Is engineering fun?
Engineering probably isn’t your first thought when you think of a career that is inherently ‘fun’ but a career in engineering can be rewarding and depending on your interests and skill set, can be really fun!
Hear from an engineer
When asking the question, ‘is engineering fun?’ it makes sense to go straight to the source. igus® Events Engineer Harry Worts specialises in delivering the ‘Enjoyneering experience’ to visitors at igus® UK.
Having worked at igus® for just under two years, we sat down with Harry to ask him a few questions about his time here so far:
Q: How long have you worked at igus® UK?
“Just under two years now actually, which is crazy because I feel like I have been here a lot longer. I have taken on a few roles in my time here, so I’ve had a chance to be a part of different elements of the business.”
Q: What’s the best bit about your current role?
“I’m a people’s person so I love the opportunity to network with new people and deliver the Enjoyneering experience to people equally as passionate about finding the best engineering solutions for their businesses. It’s daunting at first, but you soon become confident in yourself and your knowledge.”
Q: What did you want to be when you grew up?
“I won’t lie, engineering wasn’t on the cards for me when I was younger. I always saw myself becoming a police officer, mainly because of my love for Road Wars but I never pursued the idea, watching it on TV was good enough for me.”
Q: What education pathway led you here?
“I did go to university, but it just wasn’t for me in the end, and I did a series of customer facing jobs after that. I have always preferred the practical side of learning and despite not having a degree, igus® gave me the opportunity to hone my skills as a digital engineer and I have progressed from there to heading up all events and exhibitions as well as tours of our site.”
So, even though engineering careers might not seem ‘fun’ at first glance, there’s an array of positions within companies that differ from the standard engineer role. There are various departments from marketing to finance and human resources and these fields could be the perfect place to unearth a talent you didn’t even know you had or strengthen your unique skillset!
Types of engineering
There are various ‘types’ of engineering. Modern day problems require modern day solutions, and a range of engineering professions are vital to the world we live in. For example:
- Mechanical engineering: Perhaps the default when thinking of an engineer, mechanical engineers work on the design, development, and upkeep of mechanical systems.
- Biomedical engineering: This combines principles of medical science with design to create and maintain essential medical equipment used in healthcare.
- Aerospace engineering: Aerospace engineers develop aircraft, drones and satellites as well as work on flight safety, fuel efficiency and aircraft performance.
The YES campaign
igus® have such a broad product range that we get the opportunity to be involved in some amazing projects. The YES campaign (Young Engineers’ Support) is a program run by igus® that encourages students undertaking various engineering projects to get in touch for free samples, expert advice, and the opportunity to have content written about their project.
One of our YES campaign users, the Durham University solar car team, took their solar car to compete in The Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex!
Rubik’s cube solving machine
One of the many exciting projects we have been a part of was for a Rubik’s cube solving machine. A team of students from Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences decided to continue the work of previous students and develop the Rubik’s cube solving machine to be used at trade shows and open days.
By using lead screw technology, the Rubik’s cube can be solved at a speed of 15 moves per second, taking between 10 and 35 moves to be completely solved. This means that in an ideal scenario, the cube could be solved in less than a second!
