Education programmes of job
Nature of work
Plastic Engineering is a profession in the industrial sector which studies the relationship between the structure of polymeric materials and their mechanical properties. The engineer performs job during preparation of polymeric materials, during manufacturing them, or assembly of pieces to get final products. The engineer develops some kinds of monomers and polymers and methods of assembly monomers such as polymerization, addition or condensation. Also, he/she decides the types of addition to change properties to fit each application.The engineer selects the method of manufacturing for each material and has the ability to determine the parameters of manufacturing process. In addition to the design of molds and their accessories. He/she works on assembly of plastic pieces using joining techniques and proper adhesive material for each plastic material. The engineer supervises the colleting screening processes of plastic wastes, adding some additions to modify their properties to get new economic value.He/she should have a commitment to the international specification standards in all works performed and ensure total quality management.
Environment of work
- The Plastic Engineer works for 8 hours daily except weekends and official holidays. He/ she may have to work overtime even on holidays especially when there is installation, periodic or emergency maintenance works that requires long time.
- The plastic Engineer performs job within factories, workshops, testing laboratory or office.
- The engineer may be exposed during preparation and manufacturing plastic materials to some gases or vapors.
- He/shecan work individually by establishing own facility specialized in preparation, manufacturing or recycling plastic materials
Professional life
- The plastic Engineer can perform the work individually or within a team whether in public or private sectors. The starting salary when working in public sector is about 20000 Syrian Pounds.
- Write specification books for tenders to purchase equipment for plastic materials preparation, manufacturing and assembly. Study the offers, evaluate them, and prepare technical reports.
- The professional course of the plastic engineer develops by gaining administrative and practical experience through employment progression and promotion to the bigger circles of and departments including administrative or R&D sections. The higher ranks include development of works and supervise the effective management of resources including employees, information, capital, assets and business (including financial administration, human resources, production management, IT systems, and quality control) of the company.
- Depending on Plastic engineer engineering background, he/she can engineer many projects and put plans and strategies for implementation according to total quality management.
- The engineer may travel to gain experience in the field of plastic materials and their equipment.
Sectors of careers
Plastic engineer can perform job within the following sectors:- Preparation of plastic materials and processes.
- Design of products and selection of manufacturing process for each material and product.
- Design of molds and manufacturing, installing and calibrating them.
- Recycle of plastic materials and control quality.
Getting the job
A candidate should have a bachelor degree from the department of material science engineering or department of production engineering at the faculty of mechanical engineering. He/she should have knowledge in the following subjects: structure and technology of rubber and plastic materials, selection of materials, design of plastic products, selection of proper manufacturing method for each product. In addition to a supportive knowledge such as: foreign languages, engineering skills, programming and modeling, quality engineering.The engineer has to join Engineers Order to progress in professional career
Skills
- Reading and understanding of engineering and industrial plans and the assembly and maintenance plans.
- Using PC and related programs for modeling plastic products and their molds
- Develop the properties of plastic materials and their preparation method.
- Knowledge in structure of plastic materials and their preparation methods.
- Definition of parameters of polymerization process for each plastic material.
- Design of products and definition of design parameters according to required properties.
- Definition of manufacturing method for each plastic product depending on its material, shape and dimensions.
- He/she has to communicate well with technicians and craftsmen and other engineers who joins production and preparation of plastic materials and with customers during acceptance and inspection of materials
- Organizing collecting plastic waste and developing classification techniques.
- Definition of addition materials and their amounts to modify the properties and improve them.
- Management of recycling processes and make feasibility studies for them.
Sources and references
- Internal Book of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aleppo, 2006.
- Arabic Classification of Professions, Arab Labor Organization, 2008
Summary
The Plastic engineer works on preparation of plastic materials and control their properties and on design, manufacturing, and marketing the products, and on recycling waste plastic.He studies, defines and analyzes the properties of plastic materials depending on their structure to control properties, and then selects the preparation method to get the required properties. He manages employees and improves their skills and develops and ensures the procedures for occupational safety