1210212.us16.myftpupload.com Managed WordPress Site

Tag: chemical engineer

  • Career Profile: Chemical Engineer – Plastics Moulds

    Career Profile: Chemical Engineer – Plastics Moulds

    Chemical engineering is a field of engineering that encompasses aspects of the physical sciences such as physics and chemistry, along with applied mathematics and production economics, to design products and processes that change chemicals, raw materials and energy into useful things.

    People working as chemical engineers can participate in the research, design and development of chemical processes and equipment, or they can operate and maintain industrial processing plants for chemical, plastics, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, or food production.

    One common career for chemical engineers is in the plastic injection moulding manufacturing industry. Plastic injection moulding is a manufacturing process where a melted plastic material is forced into hollow moulds, where it takes the shape of the mould as it cools. This process is used to make many common products including toys, plastic parts, bottle caps, and almost any other plastic product that requires large volumes of parts that are all exactly the same.

    Chemical engineers play many roles in this industry. They can help design the product itself, or work to create the specific type of plastic material that will be injected into a mould. Their knowledge of chemical interactions, chemical processes, and the characteristics of various materials mean that chemical engineers are valuable in ensuring that the product being moulded will have the right properties; for example, that the plastic product is strong enough, can resist temperature changes, or will last a long time.

    To work as a chemical engineer for plastic moulding, you will need a minimum education of a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline. There are also opportunities to specialize in plastics engineering during your undergraduate schooling, or through post-graduate studies. Depending on where you want to work, or how far you want to advance your career, you may also require a master’s degree or even a Ph.D. in chemical, plastics or another related engineering discipline.

    Not all jobs related to plastic moulding will require a degree specifically in chemical engineering, however. In many cases, engineers from the environmental, biochemical or mechanical fields will also pursue this occupation.
    Also, since engineering is a regulated profession in Canada, you may also be required to pass the Professional Engineering (P. Eng.) licensing exam.

    Wages for engineers in this field span from approximately $20-25 per hour at the low end, such as for apprentices, engineers-in-training for their P.Eng. designation, and entry level positions. Compensation can range as high as about $60-80 per hour for experienced positions, or for those people willing to work in more remote areas of the country.

    Sources:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injection_moulding
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_engineering
    http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/report-eng.do?area=9219&lang=eng&noc=2134&action=final&ln=n&s=1&source=2&titleKeyword=chemical+process+engineer#report_tabs_container2

  • Career Profile: Chemical Engineer

    Career Profile: Chemical Engineer

    Suppose that one day you write on a piece of paper, use hand lotion on your dry skin, take some medication for your cold, put on a nylon jacket, and sit on a chair with metal legs. Do you know what all of those activities have in common? In all of them, you used products developed by chemical engineers. These scientists help turn raw materials like wood or flowers into products that people use every day. If you enjoy math, chemistry and other sciences and have the ability to solve problems, the job of chemical engineer might be right for you.

    Chemical engineers are involved in making many of the products that people use every day. Normally, their work is in developing processes for other workers to use in making products for customers to buy. For example, chemical engineers might experiment to find the right combination of plants and chemicals to produce a certain colour for dying cloth. Some chemical engineers work to make products better for the environment and some have even found a way to turn used chewing gum into other substances like plastic. That way, they turn what is normally garbage into something useful.

    Inventing ways to solve problems or to help make life easier for people is what chemical engineers do. Normally, a Bachelor’s degree in engineering with an emphasis on chemical engineering is the minimum requirement for working in this field. About twenty universities in Canada offer this kind of training. High school courses in mathematics, physics, and chemistry are good preparation for studies in chemical engineering, and reading magazines about the profession is also a good idea.

    In many cases, a Master’s or a Ph.D. degree is required for finding work as a chemical engineer, although a Bachelor’s degree is enough in some cases. Bachelor’s degrees normally take three or four years and Master’s degrees take another year or two after that. Getting a Ph.D. usually involves writing a book-length paper called a dissertation, which can also take a few years to finish. If you decide to become a chemical engineer, you will need to spend some time at a university.

    People with degrees in chemical engineering work wherever their knowledge is needed. They might help deal with problems in processing plants or do experiments in university laboratories. Some of them might work for cosmetic companies or help produce medications. Depending on their level of experience and where they work, chemical engineers make between about $50,000 and $70,000 per year in Canada, although salaries can also be higher. Job prospects in Canada are fairly good, but declining work in areas like construction has changed employment for engineers. However, jobs should still be available for new graduates.

    Do you enjoy combining different substances together to see what happens?  Why don’t you see if chemical engineering is right for you?