Automation Engineer?

[examorph]

So far I have learnt that automation engineers replace man power with machines/robots, does this mean automation engineering is the same thing as robotics engineering?

I have done some research and found they done the following:

-CNC

-CAD/CAM, Design Software such as Solidedge

-PLC

-What else do they do?

I heard they also do electronics, what type of things would they learn?

Also, is this more geared towards electrical or mechanical engineering?

Edited May 7, 2012 by examorph

[CaptainPanic]

Also, is this more geared towards electrical or mechanical engineering?

Both. Designing/building robots is team work. You need both mechanical engineers and electrical engineers.

 

What else do they do?

There are robots for pretty much everything. Welding, bending, pushing, shoving, picking up, putting down, etc. Robots can put stuff in boxes, or get it out. They can move 40 ton containers in harbors, or perform microsurgery.

[examorph]

I am just still confused on what to study, I don't want to go into such a broad field like mechanical engineering and the automation/robotics looks like it would be good since I enjoy studying things like CAD/CAM, Solidedge/other design software, PLC's, CNC, I am told you study all this in a course like robotics/automation, what else do you think I would study in a course like this?

Also, I have read that the course will probably contain a lot of electronics also, I have never really done much in electronics in the past, what sort of things do you think I would study?

[CaptainPanic]

The normal way is to take a broad Bachelor, a more specialized Master, and a highly specialized job. Employers know that you're gonna need to learn a lot when you're fresh out of university. It's not a problem.

 

Better start broad. No matter which way you turn is, you're gonna need some physics and maths. The mechanical engineering departments around the world have educated huge amounts of good engineers. I don't see why you want to do it differently.

[examorph]

It's just because I was told that finding a job these days is very hard and if you specialize in something at an early stage you have better job opportunities in that field.

EDIT: Since you say it is better to do a honors/bachelors degree in a broad field would mechatronics be a good thing to go into?

 

Thanks.

Edited May 7, 2012 by examorph