Do Mechanical Engineers Such as Those in Automotive Controls Code a Lot?

As a professional with 20 years of experience in mechanical engineering, the answer to this question is a resounding yes, and no.

Universal Requirement: Coding in the Modern World

In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, coding has become an essential skill in almost every field. From automotive controls to software design and testing, modern mechanical engineers are increasingly required to engage in coding. As Sai Suresh succinctly explained, the core engineering process is fundamentally the same across disciplines—identify a problem, gather tools, and solve it. However, the specific tools and methods vary based on the field.

The Role of Coding in Mechanical Engineering

While much of mechanical engineering involves design, testing, and analysis, coding is not as explicit as in software engineering. However, the need for some coding is quite significant. For instance, in specialized areas such as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), robotics, and 3D geometry analysis, coding is a critical component of the job. Many mechanical engineers work with graphical user interfaces (GUIs), which fundamentally rely on background coding to function.

Types of Coding in Mechanical Engineering

The extent of coding varies depending on the specific career path within mechanical engineering. For automotive controls and simulation, the coding could range from 10 to 25% of one's workload. Here are a few examples of coding-related activities in the field:

Text Editor Coding: Writing code line by line in a text editor or integrated development environment (IDE). Automated Code Generation: Using engineering software to generate code for complex models to run on high-performance computing (HPC) nodes. Graphical Programming Environments: Utilizing software like MATLAB/Simulink or LabVIEW to automate the process from schematic to code, which is particularly common in vehicle controls.

Role Variability and Specializations

There is significant variability in the amount of coding required based on the specialization within mechanical engineering. Some engineers may primarily focus on graphical programming environments where coding is less explicit, while others may write extensive code in languages such as Python or C. Additionally, many mechanical engineers do a substantial amount of CAD (Computer-Aided Design) work, a form of design that does not strictly equate to programming, though it may involve some code generation.

Conclusion

In summary, while mechanical engineers do not code as extensively as software engineers, the inclusion of coding in their work is growing. The exact amount of coding can depend on the specific role and specialization within the field. As technology advances, the importance of coding skills in mechanical engineering is only likely to increase, making it a valuable addition to the toolkit of any modern mechanical engineer.