Stephanie Rosales
Dr. Ismail
Engineering 110
16 March 2010
HW Assignment #4: 4.3-4.6, 4.13, 4.14, 4.16, 4.18
4.3) In order to estimate the number of employed engineers for the year 2010 by using figure 4.4,
I used a linear regression model which I learned in statistics class. This model enables me to find
the best fitting line so I can then find a good estimate for number of engineers in the year 2010.
The first step was plotting the points from figure 4.4 onto my own scatter-plot graph and then
finding the linear regression. The linear regression line is similar to the standard intercept slope
line in which the formula is y = ax + b where a = n(Σxy) - (Σx)(Σy)/n(Σx2) - (Σx)2 and b = Σy -
m(Σx)/n (n = number of data points). A more simple way is inputting the information onto a
graphing calculator and pressing the LinReg function and it gave me the results of y = .
0335824066x – 65.10734066. After drawing the line through the data points using that formula, I
saw that the year 2010 corresponds to data point 2.39 on the regression line. This shows that
there will be 2.39 million engineers working in the year 2010.
4.4) According to table 4.3, the average starting salary for bioengineering with a bachelor’s is
$54,661. Therefore, by using a 2% annual increase I multiplied 54,661*.02 = 1093.22. So after
one year the salary should be at (54,661 + 1093.22 = $55752.22). Repeating the same steps using
this average salary I multiplied 55,7552.22*.02 = 1115.08 and adding that with 55,755.22 I got
$56869.30 after two years. Finally, I repeated for the last time and multiplied 56869.30 * .02 =
1137.39 + 56869.30 = 58006.68. So the starting salary three years from when the average salary
was given in the statistics, it should be approximately $58,006.68. I am not sure if this if correct
because the statistics table only gave the averages from the year 2007 and 2006, and it is
currently 2010.
4.5) Figure 4.9 displays a convenient graph with years on the x-axis and income on the y-axis. I
found the points on each of the lines that corresponded with 30 years so I estimated my salary
from there. A) With a bachelor’s degree I would be able to earn approximately $90,000 after 30
years of experience. B) With a master’s degree I would be able to earn nearly $110,000. C) A
doctorate’s degree would nearly bring $129,000 as a salary.
4.6) Using figures 4.7 and 4.8, I was able to determine the salary after 30 years. At the
supervisorial level, the salary ranges from $79,000-$150,000 with a median of $108,000. For not
being a supervisor, the salary ranges dropped to $65,000-$120,000 with a median of $90,000
after 30 years of experience.
4.13) On the current economic situation, I expect the employment demand for graduating
engineers to decrease depending on their field. Through research I found that the proposed
Obama budget plans to cut NASA’s moon exploration program (although it is still pending
approval), and with all the recent lay-offs from the shuttle program retiring it seems like no job is
stable especially for aerospace engineers. However, reading a recent article online shows that
mechanical engineers are in high demand since they are versatile and can work at different
companies ([Link]
Overall, I predict the job demand to be somewhat low to stable throughout the year since the
U.S. is still experiencing difficult economic times.
4.14) If we were to experience economic recovery, I have no doubt that there will be a
significant increase of people enrolling in graduate programs for engineering. I am basing this
assumption on Table 4.1 and the graph on page 109 from the chapter. Although there is a great
difference between candidates for M.S. and candidates for Ph.D. as shown on Table 4.1, it seems
less people are pursuing high degrees. However the graph on page 109 shows the number of
engineering degrees going up for masters and even Ph.D. as the years go on.
4.16) Factors that I think influence how employers determine hiring needs has to do with the
current economic situation since many companies are funded by the state and government. It
would be difficult for an employer to hire when there are several budget cuts being made. Also
the overall status of the company also has a lot to do with hiring needs, as if they are starting a
new project. Another factor may be if a current employee goes on maternity leave or if several
plan to retire.
4.18) I do expect the salaries of engineers to continue at the recent pace because no matter what
the situation, inflation will always occur and even minimum wage will go up. Aside from the few
residuals that occurred on table 4.3, there was a salary decrease for aerospace and civil doctoral
degrees. However, figures 4.6 and 4.7 show no decline in their graph whatsoever, indicating that
salary will always go up even if an engineer is carrying a bachelor’s degree.
Design Theories:
Axiomatic Design – Uses matrix methods to systematically analyze the transformation of
customer needs into functional requirements, design parameters, and process variables.
The steps designers usually follow are: understanding their customers' needs, defining the
problem they must solve to satisfy those need, create and select a solution, analyze and
optimize solution, and check the design against the customers’ needs all while using
domains, hierarchies, zigzagging, and design axioms.
Robust Design - Allows experiments to be performed and prototypes to be tested on
multiple factors at once so that the product/process becomes insensitive to use-conditions
and other uncontrollable factors. It provides a more efficient, cost-effective way to
improve products and processes. This is accomplished using Energy Transformation
principles for improving the desired output targeted toward perfect performance, rather
than attempting to suppress symptoms.
Total Quality Design – designing a product, system or services by adopting a strategy of
economically satisfying customers. Here, “customers” are both internal as well as
external customers. It is to prevent any mistakes that happen in design that might cause a
million other mistakes while making and maintaining it. The product must be of good
quality and actually attractive or creative in order for it to be successful.
Industrial Design - a combination of applied art and applied science, whereby the
aesthetics and usability of mass-produced products may be improved for marketability
and production. The role of an industrial designer is to create and execute design
solutions towards problems of form, usability, user ergonomics, engineering, marketing,
brand development and sales. This method is attributed to Joseph Claude Sinel.
Engineering Design - the process of servicing a system, component or process to meet
desired deeds. It is a decision-making process, in which the basic sciences, mathematics,
and engineering sciences are applied to convert resources optimally to meet a stated
objective. Among the fundamental elements of the design process are the establishment
of objectives and criteria, synthesis, analysis, construction, testing, and evaluation.
Concurrent Engineering - is a work methodology based on the parallelization of tasks (ie.
performing tasks concurrently). It refers to an approach used in product development in
which functions of design engineering, manufacturing engineering and other functions
are integrated to reduce the elapsed time required to bring a new product to the market. It
has been implemented in a multitude of companies, organizations and universities, most
notably in the aerospace industry.
Design for Manufacturing - is the general engineering art of designing products in such a
way that they are easy to manufacture. The basic idea exists in almost all engineering
disciplines, but of course the details differ widely depending on the manufacturing
technology which may include: integrated circuits, printed circuit boards, or CNC
machined parts. It prevents designs that are cheap but are expensive to service and
support, or products that are simple to assemble but require complex components.