What Engineers Do?

Engineers apply the theories and principles of science and mathematics to the economical solution of practical technical problems. Often their work is the link between a scientific discovery and its application. In addition to design and development, many engineers work in testing, production or maintenance. They supervise production in factories, determine the causes of breakdowns, and test manufactured products to maintain quality. They also estimate the time and cost to complete projects. Some work in management or sales where an engineering background enables them to discuss technical aspects of a product and assist in planning its installation or use.

References

http://www.teachingtools.com/Slinky/engineers.html

My Preference

None of these VIP people of Industrial Engineering is my idol. This is because, these people do not think of rights of labours. Their perspective to the workers is inadequate and unjust. However,if it is obligation for me to choose one of them, I would choose Frederick Taylor. Although Taylor thinks that workers are like homo econimus, he has important contributions to science world. I think, Taylor's time motion studies will be too efficient for not only capitalist but also worker in the more equitable economic system.

Origin of Engineering

Concept of engineering is old as wheel, lever or pulley. The word “engine” has etymologic root,“ingenium” which is Latin word. Ingenium means innate quality, especially mental power, hence a clever invention. According to this etymologic root, engineer means a person who develops clever inventions, devices. Turkish word “mühendis” which means engineer in English, has an Arabic etymologic root, “hendese”. In Arabic, ” hendese” means geometry. Therefore, mühendis means a person who is interested in geometry. In the history, engineering is separated two main branches which are civil and military engineering. Imhotep is the first civil engineering who develops the Pyramid of Djoser. In the 19^th century, engineering develops with applying positive sciences. The experiment of Alexander Volta is known as the origin of Electrical engineering. The inventions of Thomas Savery and James Watt are important contributions to the Mechanical engineering. Chemical engineering raised during the Industrial Revolution. With this revolution, new industry was created which chemistry can be used by manufacturing chemicals by the industrial plants. Another branches of engineering is the Aerospace engineering which is developed with works of Sir George Carley. After Carley, Wright Brothers contributed to Aerospace engineering with their successful flight.

Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering

Beginning of Engineering Education

Civil engineering is as old as military engineering. Although, the history of civil engineering is as old as military engineering, armies begin to engineering education before universities. This is because; there are important needs about the devices and weapons. Since, armies satisfy these needs, in the armies, engineering education is begun. This education is about the mathematics and mechanic. King Louis XIV is the pioneer of the military engineering education. With the needs of humanity, professional engineering develops in the America and Asia in 19^th century. In the beginning of 19^th century, American and European education system in engineering is the same. The English mode was first used in Sheffield Scientific School at Yale and Lawrence Scientific School at Harvard. French model was developed with the French Revolution. The German model was used in Technische Hochschule or Institute of Technology. Massachusetts Institute of Technology used this model.

References
http://books.google.com.tr/books?id=rOg6B38bunIC&pg=PA17&l

Engineering as a Profession

Engineering is a profession in which the knowledge of mathematics and the natural sciences is applied with discretion and judgment to use economically the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of people. Engineers are concern with the creation of structures, devices and systems for human use. Engineering as a profession can be implied like this:

1. It satisfies an indispensible and beneficial need.

2. It requires the exercise of discretion and judgment and is not subject to standardization.

3. It involves a type of activity is conducted on a high intellectual plane based on knowledge and skills not commonly possessed by the general public.

4. It has group consciousness for the promotion of knowledge and professional ideals and for rendering social services.

5. It has legal status and requires well-formulated standards of admission.

References

Introduction to Engineering Paul H.WRIGHT

Types of Engineering

Electrical Engineering: They work with equipment ranging from heavy power generators to tiny computer chips. Their work contributes to almost every sector of society.

Electrical Engineers usually work in one of six specialty areas:

1. Power generation and transmission

2. Electronics

3. Communications systems

4. Instrumentation and measurement

5. Automatic controls

6. Computers

Computer Engineering: Computer engineering is the field of engineering responsible for the design and implementation of digital systems and the integration of computer technology into an increasing number of systems and applications. It is relatively new and rapidly growing engineering discipline with extraordinary challenges and opportunities. The rapid improvement in the computer technology has challenged computer engineers :

1. To invent hardware and software design and the tools to develop these integrated circuit chips,

2. To imagine, design and verify systems containing these chips.

Mechanical Engineering: One of the oldest and broadest areas of engineering activity, mechanical engineering, is concerned with machinery, power and manufacturing or production methods. Mechanical engineers design and manufacture machine tools –the machines that make machines- and machinery and equipment for all branches of industry.

Civil Engineering: Civil engineering affects many of our daily activities: the buildings we live in and work in, the transportation facilities we use, the water we drink, and the drainage and sewerage systems that are necessary to our health and well-being. Civil engineers:

1. Measure and map earth’s surface

2. Design and supervise the construction of bridges, tunnels, large buildings, dams and coastal structures.

3. Plan, lay out, construct and maintain railroads, highways and airports

4. Devise systems for the control and efficient flow of traffic

5. Plan and build river regulation and flood control projects

6. Provide plants and systems for water supply and sewage and refuse disposal.

Chemical Engineering: Chemical Engineering involves the application of chemistry, physics and engineering to design and operation of plants for the production of materials that undergo chemical changes during their manufacture. They select the appropriate process and arrange them in proper sequence to produce the desired product. These include.

1. Heat transfer processes

2. Mass transfer processes such absorption, humidification and drying

3. Processes that involve mechanical action such as mixing, crushing, grinding, sizing and filtering

4. Processes that involve chemical reaction, including chlorination, polymerization, oxidation and reduction.

Industrial Engineering: They are concerned with the design, improvement and installation of integrated systems of people, materials and energy in the production of either goods or services. They engineer processes and systems that improve quality and productivity. They are primarily interested in problems that involve economy in the use of money, materials, time, human effort and energy. They are more concerned with the “big picture” of industrial management and production than with the detailed development of processes.

Most of the activities of industrial engineers fall into one of four categories:

1. Those related to plant layout

2. Those designed to increase worker productivity

3. Those designed to control the quality products

4. Those designed to reduce and control costs

Aerospace Engineering: Aerospace engineering is concerned with all aspects of vehicular flight at all speeds and altitudes. It covers all phases of research, design and development in this broad area that includes hovercraft designed to operate a few feet above land and water, helicopters that hover and maneuver in all directions, a variety of conventional airplanes and complex spacecraft for orbiting the earth and exploring the solar system.

Material Engineering: The term materials refers in general way to a group of engineering specialties that are concerned with the development, production, fabrication and use of materials in specific technologies.

References

Introduction to Engineering Paul H.WRIGHT

Henry Ford and Fordism

Henry Ford is the first people who used assembly line in mass production and also founder of Ford Motor Company. Henry Ford created a new trend “Fordism” in the world with his contributions to industry. Henry Ford tried many times to produce his automobile and finally he reaches his aim and produce Model-T cars. Although Model-T cars are not easy drivable, they are not expensive to repair. Model-T car is milestone for Ford’s carrier and also for history of industry.

In the mid of 1920, Henry Ford faced many problems. Therefore, he decided to new car and created Model-A cars. After this, Company decided to change their models regularly. Today, companies use this method.

Henry Ford was a pioneer of "welfare capitalism” designed to improve the lot of his workers and especially to reduce the heavy turnover that had many departments hiring 300 men per year to fill 100 slots. Efficiency meant hiring and keeping the best workers. One of the most controversial issues about Ford was his incursion into his employees' private lives and another was his being against labor unions. He thought most of the members of these unions slow down the production to foster employement; however this action is directly restricting the economy itself. He also hired Harry Benett to avoid union actions and applied a lot of tactics to stop them.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Ford

Henry Fayol

Henry Fayol is the one of the most influential theoretician of twenty century and also French minor engineer. He determines the five primary functions of management:

1-planning
2-organizing
3-commanding
4-coordinating activities
5-controlling performance

He is known as the father of modern operational management theory. He is associated with Frederick Winslow Taylor about the modern management concepts. However, there is a important difference between Taylor’s and Fayol’s perspective. As Taylor approaches to the management process from bottom up, Fayol approaches to the management process from up bottom. Fayol criticizes the Taylor’s staff analysts and advisors working with individual in functional management. According to the Fayol, each worker are ordered eight bosses without direction; (1) route clerks, (2) instruction card men, (3) cost and time clerks, (4) gang bosses, (5) speed bosses, (6) inspectors, (7) repair bosses, and the (8) shop disciplinarian.

At his book, published 1917, Administration industrielle et générale, Fayol determines 14 management principles:

1. Specialization of labour. Specializing encourages continuous improvement in skills and the development of improvements in methods.
2. Authority. The right to give orders and the power to exact obedience.
3. Discipline. No slacking, bending of rules. The workers should be obedient and respectful of the organization.
4. Unity of command. Each employee has one and only one boss.
5. Unity of direction. A single mind generates a single plan and all play their part in that plan.
6. Subordination of Individual Interests. When at work, only work things should be pursued or thought about.
7. Remuneration. Employees receive fair payment for services, not what the company can get away with.
8. Centralization. Consolidation of management functions. Decisions are made from the top.
9. Chain of Superiors (line of authority). Formal chain of command running from top to bottom of the organization, like military
10. Order. All materials and personnel have a prescribed place, and they must remain there.
11. Equity. Equality of treatment (but not necessarily identical treatment)
12. Personnel Tenure. Limited turnover of personnel. Lifetime employment for good workers.
13. Initiative. Thinking out a plan and do what it takes to make it happen.
14. Esprit de corps. Harmony, cohesion among personnel. It's a great source of strength in the organisation. Fayol stated that for promoting esprit de corps, the principle of unity of command should be observed and the dangers of divide and rule and the abuse of written communication should be avoided.

References

Genel ve endüstriyel yönetim H. Fayol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Fayol

http://www.12manage.com/methods_fayol_14_principles_of_management.html

The Gilbreths

About the management studies, Frank and Lilian Gilbreth are considered together. They are not only sweet couple but also partners of each other about the management studies. They generally studied on time and motion studies. However, their studies are different from Taylor’s studies. In the management studies to become process efficient, it is essential for Taylor to reduce time; although, it is essential for Gilbreths to reduce motions.

Frank Gilbreth is not well educated and he is bricklayer. He recognized that bricklayer did not used same motions when they were laying brick. He thought to make more efficient these motions. Thanks to this study, Gilbreth reduced the time of motions from 18 to 4.5. This approach is evolved Gilbreth from ordinary bricklayer to important management engineer. His wife, Lilian Gilbreth, is also industrial/organizational physiologist and also first woman industrial engineer. They have 12 children and also they use their children in the experiment. From these studies and experiments they developed a number of tools including; the flow process charts, therblig analysis, micro-motion study using motion pictures, the chronocyclegraphy using special lighting techniques with cameras, factory layout modeling, measurement with predetermined times and more. They had studies about the industrial management theory. However, their important contributions are used many different areas.

References

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Bunker_Gilbreth

http://www.telelavoro.rassegna.it/fad/socorg03/l2/Frank%20and%20Lillian%20Gilbreth.htm

http://www.kouemk.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=70

Abraham Maslow

Abraham Harold Maslow is the psychologist who brings forward the Needs of Hierarchy Theory. Basically, Maslow claims that human needs are limited by other human needs. For example, if an individual is thirsty and hungry, he wants to satisfy his thirst before his hunger. This is because, thirst is stronger need than hunger. Maslow , according to his studies, developed Needs of Hierarchy Theory. This pyramid consists of stage. These stages are bottom to top:

The physiological needs: oxygen, water, protein, salt, sugar, calcium, other minerals, vitamins, to sleep, to be active, to rest, to sex, to get rid of wastes etc.

The safety and security needs: stability, protection, security, order, law limits etc.

The love and belonging needs: Friends, family, children, affectionate relationships

The esteem needs: self-esteem, achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, managerial responsibility, etc.

Self-Actualization needs: realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences.

Maslow’s studies affect not only psychology world but also business world. This theory is used at management. In the management, employees’ needs are thinking to motivate people and provide the efficiency and productivity. For example, in the work place, employers have lunch breaks, rest breaks etc. This situation can be explained with the physiological needs theory. Another case, job security or safety working conditions are necessary for employees safety and security needs. In the working place, team work and social atmosphere satisfies the individual’s love and belonging needs. The rewarding of workers supplies their esteem needs. Preferment in carrier satisfies the employees’ self actualization needs. According these, we can say that an individual do not need other step needs before his first step needs are not satisfied.

References

http://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow_teorisi

http://www.netmba.com/mgmt/ob/motivation/maslow/

Max Weber

Max Weber is best known as one of the leading scholars and founders of modern sociology, but but Weber also accomplished much economic work in the style of the "youngest" German Historical School. Another words, Weber is founder of modern sociology. This is because, he draws the conceptual frame of modern sociology, develops logical philosophy of social science and determine the fundamental characteristic of modern industry society. Max Weber contributes the new concepts to literature. Although these points, Weber never analyses about the community. Weber is the defective science man with this characteristic.

Weber says that Protestant ethic raises the capitalism in the most famous work , The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905). According to Weber, the idea of "capitalist accumulation" was born directly out of the Protestant ethic - not because the Protestant churches and doctrines condoned acquisitiveness as such (quite the contrary), but rather quite inadvertently through its claim to productive dedication to beruf and thriftiness in consumption. The subsequent ethical "legitimization" of capitalist acquisitiveness in later society under the rubric of "greed is good" was simply a distorted statement of what was already a fact. In no sense, claimed Weber, is the capitalist ethic of "greed" the creator of "capitalist society" (however much it might later be a propagator), but, rather, quite the opposite.

His Verstehen doctrine is as well-known as it is controversial and debated. His main thesis is that social, economic and historical research can never be fully inductive or descriptive as one should always approach it with a conceptual apparatus. This apparatus Weber identified as the "Ideal Type". The idea was essentially this: to try to understand a particular economic or social phenomena, one must "interpret" the actions of its participants and not only describe them. But interpretation poses us a problem for we cannot know it other than by trying to classify behavior as belonging to some prior "Ideal Type". Weber gave us four categories of "Ideal Types" of behavior: zweckrational (rational means to rational ends), wertrational (rational means to irrational ends), affektual (guided by emotion) and traditional (guided by custom or habit).

Works of Weber

Roman Agrarian History, 1891.

"Roscher and Knies and the Logical Problem of Historical Economics", 1903-5, Schmoller's Jahrbuch.

"The Objectivity of the Sociological and Social-Political Knowledge", 1904, .

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism,1905.

Economy and Society, 1914.

"Politics as a Vocation",1918.

General Economic History, 1923. - (1).

The Methodology of the Social Sciences, 1949. - (1).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Weber
http://cepa.newschool.edu/het/profiles/weber.htm
Bürokrasi ve Otorite M. Weber

FREDERICK WINSLOW TAYLOR

Frederick Winslow Taylor is accepted as a father of scientific management and also Taylor gave his name to Taylorism, which is a efficiency trend. Taylor founded passing the system of assembly band in the production. Everything started for Taylorism when Taylor noticed the fabric's inefficiency. According to Taylor's observation, in the fabric, the labors were soldiering, there was no scientific approach about the productivity, the time was not used efficiently etc. Taylor tried to present solutions to problems that he observed. Taylor constructed the solutions by thinking that working class’s good is common with the capitalists’ good. In the great work of Taylor, Principles of Scientific Management, says “The principal object of management should be to secure maximum prosperity for the employer, coupled with the maximum prosperity for the employee. Taylor’s studies were based on this approach.

v STUDIES

Taylor’s studies based on the efficiency of the using the time. These studies are known as time and motion studies. According to Taylor, scientific management becomes the work more efficient and incentive than movitating workers. There are some examples of Taylor’s experiments:

§ Pig Iron If workers could lift 12.5 tons of pig iron per day, they are fails when they are said to lift 47.5 tons of pig iron per day because of tiring. However, workers would lift 47.5 tons of pig iron per day without tiring when there are logical planning about the optimal timing of lifting and resting. Not all workers are capable of lifting 47.5 tons of pig iron per day. This observation shows that workers should be selected according to how well they are suited for a particular job.

§ Science of Shoveling

Taylor determines the optimum weight, which workers should be lift in a shovel, 21 pounds. According to this determination, Taylor suggests that special shovels which lift 21 pounds should be made for every different material.

According to many experiment about productivity, Taylor brought forward many principles of scientific management:

· Replace rule-of-thumb work methods with methods based on a scientific study of the tasks.

• Scientifically select, train, and develop each worker rather than passively leaving them to train themselves.

• Cooperate with the workers to ensure that the scientifically developed methods are being followed.

• Divide work nearly equally between managers and workers, so that the managers apply scientific management principles to planning the work and the workers actually perform the tasks.

Taylor’s Studies are very important for manufacture process and they are milestone of industrial productivity. These studies contain manufacture and management process. Taylor is the father of industrial engineering because of these contributions.

References

http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/dea453_653/ideabook1/thompson_jones/Taylorism.htm
http://www.bilgiyonetimi.org/cm/pages/mkl_gos.php?nt=291
http://www.cftech.com/BrainBank/TRIVIABITS/FredWTaylor.html
Bilimsel Yönetimin İlkeleri F.W.Taylor