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Process Engineers With Mechanical Engineering Degree


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#1 go-fish

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Posted 25 January 2012 - 01:19 PM

Hi all

I would like to know if there are many process engineers in industry with a mechanical engineering degree. How are the career prospects for them?

Thanks

#2 Technical Bard

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Posted 28 January 2012 - 11:04 PM

I know process engineers who have degrees in various fields (chemical, petroleum, mechanical, environmental, etc.) If you understand the fundamentals and can solve problems, the specific degree, or the school you attended are not particularly important.

#3 kkala

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Posted 29 January 2012 - 07:08 AM

I happened to know a German Mechanical Engineer (1980) who functioned excellently in process, being proposal manager for gas cleaning systems etc. He had followed seminars in chemical engineering, though, and had active interests in this field.
An occupation in chemical industry (Operations, surveys, etc) require broad general knowledge and judgment. Either Chemical or Mechanical Engineers can be successful, if they have zeal to cover what they do not know on the specific factory and acquire above qualifications. After all there is nothing magic in Chemical Engineering, several basic courses are same as in Mechanical Engineering. Besides knowledge of mechanical design (strength of materials, etc) can be an advantage.
Things may be harder, if you want to work in the Process Dept (big industries have their own), where some time is needed to assimilate more specialized knowledge. But only a small part of career time may be enough to cover it, if there is zeal.
Above may be OK in theory, or in case of shifting withing same organization. In Greece a Mechanical Engineer (ME) may have little hope, applying to a process engineering request, e.g. in a refinery. Even having proven experience, there are so many chemical engineers available. On the other hand a ME can be welcomed in a seat concerning basic design of Power Plants.
There is some "fashion" (not to say prejudice) here concerning what Engineer is suitable to a specific seat. I assume this fashion is not same everywhere (there is much conservatism here concerning professional rights), and somebody from UK could advise specifically on that.
Local professional rights had better be investigated. These can specify responsibilities according to your degree, thus probably limiting your future development in process engineering (e.g. could you be Process head in the future?). USA was much more liberal in this sector, according to past information.
In brief, prospects of a ME in a process seat in industry in Greece would be poor; prospects in general occupation in Chemical industry (or Power Plants, or Utilities) would be satisfactory. MEs in the few Process Depts seen were quite few. Situation may be different in other countries.

Edited by kkala, 29 January 2012 - 07:51 AM.


#4 go-fish

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Posted 30 January 2012 - 05:19 AM

'kkala', on 29 Jan 2012 - 12:18 PM, said:

I happened to know a German Mechanical Engineer (1980) who functioned excellently in process, being proposal manager for gas cleaning systems etc. He had followed seminars in chemical engineering, though, and had active interests in this field.
An occupation in chemical industry (Operations, surveys, etc) require broad general knowledge and judgment. Either Chemical or Mechanical Engineers can be successful, if they have zeal to cover what they do not know on the specific factory and acquire above qualifications. After all there is nothing magic in Chemical Engineering, several basic courses are same as in Mechanical Engineering. Besides knowledge of mechanical design (strength of materials, etc) can be an advantage.
Things may be harder, if you want to work in the Process Dept (big industries have their own), where some time is needed to assimilate more specialized knowledge. But only a small part of career time may be enough to cover it, if there is zeal.
Above may be OK in theory, or in case of shifting withing same organization. In Greece a Mechanical Engineer (ME) may have little hope, applying to a process engineering request, e.g. in a refinery. Even having proven experience, there are so many chemical engineers available. On the other hand a ME can be welcomed in a seat concerning basic design of Power Plants.
There is some "fashion" (not to say prejudice) here concerning what Engineer is suitable to a specific seat. I assume this fashion is not same everywhere (there is much conservatism here concerning professional rights), and somebody from UK could advise specifically on that.
Local professional rights had better be investigated. These can specify responsibilities according to your degree, thus probably limiting your future development in process engineering (e.g. could you be Process head in the future?). USA was much more liberal in this sector, according to past information.
In brief, prospects of a ME in a process seat in industry in Greece would be poor; prospects in general occupation in Chemical industry (or Power Plants, or Utilities) would be satisfactory. MEs in the few Process Depts seen were quite few. Situation may be different in other countries.


Thanks for your insight. That was useful and similar to my observations. I have found that European markets are more conservative whereas US market is more liberal. Don't know why is it so, is it because in past, there was shortage of chemical engineers in US and few mechanical engineers entered into the process engineering work and thats how employers came to know that this work can be done by mechanical engineers as well.

In few engineering services company, I have seen that the work has been split into two separate departments - Process (simulations) and Process Systems (P&IDs). The openings for Process demand chemical engineering but for Process Systems, they welcome both chemical and mechanical engineers. Although from my observation, I have seen that only a chosen few are working in simulations and most of the work is Process Systems in nature.




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