A Production Engineering It is one of the most versatile areas among the exact sciences. While initially the course was seen as an offshoot of Mechanical Engineering, over time it has become much more comprehensive, as its principles are applicable to any company across a wide range of sectors—not just the routines of a factory.

Even though it is a very promising area with good employability, The first question you should ask yourself before enrolling in a college in this field is: "Does the course match my profile, my future expectations, and my skills?" By following this path, you will begin a more successful journey. However, you also need to know everything about the course and the college you intend to study at.

In this post, we provide a comprehensive overview of the Production Engineering course, including information about its history, career paths, potential internships, and what you will learn in the course. Furthermore, you will also learn about the ideal student profile and the skills the market expects from a production engineer.

Want to know all about this and what a production engineer does? Then read on.

The area of Production Engineering

Engineering, in general, applies mathematical principles and uses acquired experience to develop ideas and approaches capable of bringing benefits to companies. The focus of the knowledge is to design, execute, supervise, and manage different activities.

What is the role of Production Engineering?

Within this broad area of knowledge lies the Production Engineering, which is responsible for optimizing systems in companies of any sector and size.. She seeks to improve the quality of processes and products by eliminating waste in the production process. To achieve this, she uses tools, machines, raw materials, and all human capital in the most efficient way possible.

In other words, in practice, Production Engineering is concerned with design, install and improve production systems. She blends knowledge from mathematical sciences, physical and social factors, as well as applying principles of analysis and design to predict and evaluate the results obtained.

When did Production Engineering begin?

Despite being a more recent course than other engineering fields—such as Civil and Mechanical Engineering, for example—it It began over 100 years ago.. The earliest references come from the end of the 19th century, when Frederick Taylor and Henry Ford began to transform practical knowledge into formal processes.

In fact, it was Taylor who wrote a book called "Principles of Scientific Management" in 1911. Therefore, he is considered the father of Production Engineering. He was concerned about the waste of time, resources, and labor in processes. Seeking to solve these issues, he developed a control method based on the timing of activities.

Ford himself, the founder of Ford Motor Company — He put Taylor's concepts into practice and achieved an unprecedented feat for his time: producing on a large scale and at low prices.

How did Production Engineering begin in Brazil?

In Brazil, the beginning of this field is marked by industrial growth, but what most boosted its expansion was the arrival of multinational companies that began to create demand for production engineers. Today, it has great market acceptance, in addition to being recognized and regulated by... Engineering Council (CREA).

Difference between Production Engineering and Management

A production engineer uses knowledge of technological and production processes to increase productivity, working primarily in industries. They can manage material storage processes, recommend machinery that optimizes company performance, consider production costs, manage employee work, and improve product quality.

Already administrator It focuses on establishing flows, routines, and controls for information and activities. It takes care of developing an organizational climate that is collaborative, motivating, and respectful.

The ideal profile of a professional in this area.

As we mentioned, Production Engineering isn't focused solely on the factory environment. Every department in a company has processes—from HR to Marketing. Therefore, what's expected of a professional in this field is versatility. Furthermore, they need a broad vision: to see the processes in their entirety—from beginning to end—in order to analyze their characteristics and propose improvements.

Another required aspect of a production engineer is inventiveness. Their role is to find the most efficient ways, which bring the lowest cost to companies. They have to "think outside the box." Change and improvement are their main verbs. Of course, an engineering student, in general, should enjoy calculations and computerized systems, since they will use many digital tools.

Furthermore, the focus of a production engineer is to produce more with less, achieving the highest possible efficiency. Their decisions are always based on economics, which requires a good deal of analytical ability. Does this sound like you? Then check out what... market This will require a lot from this professional.

The skills that will be required by the market.

The Brazilian Association of Production Engineering is an institution that brings together students, professors, and professionals in the field. According to them, there are certain skills that a good production engineer must possess and that are key to standing out in the market. We have listed some of them below.

Professional ethics

Engineers should always act based on ethical principles, respecting people, companies, and social relationships.

Entrepreneurial attitude

His performance is based on management and entrepreneurship, since their work contributes to the success of organizations.

Knowledge update

As a professional in a dynamic field, he You always need to stay updated. and seek new certifications. Furthermore, they should add knowledge and, consequently, value to their work.

Communication

Production engineers always deal with people, and it is from them that they obtain important information to guide their work. Therefore, they need to be communicative and have good interaction skills.

Reading and analyzing charts

Instead of dealing with raw data, the engineer observes the behavior of indicators and patterns. Therefore, they need to know how to read and interpret graphs and visual information in order to base their decision-making on that information.

Computational techniques

As we said, dealing with computerized systems is a basic characteristic, since the
Manual activities are the opposite of the efficiency that Production Engineering proposes.

Foreign languages

It's common to find opportunities in multinational companies—after all, that's where Production Engineering started in Brazil, isn't it? Often, production engineers also need to interact with suppliers and other partners internationally.

Knowledge of the legislation

The work of a production engineer encompasses diverse areas — including accounting, human resources, and even safety standards. Therefore, they need to stay constantly updated on current legislation.

Teamwork

An engineer never works alone — therefore, they must have excellent interpersonal skills. That is, they must interact well with other people and achieve the best results, always acting as a conciliator and mediator in situations of conflicting ideas.

Analytical capacity

This means identifying, analyzing, modeling, and solving problems. This is the fundamental trait of a production engineer.

Understanding administrative, economic, and environmental problems.

These areas are often interconnected and impact the professional's performance, requiring a solid understanding of them and the most common problems they bring to companies.

Social and environmental responsibility

Do you know the ethical behavior we talked about? This characteristic is a reflection of it. Every decision made by a production engineer must respect people, society, and the environment. Furthermore, it is also their role to bring solutions to major social problems, helping to qualify professionals, create new jobs, and improve the conditions and safety of companies and employees.

General thought and individual action

In practice, this means seeing the big picture. But the engineer's actions won't be too general or too broad. They need to be specific, addressing the individual needs of sectors and teams. Ultimately, it's like having eagle eyes: seeing far ahead and, at the same time, noticing the small details along the way.

The main subjects of the course

Since we've talked a lot about the field and the professional, how about getting some insight into the course itself? This is extremely important because you need to know what you'll be studying to assess whether the course matches your profile.

Often, students look at the job title, which can be very attractive. On the other hand, they forget to evaluate whether the... study routine The curriculum and the curriculum spark their interest. The result is a feeling of frustration after entering college. Therefore, start by researching the curriculum of the course at the college you intend to attend.

To help you, we've listed some of the main subjects covered in Production Engineering. We've divided them into areas to make it clear how they contribute to training professionals with the skills required by the market. Let's take a look?

Mathematical calculations

This is the foundation of all engineering—and it's no different in this course. Therefore, during several semesters, you will have subjects such as: algebra, statistics, calculus, basic logic, etc.

Computer systems

To develop your knowledge in this area, the course also includes subjects aimed at familiarizing you with computerized systems, including: information technology, computer science and programming, databases, integrated corporate systems, and design and projects in a computer environment.

Environmental responsibility

In order to help professionals understand cause-and-effect relationships, showing the environmental impacts of their decisions, some chemistry and physics subjects are included in the curriculum, such as:

• Technological and engineering-oriented chemistry;
• industrial chemical processes;
• Physics for engineering;
• environmental sciences;
• strength of materials;
• transport phenomena etc.

The last discipline mentioned studies the transfer of motion, energy, and matter. It provides very specific technical knowledge, but it also concerns the safety and sustainability of the decisions made.

Management and entrepreneurship

If you carefully assess the role of a Production Engineer, you will see that they have enormous management skills and can hold some high-level administrative positions. This is due to the study of disciplines in the field, including:

• organizational theory and administration;
• Business communication and marketing;
• philosophy and ethics;
• macroeconomics, industrial economics, and market economy;
• Ergonomics and safety at work;
• quality, service and people management;
• Logistics and supply chain management;
• entrepreneurship;
• Organizational behavior and leadership.

Specific knowledge of the area

Regarding topics specific to Production Engineering, there is also a vast amount of content, covering all possible areas of work. See:

• product design;
• Simulation of production systems;
• industrial automation;
• project and production management;
• materials and manufacturing processes;
• work organization and process planning;
• Ergonomics applied to design;
• Production planning and control;
• Production design and systems;
• quality and economic engineering;
• Costs and performance measurement;
• maintenance and improvement of production;
• Product development and innovation management.

The knowledge that will be developed

Did you see how diverse the subjects studied are and how they form a well-rounded professional? The idea is to build knowledge and prepare the skills that a production engineer needs to have. Looking at it broadly, we can structure the course as follows.

Production management

A production manager is responsible for ensuring that everything flows as smoothly as possible. And this isn't limited to manufacturing: a commercial company, for example, also has a production flow, which involves:

• The purchase of the products to be sold;
• The sizing and training of sales teams;
• Marketing to acquire new customers;
• Delivery logistics and after-sales service.

This is just one example. Every single activity of a business is production. Therefore, when we talk about this subject, we are including companies in commerce, industry, and services.

Therefore, it is up to manager Production engineers ensure that targets are met within the standards established by the company—including quality, quantity, costs, and deadlines. To develop this professional profile, the Production Engineering course cultivates the following knowledge:

• Design and management of production systems — defining how activities should be carried out and managed;
• Production planning and control (PPC) — which involves determining, among other aspects, how many people will be needed, how much each person should produce, and controlling activities to ensure that goals are met;
• Logistics and supply chain management — which involves the purchase, storage, and delivery of products and services;
• work organization and ergonomics — for distribution
  to streamline the production routine in the best possible way, both for the results and for the employees.

Quality Management

Quality management is the task of ensuring that projects, products, and routines achieve the best possible results, minimizing waste and increasing efficiency. This helps to reduce problems such as rework and high costs, as well as increasing customer satisfaction. In this aspect, knowledge such as the following is employed:

• Cost and performance measurement — the student learns to assess the costs involved in a production process and to measure its performance, finding opportunities to save money;
• Simulation — he also learns to simulate situations and routines, in order to reduce uncertainties and management errors;
• Project management — this knowledge relates to planning and controlling the execution of projects in a wide variety of fields.;
• People management — above all, a production engineer deals with people. He depends on them (their commitment and availability) to implement the positive changes he finds. Therefore, he needs to know how to lead and motivate people.

Product Development and Entrepreneurship

We touched on the subject of entrepreneurship several times because it's a strength of production engineers, who are responsible for bringing solutions and leveraging the full potential of a business. Therefore, students in this field also learn about:

• Product development process management — here, the focus is on eliminating waste and achieving maximum efficiency in company routines or on the production line, if it is a factory;
• Marketing — the production engineer also lays the groundwork for dealing with issues related to the company's image and customer satisfaction;
• Product design — relating to the two previous items, he learns to design products that meet the company's needs in terms of costs and financial return, and that generate interest in the target audience, providing solutions to their demands.

The importance of doing internships

As with university courses, the final semesters also include a supervised internship. This is a great opportunity for the student, as it allows them to put the concepts they learned in college into practice.

During an internship, you see numbers and ideas become facts and also take your first steps towards gaining professional experience. Large companies often have annual internship and trainee programs for recent graduates, which are usually a gateway to a solid career.

If you have the opportunity to start a few semesters earlier—and if it doesn't disrupt your study routine, of course—even better, as you'll have more experience on your resume. It's important to focus on enriching experiences that will add value to your professional profile.

What does a production engineer do?

The production engineer combines the technical knowledge characteristic of different engineering fields with the areas of economics and administration to design, implement and improve the production systems that make up a factory.

Designing production systems

This professional is responsible for designing production systems considering all aspects, from equipment to human adaptation. To do this, they must develop tools and methods for creating production processes and products that do not pose health risks, social impact, or cause illness.

Manage materials storage.

Efficient warehouse management is fundamental to a company's profitability. After all, every organization seeks to reduce waste and improve efficiency. To achieve this, the production engineer must effectively manage material storage to achieve significant improvements in operations and strive for excellence in customer service.

Develop quality control systems

This area deals with the planning, control, and design of quality management systems that consider a fact-centered approach and process management for decision-making.

The engineer working in this sector designs control systems to organize activities and plan production to ensure that products meet quality standards. These procedures aim to minimize costs or solve production problems.

Supporting the development of machinery and products.

A production engineer's knowledge allows the professional to keep up with the development and improvements in machines and products. To do this, they work more closely with the factory floor and technicians.

The possibilities for an engineer's career paths

You might ask yourself: "Given such a vast field of study, what is the role of a production engineer?" The answer is simple: full of opportunities. Check out below the possible areas in which this professional can work.

Production operations and process engineering

Working in this field, the production engineer focuses on projects and operations to improve production systems and the creation of new products. This includes areas such as production planning, scheduling and control (PPCP), maintenance management, and methods engineering.

Logistics

In logistics, In this field, a production engineer works with solutions for the transportation, handling, and storage of products and supplies. Their role is to reduce costs and ensure the availability of items whenever needed. Sectors within this area include... supply chain management, of inventory and business logistics.

Operations research

This area aims to facilitate management decision-making by using mathematical information obtained from computerized systems. Operations research applies concepts that engineers bring from other disciplines. Thus, it seeks ways to make decisions more objective and well-founded, without losing sight of the company's context.

If you enjoy this field, invest your study time primarily in stochastic processes, game theory, and computational intelligence.

Quality Engineering

The field of quality management generally has a high demand for production engineers. It includes the planning, design, and control of quality management systems and encompasses, among other things, standardization, auditing, and certification for quality (following ISO standards).

Product Engineering

Product Engineering brings together tools and processes to design, plan, organize, and execute routines related to the company's strategic activities — especially in the creation of new products.

The engineer working on the product considers its launch and its withdrawal from the market, in addition to collaborating with various departments within the company.

Education in Production Engineering

Teaching is also an important career path for production engineers. There is ample room in this market, as they can work with teaching and learning methodologies and in the training of various other professionals. It is possible to work teaching classes in... graduation, postgraduate studies, extension programs, and research.

Furthermore, in any area of Production Engineering, it is common for the professional to be responsible for delivering training, courses, or disseminating techniques.
ICAs within the company, network of companies or communities.

Organizational Engineering

This branch encompasses knowledge of business management, including strategic and operational planning. It also includes various aspects such as entrepreneurship, intellectual property, and performance evaluation. This includes management areas in general, including project management and innovation management.

Economic Engineering

If you like the part financial and economic, You can also work as a production engineer in this area. Your role will be to formulate, estimate, and evaluate the company's results, guiding it in choosing the best paths for decision-making. To do this, you will use the mathematical concepts learned in the course. Among other areas, it is possible to manage economics, costs, investments, and risks.

Work Engineering

When working in this field, a production engineer designs tasks and work systems. They also focus on environments and systems, always aiming to meet the needs of the teams and make the best possible use of their capabilities.

The central idea is to preserve your health and physical integrity, improving the relationship between group members and with the entire surrounding environment. In fact, this area is also called the machine/environment/human/organization interface.

In Occupational Engineering, you can work designing and organizing the execution of activities, focusing on ergonomics, hygiene, and safety.

Sustainability Engineering

Finally, this area plans the use of natural resources in the company's production areas. It is also responsible for providing the best destination and treatment for waste from these systems. Environmental management and industrial waste management are some sub-areas of Sustainability Engineering.

The job market in Production Engineering

The multidisciplinary nature of the training allows production engineers to work in diverse careers. Trends in the sector are varied, many of them driven by... Industry 4.0. Gradually, technological advances are changing the routines of companies. 3D printing and virtual reality, for example, are already being used to reduce production time and costs.

Big data, cloud computing, autonomous robots, cybersecurity, augmented reality, simulations, and systems integration are other technological advancements that are transforming production processes. All of this directly affects the work of the production engineer, who is responsible for incorporating technology into manufacturing.

Trends for the future

Additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing allows for the creation of objects with complex geometries from designs developed on a computer. Initially, 3D printing was mostly used for the development of prototypes and... study of certain concepts.

With the popularization of advanced manufacturing, this technology has become very important in various sectors of the economy. 3D printing shows good results from the healthcare field to the aeronautical and automotive industries.

Flexible logistics

Logistics encompasses all processes that influence the flow of distribution and storage of goods and raw materials. Furthermore, it's also necessary to consider customer and market demands.

Therefore, flexibility in the logistics landscape is related to the need to provide faster responses and adapt to different and new demands without experiencing major difficulties.

Industrial automation

Production and construction processes will become increasingly automated. Gradually, manual and repetitive tasks will disappear. As a result, the trend is for human labor to be replaced by automated machines and equipment.

In this context of transformation, it is important that the production engineer has the appropriate skills and training to become a key player in leading the new processes.

Artificial intelligence

A Artificial intelligence This technology can be used in engineering problems in general. It allows the development of computational systems based on artificial neural networks to solve prediction, diagnosis, and classification difficulties, as well as to solve problems that require intelligent decision support systems.

Internet of Things

The Internet of Things connects all stages of the production process. Sensors can be placed on all items in the factory to monitor the flow of the entire operation, as well as technical details such as material wear levels, temperature, and more. All of this can be integrated into mobile phone applications. engineers and managers, allowing everyone to follow what is happening in real time.

The impact of college choice on success.

As you can see, the Production Engineering course provides access to numerous areas within the corporate environment. This leads to the thought: "Am I sure of a future job?". Well, it partly depends on you, since the quality of your education will be measured by how much you dedicated yourself to each of the subjects studied.

Furthermore, the choice of college is also important. Well-regarded institutions have more openness in labor market. Furthermore, the curriculum varies between different universities. You should evaluate each one in order to choose the one that best suits the type of engineer you want to become.

In any case, there are several tools to analyze this, for example:

• The institution's transparency: whether it is accessible for contact to answer questions and whether it has a strong presence on social media, interacting with its audience;
• the assessment of MECYou can search for institutions and look for those with the best ratings. ENADE and in the General Course Index (IGC);
• The opinion of alumni: try talking to people who have graduated from the institution you are interested in and ask about their impressions and difficulties. This way, you will have a clear vision of what awaits you.

Now that you know about the Production Engineering course, you can make a well-informed decision. You've also seen the main knowledge and skills you'll need to develop to excel in your profession, and you understand what a production engineer does.

Want to learn even more about this area? Then be sure to download and read our [resource/guide/etc.]. A to Z Guide to Production Engineering!