Reasons to Work as an Engineer in the Composite Manufacturing Industry

manufacturing industry

The US Department of Labor reports that materials engineering jobs will grow by 8 percent between now and 2030. That means more than 25,000 more jobs will available in the US workforce.

One of these emerging engineering jobs is a composites manufacturing engineer. Want to learn more on how to become a part of this growing field?

Check out this guide to find out the benefits of working in the composite manufacturing industry field. Your next best job might just be waiting for you.

What Do Composite Manufacturing Engineers Do?

Composite engineers study the structure and properties of metals, natural fibers, and other materials to create new substances that meet the certain chemical, mechanical or electrical requirements. Therefore, composite manufacturing work can range from cement-bonded wood to carbon fiber plastics.

You’ll find jobs in composite manufacturing in a variety of industries. Engineering firms and metal manufacturing plans routinely hire composite engineers. You’ll also find these positions in the sports and computer equipment manufacturing fields as well.

Benefits of Working in the Composite Manufacturing Industry

The benefits of working in this industry are vast. Some of the top perks can be broken down into the following:

Lack of Qualified Professionals

Most professional engineers in today’s industries don’t have the educational background in specialized composite studies. Composites are not common subjects included in most university engineering curriculums.

Most engineering programs cover modeling, structural stress analysis courses, and don’t include composite topics. That’s why most composite engineers in the field today have acquired their expertise through self-taught, on-the-job experience.

So if you have an employer who’s willing to let you explore this profession at work, a door could open for you. With more experience, you’ll be in a field where there aren’t many practitioners.

Just watch your employability multiply! You’ll now have a better understanding of the entire design and manufacturing process.

Flexible Product

Composite materials are easy to mold into complex shapes. Manufacturing companies won’t need high-pressure tools to produce any one-of-a-kind shapes. They can duplicate them at any volume using an automated process.

For example, more than 90% of recreational boat hulls are made from composites. Therefore, fiberglass is flexible enough to mold into a wide range of boat shapes.

Durable Product

Composites can also maintain the shape wet or dry, hot or cold. Composites also don’t rust or corrode (unless they’re bonded to another metal part.)

For example, carbon fiber is chemically stable and corrosion-resistant. That’s why it works well in harsh environments for products in the aerospace and medical equipment industries.

What Are Your Next Steps?

Are you an engineer looking for a new career challenge? Then exploring work in composite manufacturing might be the right next step for you. If you’re currently in the manufacturing industry, talk to your boss and share your goals with them.

Ask them if you can temporarily intern/ work with the staff responsible for your company’s composite formulation, design, and production techniques. You’ll soon learn how to apply this knowledge to your company’s day-to-day production activity.

Also, don’t forget to check our website for more information on our capabilities with composite manufacturing. We specialize in designing and engineering tooling for our clients. So, let us put our expertise to work for you.

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