

This is factory/plant-based work. After a mechatronic product is newly invented in a laboratory, it must be pushed to manufacturing. This process first involves the launching of a prototype which is a working model of the ‘lab product’. This prototype launch process must be continuously supervised. Thereafter, the prototype is approved for manufacturing. Any machine/product is manufactured in parts (Part A, B, C and so on) and then assembled at different levels such as Level 1 is Part A + Part B then Level 2 Part (A+B) with Part C etc.

  1. Production Launch, Product Analysis, Quality Control

This is also factory/field-based work. Manufacturing activities for a saleable copy of the prototype are collectively referred to as product launches. A manufactured and assembled product must be analyzed by Quality Engineers (trained experts in electromechanical systems) who evaluate every aspect of the engineering design to see whether all parts function properly. If not, they suggest corrective action or solutions to amend quality issues by consulting all cross-functional work teams like lab teams, or manufacturing teams etc. Sometimes statistical methods are also used to diagnose and correct quality defects.

  1. Field Verification and Services

Field verification involves visiting client locations to coordinate different projects or test installed products. Service Engineers may perform 24/7 remote or on-site support at customer facilities after sales.

  1. Education

Educators, Trainers and Design Instructors are involved in teaching/demonstrating to a class. You may be a Lecturer/Professor in an academic institution, or you may be a Design Instruction Engineer involved in undergraduate laboratory course experiments teaching undergraduate students how to use laboratory facilities. Design Instructors are also involved in coordinating with in-house teaching faculty to improve laboratory standards or course curricula.

This includes the technology and machinery utilized in aerospace solutions and space missions. These are mostly unmanned and autonomous or remotely controlled machines. Think of thin-walled aircraft engines, satellite/rocket launchers, missiles, super-heavy cargo planes, communication instruments in spacecraft, satellite propulsion and equipment, large telescopes and high-energy laser equipment, etc.

What Does a Mechatronics Engineer do?

As a Mechatronic Engineer depending on your functional field of work, you will be engaged with one or more of the following roles and responsibilities: –

For Functional Research and Design

  1. You will be developing new solutions for designing and building completely new products by integrating mechanical/electronic/computer processes, for example, developing vehicles for underwater exploration or mobile machines to detect bombs.
  2. You will be using designing software like CAD and Solid Works to draw your concepts.
  3. You will be carrying out 3-D modeling to create physical models (called prototypes) of your designs.
  4. You will be investigating mechanical failures or unexpected maintenance problems in the physical models.
  5. You will be preparing detailed written or verbal presentations, technical reports and compilations based on research outcomes.

For Process Development and PrototypeLaunch

  1. You will be planning, controlling and overseeing all technical issues during the prototype launch process of a product as part of the process development team.
  2. You will be suggesting solutions after evaluating the technical issues by consulting other teams like manufacturing or laboratory teams.
  3. You will be following an Engineering Change Procedure to implement the suggested solutions. Generally, most companies have specific policies in place for these technical changes.
  4. You will also have to prepare documentation/paperwork as well as engineering calculations associated with the changes after they have been implemented.

For Production Launch, Product Analysis and Quality Control

  1. You will be actively participating in product launches and overseeing the process of manufacturing. Manufacturing activities are collectively referred to as ‘production launch’.
  2. You will be responsible for performing visual, mechanical and electrical inspections at subassembly and final assembly levels using engineering drawings/specifications.

All electrical as well as mechanical parts of a product must be manufactured individually and then attached together at different levels. All those levels must be inspected by you and your team.

  1. You will have to record all your inspection/test results.
  2. You will be involved in the interpretation of test results and implementation of necessary modifications.
  3. You will be conducting internal audits regularly, leading quality-related meetings and coordinating/facilitating the training of employees when required.

For Field Verification & Services

  1. You will have to make visits to client locations and vendor offices or their manufacturing plants where you will perform an inspection of installed products as part of the field verification of engineering designs.
  2. You will be expected to manage and interpret on-site customer requirements and expectations as part of the technical services team.
  3. You will be responsible for the installation, diagnosis, and repair of mechanical assemblies at their locations.
  4. You will have to read and understand electrical, and mechanical schematics to perform necessary installation and repair work using standard test instruments, hand tools, or computer software.
  5. You will have to provide timely, accurate, and detailed service visit reports typically within a day of job completion.
  6. You will also conduct technical demonstrations and practical training of installed products as part of the Services team at customer sites.

For Education

  1. You will be involved in teaching/demonstrating to a class of students or a team of research scholars pursuing this stream of study.
  2. You will typically be engaged in supervising or outlining research projects for doctoral or post-doctoral scholars working in your team.
  3. You will demonstrate techniques or handling of apparatuses to your students inside a laboratory and counsel / guide students in the performance of laboratory course experiments.
  4. You will participate in seminars, science congresses, and conferences across the world.
  5. You will be involved in conducting regular research regarding new technologies, experimental techniques, instruments, and laboratory supplies that can improve research standards as well as operating procedures and outcomes.

How to Become a Mechatronics Engineer – Eligibility Criteria

After Class 11-12 Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics along with any other subject as per the scheme of studies, you can go for an undergraduate degree including integrated courses (such as Integrated Bachelor and Master degree courses).

You can study any of the following or allied subjects during your graduate/undergraduate / doctoral degree:

  • Advanced Mechanics (Instruments)
  • Advanced Mechanical Engineering Systems
  • Automobile Engineering
  • Automotive Electronics
  • Automotive Technologies
  • Biomechanics
  • Biomechanics and Biosensors
  • Computational Mechanics
  • Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing
  • Computer/Human Interaction
  • Control Systems Engineering
  • Design Engineering (Aircraft & Spacecraft)
  • Digital Signal Processing
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Electromechanical Engineering
  • Engineering Mechanics
  • Engineering Physics
  • Industrial and Production Engineering
  • Industrial Automation
  • Integrated System Design
  • Machine Design
  • Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Mechanics
  • Mechatronic Systems
  • Mechatronics Engineering
  • Mechatronics System Engineering
  • Neural Engineering System Design
  • Product Design (Engineering)
  • Real-Time Embedded Programming
  • Sensor Signals and Information Processing
  • Space Engineering
  • Vehicle Dynamics & Control

Job Opportunities

You can find work in potential areas like in industries and research institutions dealing with mechatronics, smart manufacturing, IoT, bioengineering, or service providers or in electronics and electrical devices manufacturing companies, optometric device manufacturing companies, power/energy industry, healthcare research-based companies, etc. as:

  • Graduate Engineer Trainee
  • Mechatronics Engineer (Trainee)
  • Assistant Engineer – Mechatronics
  • Assistant Engineer – Mechatronics Systems
  • MR&D Engineer (Entry Level)
  • Entry Level- Associate Engineer Manufacturing
  • Associate Engineer, Component Product Engineering
  • Graduate Project Engineer – Automation | System Integration
  • Development Engineer
  • Mechanical Engineer: Monitoring & Mechatronics
  • Quality Engineer (Trainee / Assistant / Associate level)
  • Qualification Engineer
  • 1-D Simulation and Controls Engineer
  • Equipment Engineer
  • Engineer – Technical Solutions – Testing Equipment
  • Technical Support Engineer

Some of the companies which recruit Mechatronics Engineers are:

India

  • TATA Group
  • Thermax
  • Larsen & Toubro
  • The Godrej Group
  • Ashok Leyland
  • Kirloskar
  • General Motors
  • ThyssenKrupp
  • Mahindra & Mahindra

Global

  • Yaskawa Electric Corporation
  • StaubliFaverges SCA
  • Mechatronics Inc.
  • Houston Mechatronics, Inc.
  • Micromechatronics, Inc.
  • Hanwha Group
  • ABB Corporate Research
  • Brose North America
  • ARM
  • British Columbia Institute of Technology
  • Bosch Rexroth
  • Technisys
  • Hennepin Technical College
  • Amtek
  • KUKA College
  • Novatech Robo
  • Siemens

Salary of a Mechatronics Engineer

India

At the entry-level jobs, after your Bachelor’s degree depending upon the institution where you are graduating, you may expect to get about Rs. 25,000 – 1,00,000 or even more a month.

After 4-5 years of work experience, you may expect to earn around Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 2,00,000 a month or more depending on your job location and roles.

At the entry-level jobs, after your Master’s degree depending upon the institution where you are graduating, you may expect to get about Rs. 40,000 – 1,50,000 or even more a month. In junior-level jobs (after 4-5 years of experience), you can make about Rs. 60,000 – 2,50,000 or more per month.

In mid-level engineering jobs in India (after having 8-10 years of experience), you can expect to earn about Rs. 1,50,000 – 5,00,000 or even more a month.

In senior-level engineering jobs in India (after having 15 years of experience), you can expect to earn about Rs. 1,50,000 – 15,00,000 or even more a month.

Global (US)

Remember that, if you are not a US citizen, getting a job in USA after a bachelor’s degree will be a rare case. However, after your Graduate (Master’s or Ph.D.), you may look forward to if you do well in your course. The chances of getting a job after graduate courses increase with the reputation of the university from where you graduate. However, if you are from a premier institute like IIT, you may get a campus placement in USA. But even that is few and far between.

At the entry-level jobs, after your Bachelor’s degree depending upon the institution where you are graduating from and the engineering discipline, you may expect to get about USD 3,000 – 6,000 or even more a month.

After 4-5 years of work experience, you may expect to earn around USD 4,500 to USD 8,000 a month or more depending on your job location and roles.

At the entry-level jobs, after your Graduate (after your Master’s or Ph.D.) degree depending upon the institution where you are graduating from and the engineering discipline, you may expect to get about USD 4,500 – 7,000 or even more a month. In junior-level jobs (after 4-5 years of post-graduation), you can make about USD 5,000 – 8,000 or more per month.

In mid-level engineering jobs (after having 8-10 years of experience), you can expect to earn about USD 7,000 – 12,500 or even more a month.

In senior-level engineering jobs (after having 15 years of experience), you can expect to earn about USD 10,000 – 18,000 or even more a month. Senior corporate leaders get much more than this; their total remuneration including performance bonuses could be as high as half a million or even a few million dollars a year.

Middle Eastern, North African and South East Asian countries

Remember that unless you have 5-10 years of good work experience, it is not feasible to get a job. If you get, that’s a rare case or you may get placed in these countries only from your campus interview.

After having 5-10 years of experience, in these countries, you may get about Rs. 1,50,000 – 4,50,000 or more a month along with other benefits like tax-free salaries, travel expenses, etc. Mid-level salaries range from Rs. 3,00,000 – 7,50,000 or more a month. Senior-level salaries range from 5,00,000 – 30,00,000 or more a month. All salaries are mentioned when exchanged for Indian currencies. Salaries could also be lesser in some countries like Egypt and Malaysia.

Career Progression in Mechatronics Engineer Profession

You may grow through the following or similar roles depending on your functional field of work.

  • Functional Research and Design:

Senior Product Development Engineer, Lead Mechatronics Project Engineer, Principal Method Development Scientist, Senior Manager, Advanced Manufacturing, Head of Technical/R&D, Plant Manager, Director – Product Development and Engineering

  • Production and Quality Control:

Senior Quality Systems Validation Engineer, Lead Quality Engineer, Manager – Sustaining Assets & Services, Service Delivery Manager, Senior Product Development Manager, Director, Quality Control

  • Education:

Industrial Fellow, Associate Lecturer, Lecturer (Level B), Lecturer (Level C), Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor, Emeritus Professor, Visiting Senior Research Fellow, Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Director of Department

You can expect a very bright future in this field as the industry growth prospects are encouraging. The Agricultural Robots and Mechatronics market was valued at USD 3.4 billion in 2018 and is expected to register a growth rate of 24.2% compounded annually, during 2019-2024. In 2018, North America accounted for the largest share of around 42% of this market. Big industrial indoor farms are making use of ‘Aquaponics’ that includes high-tech plumbing and filtration systems. The global Automated Guided Vehicle Market was worth USD 3.89 billion in 2018, and is estimated to reach USD 10 billion by 2024, recording a growth rate of 17.01% compounded annually during 2019-2024.

Most factories have been trying to eliminate human intervention, for limiting the scope for errors and increasing productivity in the domain. Surgical robotics contributed to the highest market share of the global Healthcare Robotics market in 2017.

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