Engineering is a very broad field. Whether it involves figuring out how to design a new skyscraper or building a jet that doesn’t buckle under extreme accelerations, engineering requires strong design and the collaboration of many hard-working individuals. Part of working as an engineer involves being able to work with the designers along with knowing how to use top-down design when working on projects that involve sharing of files and data among other co-workers.
Something not all engineering schools do is insist on spending enough time teaching their students how to get the most out of engineering tools they will be using at their future jobs. The use of engineering software, whether it be fast, powerful, a mathematical program (like MatLab or MathCad), or dynamic, 3D modeling programs (like Pro/Engineer or SolidWorks), plays a hefty part in the typical work day for an engineer. While students are expected to utilize programs such as these for school projects and homework assignments, it is often their responsibility to learn the software on their own.
Without proper training, engineering students tend to develop their own methodology on how to tackle problems within the software, never fully understanding some of the errors they may come across. Most programs come with a built-in helper that many students find to be unhelpful and impersonal. Not having dedicated tutorial workshops effectively hinders the students’ development as engineers who can utilize the full potential of the software in the workplace.
Design-Engine|Education is a place for engineers and designers alike to go for personal training in using major industry software programs such as Pro/Engineer and SolidWorks. While other popular programs are also taught there, such as Adobe Photoshop and Maya, engineering students would be most attracted to the Pro/E and/or SolidWorks training workshops. Situated in a comfy downtown area studio, Design Engine takes the typical instructional procedure and throws it out its six-story high window. Students come into a world where the instructors, who are experienced and confident in their teachings, are ready to sit down next to you and go over the ins and outs of the program with you over the stretch of the workshop. Design Engine offers 4-week long, 1-week long, and even 2-day long intensive workshops for different levels of material to cover, which makes it easier for students to pick what class fits their schedule best. Since most of the available workshops are offered every month, prospective students know that they can a Part II class the following month if needed. Since their classes are offered year round, Design Engine makes it easier for current engineering and design college students to come in during their summer or winter vacations from school.
For budding engineers, coming to a place like Design Engine during school vacations would prove to benefit them in the long run, as they will learn how to use programs like Pro/Engineer and SolidWorks to their fullest potential. The kind of hands-on training students receive has been looked upon by past students as unique and fulfilling, empowering the students with useful tools they never fully understood before. With the productive training students experience at Design Engine, they can excel at putting what they learned to use in their future projects. Since Design Engine focuses on showing its students how to design with collaboration in mind, engineering students learn how to incorporate top-down design into their 3D models, making it easier to share their files with other collaborators on group projects.
Article Written by: Bart Brejcha