Mechatronics & Its Role In Manufacturing

As of late, mechatronics has become more of a popular buzzword for the latest and greatest in machine-based technologies, but there seems to be some grey area for what does and fall under that umbrella term.  In short, mechatronics is a term that applies to a wide variety of engineering fields—including mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, telecommunications engineering, control engineering and computer engineering.

How does mechatronics benefit manufacturing?

As mechatronics becomes a more obvious and necessary outlet for the engineering field, it will continue to expand the manufacturing market as well.  The manufacturing field is experiencing a skills gap, as more and more jobs with higher required skills open up and there aren’t enough qualified people to employ them.  Mechatronics provides the bridge manufacturing needs, by combining engineering in its various forms with technical and mechanical skills.  Engineers can use classes in mechatronics to cross over into manufacturing with ease.

In fact, many community colleges and even high schools are offering introductory or advanced mechatronics programs with this thought in mind.  Early exposure is great, as it introduces students to potential fields in manufacturing, electronics and engineering that they might not have considered before.

For example, in New Jersey there are mobile labs that act as training for both county colleges and businesses to use around the state.  These mobile labs act as training centers for metal fabrication, electrical systems, precision gauging and mechatronics.  The goal of this donation was to curb potential job losses, and the benefits could be new hires for your manufacturing facilities.  To learn more about the mobile labs, click here.

For anyone with experience in mechatronics or in manufacturing specifically, NJMEP offers the Experience Manufacturing program, which was created to assist job seekers with potential careers in the manufacturing industry.  To see the full list of available jobs, click here.

For more information about mechatronics, or how it relates to manufacturing and the NJMEP, feel free to contact us.