Definitions:
Project engineering includes all parts of the design of manufacturing or processing facilities, either new or modifications to and expansions of existing facilities.
Project : consists of a coordinated series of activities or tasks performed by engineers, designers, drafters and others from one or more engineering disciplines or departments. Project tasks consist of such things as performing calculations, writing specifications, preparing bids, reviewing equipment proposals and evaluating or selecting equipment and preparing various lists, such as equipment and materials lists, and creating drawings such as electrical, piping and instrumentation diagrams, physical layouts and other drawings used in design and construction
Difference between small and large projects A small project may be under the direction of a project engineer. Large projects are typically under the direction of a project manager or management team. Some facilities have in house staff to handle small projects, while some major companies have a department that does internal project engineering. Large projects are typically contracted out to engineering companies.
How staffing works in engineering?
Staffing at engineering companies varies according to the work load and duration of employment may only last until an individual's tasks are completed.
What is the role of a project engineer?
The role of the project engineer can often be described as that of a liaison between the project manager and the technical disciplines involved in a project. The distribution of "liasing" and performing tasks within the technical disciplines can vary wildly from project-to-project. This often depends on the type of product, it's maturity, and the size of the company, to name a few. It is important for a Project Engineer to understand that balance. The Project Engineer should be knowledgeable enough to be able to speak intelligently within the various disciplines, and not purely be a liaison -- such project engineers who only "liaise" can more accurately be characterized as "lazy". The project engineer is also often the primary technical point of contact for the consumer.
A project engineer's responsibilities include schedule preparation, pre-planning and resource forecasting for engineering and other technical activities relating to the project. They may also be in charge of performance management of vendors. They assure the accuracy of financial forecasts, which tie-in to project schedules. They ensure projects are completed according to project plans. Project engineers manage project team resources and training and develop extensive project management experience and expertise.
When project teams are structured so that multiple specialty disciplines report to the project engineer, then two important responsibilities of the project engineer are inter-discipline coordination and overall quality control of the work.
What are their duties ?
- Develops project objectives by reviewing project proposals and plans; conferring with management.
- Determines project responsibilities by identifying project phases and elements; assigning personnel to phases and elements; reviewing bids from contractors.
- Determines project specifications by studying product design, customer requirements, and performance standards; completing technical studies; preparing cost estimates.
- Confirms product performance by designing and conducting tests.
- Determines project schedule by studying project plan and specifications; calculating time requirements; sequencing project elements.
- Maintains project schedule by monitoring project progress; coordinating activities; resolving problems.
- Controls project plan by reviewing design, specifications, and plan and schedule changes; recommending actions.
- Controls project costs by approving expenditures; administering contractor contracts.
- Prepares project status reports by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing information and trends; recommending actions.
- Maintains safe and clean working environment by enforcing procedures, rules, and regulations.
- Maintains project data base by writing computer programs; entering and backing up data.
- Maintains product and company reputation by complying with federal and state regulations.
- Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.
What are their skills and qualifications?
Requirements Analysis, Design Skills, Project Management, Manufacturing Methods and Procedures, Process Improvement, Technical Understanding, Documentation Skills, Safety Management, Supervision, CAD, CAD/CAM Circuit Design
What do Engineering Companies Do?
When used, an engineering company is generally contracted to design a project to achieve some specific objective, ranging in scope from simple modifications to new factories or expansions costing hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars. The client usually provides the engineering company with a scoping document listing the details of the objective in terms of such things as production rate and product specifications and general to specific information about processes and equipment to be used and the expected deliverables, such as calculations, drawings, lists, specifications, schedules, etc. The client is typically involved in the entire design process and makes decisions throughout, including the technology, type of equipment to use, bid evaluation and supplier selection, the layout of equipment and operational considerations. Depending on the project the engineering company may perform material and energy balances to size equipment and to quantify inputs of materials and energy (steam, electric power, fuel). This information is used to write specifications for the equipment. The equipment specifications are sent out for bids. The client, the engineering company or both select the equipment. The equipment suppliers provide drawings of the equipment, which are used by the engineering company's mechanical engineers, designers and drafters to make general arrangement drawings, which show how the pieces of equipment are located in relation to other equipment. Layout drawings show specific information about the equipment, electric motors powering the equipment and such things as auxiliary equipment (pumps, fans, air compressors), piping and buildings. The engineering company maintains an equipment list with major equipment, auxiliary equipment, motors, etc. Electrical engineers are involved with power supply to motors and equipment. Process engineers perform material and energy balances and design the piping and instrumentation diagrams to show how equipment is supplied with process fluids, water, air, gases, etc. and the type of control loops used. The instrumentation and controls engineers specify the instrumentation and controls and handle any computer controls and control rooms. Civil and structural engineers deal with site layout and engineering and structural concerns like foundations, pads, structures, supports and bracing for equipment. Environmental engineers deal with any air emissions and treatment of liquid effluent.
What fields and topics do project engineers work on?
The various fields and topics that projects engineers are involved with include:
- Work breakdown structure: a deliverable-oriented breakdown of a project into smaller components
- Gantt chart: type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule
- Critical Path Analysis: an algorithm for scheduling a set of project activities
- Program evaluation and review technique: a statistical tool which was designed to analyze and represent the tasks involved in completing a given project
- Graphical Evaluation and Review Technique: network analysis technique that allows probabilistic treatment both network logic and estimation of activity duration
- Petri Nets: one of several mathematical modeling languages for the description of distributed systems.
Sources: