Job titles for application engineers include field application engineer and, more commonly, sales engineer. Application engineers are needed in a variety of industries and for a variety of processors that must be able to work with a variety of businesses. The primary responsibility of an application engineer is to assist in the integration of a company’s product into customers’ systems. This may necessitate him performing engineering work or serving as a liaison between the customer and his in-house engineering staff. Most application engineering jobs require engineers to have a thorough understanding of the product being sold and how it can be used in a variety of ways and industries.
Some application engineer jobs may entail making sales calls to clients, attending trade shows, and assisting potential customers with information requests. In-house application engineer jobs can have a wide range of responsibilities and require little customer interaction. The technical aspects of integrating the company’s product into the customer’s systems are often the focus of an in-house application engineer.
Because of the large number of components and suppliers needed to build cars, trucks, planes, and rockets, the automotive and aerospace industries have a lot of application engineer jobs. With the goal of understanding the customer’s needs, an application engineer will often specialize in a specific component, manufacturing process, or system. The customer must be convinced that his product or service will meet their needs in a cost-effective and dependable manner.
To understand a customer’s requirements, the engineer must communicate with him on a regular basis. Because customized applications may not be subjected to extensive testing, engineering issues may arise during the development process. For example, unexpected wear and tear issues in novel applications may cause a part to fail or perform poorly a year into its life cycle.
Application engineers are also in high demand in the equipment processing and services industries. An application engineer in this position will frequently be tasked with setting up complete manufacturing and processing facilities. Laying out the plant’s floor plan and setting up an assembly line, as well as installing and maintaining machinery, could all be part of the process. In the food processing and contract manufacturing industries, this type of extensive work is common.
Application engineer job skills and training can be obtained from a variety of sources. Whether they have a mechanical, electrical, or industrial engineering background, their success will be determined their ability to apply fundamental engineering principles to new problems. The ability to interact with customers on a variety of levels is perhaps the most important skill. The application engineer, for example, must be able to follow management’s strict timing and budgetary schedules as well as comprehend technical details from engineers and machine operators.