What Do Industrial Engineering Technicians Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Industrial Engineering Technicians apply engineering theory and principles to problems of industrial layout or manufacturing production, usually under the direction of engineering staff. May perform time and motion studies on worker operations in a variety of industries for purposes such as establishing standard production rates or improving efficiency. They also design new equipment or materials or recommend revision to methods of operation, material handling, equipment layout, or other changes to increase production or improve standards.

Other tasks include:

• Test selected products at specified stages in the production process for performance characteristics or adherence to specifications.
• Compile and evaluate statistical data to determine and maintain quality and reliability of products.
• Study time, motion, methods, or speed involved in maintenance, production, or other operations to establish standard production rate or improve efficiency.
• Interpret engineering drawings, schematic diagrams, or formulas for management or engineering staff.
• Read worker logs, product processing sheets, or specification sheets to verify that records adhere to quality assurance specifications.
• Verify that equipment is being operated and maintained according to quality assurance standards by observing worker performance.

We asked Industrial Engineering Technicians how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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64% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 47% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Industrial Engineering Technicians read worker logs, product processing sheets, or specification sheets to verify that records adhere to quality assurance specifications. They operate industrial hygiene equipment in manufacturing environments to reduce exposure to environmental contaminants.

A typical day for an Industrial Engineering Technician will also include:

• Study time, motion, methods, or speed involved in maintenance, production, or other operations to establish standard production rate or improve efficiency.
• Aid in planning work assignments in accordance with worker performance, machine capacity, production schedules, or anticipated delays.
• Verify that equipment is being operated and maintained according to quality assurance standards by observing worker performance.
• Interpret engineering drawings, schematic diagrams, or formulas for management or engineering staff.
• Apply statistical quality control procedures to production test data.

We asked some Industrial Engineering Technicians a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	66% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	64% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	84% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	14% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	22% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	50% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Industrial Engineering Technicians also prepare charts, graphs, or diagrams to illustrate workflow, routing, floor layouts, material handling, or machine utilization. They may also compile and evaluate statistical data to determine and maintain quality and reliability of products.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Industrial Engineering Technicians Interpret engineering drawings, schematic diagrams, or formulas for management or engineering staff. They might also Recommend modifications to existing quality or production standards to achieve optimum quality within limits of equipment capability.

In addition, they Order and purchase manufacturing equipment for production operations.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Read worker logs, product processing sheets, or specification sheets to verify that records adhere to quality assurance specifications.

To some Industrial Engineering Technicians, it is also their responsibility to Evaluate data and write reports to validate or indicate deviations from existing standards.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as an Industrial Engineering Technician, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally..

They also like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/architecture-and-engineering/industrial-engineering-technicians.htm

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