This friggin engineer - United Bimmer Community

**jybute** · 11-02-2006, 06:36 PM

I am tasked with programing and preparing 3 CNC milling centers. Two of them are running 5axis the other one is running just 4.

Anyway... one of our biggest customers' (Halliburton) engineers stopped by the shop today to discuss with us a problem they have had with one of the products we have been making for them. Basically it boils down like this. They design the part, we make it, I personally have no idea what the parts are for or what they do. Thats not what Im trained for. They give us a blueprint, and we make the part. Of all the companies we do work for their engineers and draftsmen are probably the best as far as comunicating through their blueprints, what they require from the part.

Now for any of you that have drafting skills, the tolerances on a blueprint tell you what is allowed for error on one particular dimension. Now there are also geometrical tolerances, that tell you how close that dimension has to be in relation to a datum (referenced plane/dimension) Now he is saying that in order for these parts to fit with the rest of the assembly one of the features has to be in a different position. Now Im talking like .005" out of position to what they actually need. Well... his drawing is WRONG. It is so wrong he started twitching like some kind of friggin psycho. Nothing major, just those little lip and eye twitches. He wouldnt even admit his mistake, he had the balls to change the meeting into a "Learning Lesson for all of us" I had to bite my tounge and count to ten, I cant question a customer rite?

Anyway, my boss' wont question him, he is afraid of loosing the work. So I had to let this guy stand there and insult and question my abilities as a machinist. All cause of his ego, Im sure he is really good at what he does, and I am aware of the time, effort and smarts required to become an engineer. And I would never question an engineers abilities in regards to his/her profesion. but come on buddy?

Anyway... just ranting to anyone who'll listen.

Tonight I drink and chill to a little Cyprus Hill.

DEATH2000 · 11-02-2006, 06:44 PM

Awesome, i love the twitching part lol

**defkon99** · 11-02-2006, 06:47 PM

Dang i say let the crybaby cry !

hahah Pussy!

**jybute** · 11-02-2006, 06:52 PM

^^^ let me guess.... you're an engineer or you are aspiring to be one.

**xsperf** · 11-02-2006, 07:11 PM

meh i guess everyone makes mistakes, but engineers should NEVER make mistakes, it just doesnt happen(yea im kinda biased)

**TerryY** · 11-02-2006, 08:24 PM

The company I was working for (and probably will again when buisiness picks up) has some rather large customers in Europe and Asia.

The first thing that they do is convert every customer print to inches so that our Vietnamese and Russians can make it.

Then we made a part and measured what we made in inches. Might sound fairly easy but when you have tolerances in single digit microns on some surfaces and geometric relationships rounding errors get really interesting

I heard "Oh well thats close enough, ship it" way too many times

Info for the non machinist---A micron is about 40 millionths of an inch (rounding error included) That is 0.000040"

I actually saw a flatness call out in Angstroms recently--we couldn't even measure it

**defkon99** · 11-02-2006, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jybute

^^^ let me guess.... you're an engineer or you are aspiring to be one.

that towards me ?

**RSF5** · 11-02-2006, 08:43 PM

Just keep in mind that one day that guy might fuck up and not be able to get out of it again.

**jybute** · 11-02-2006, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TerryY

I actually saw a flatness call out in Angstroms recently--we couldn't even measure it

Angstrom hey? Is it nano tech? Or nuclear?

**TerryY** · 11-02-2006, 09:24 PM

Ceramic wafer holding vacuum chucks for silicon chip lithography. A flatness callout, everything else was in tenths.

The crowning glory was a 4 foot by 4 foot by 4 foot alumina ceramic master angle plate with both faces flat to 80 millionths and the 90 degree faces under an arc second from perfect.

Ceramic master squares were a common product.

My bit was inventing the processes to meet new customer needs in ceramic material. Like taking 100 hours of machine time out of a 12" diameter part. Does wonders for the profit margin.

**Hoppy** · 11-02-2006, 09:47 PM

as a professional asshole. i will argue with anyone if im right and i know it. thats one of the 2 things i cant stand

when im right and i know it
and when people come into a situation thinking they are smarter than me

**RSF5** · 11-02-2006, 10:15 PM

you know what you should have done? You should have punched him in the face. Just out right knocked his lights out. Sure you would have probably lost your job, and he might have pressed charges, BUT you could always say "This one time this guy..... and I just punched him in the face."

drz · 11-02-2006, 11:14 PM

As an engineer, let me tell you that you are dealing with an idiot. I have always been very careful with the displayed tolerances in my schematics, specs, tables, diagrams, etc. I know that a good machinist, technician, etc., will follow my specs, since I am supposed to be the one who knows all that stuff.

Its sucks that in today's world "the costumer is always right." That's a bunch of BS. If they knew better than you, then why are they buying the good or service you provide?

I am sorry to hear about your dealings with this person. You have every right to be mad. Be sure to clear things out with your boss. If he wants to swallow all this BS, let it be. You just shouldn't go down for this.

nick_318is · 11-02-2006, 11:15 PM

That sucks, I think in that situation i would have said hey, you gave us the blueprint and you were wrong this isn't our problem, its yours and you guys need to fix it.

*searches for middle finger smilly

damnit that sucks there isn't one and I know I requested it

**goes hunting to find the image file for one. got it

and thats for having to search for it.

**jybute** · 11-03-2006, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RSF5

you know what you should have done? You should have punched him in the face. Just out right knocked his lights out. Sure you would have probably lost your job, and he might have pressed charges, BUT you could always say "This one time this guy..... and I just punched him in the face."

It was deffinetly on my mind...... I love my job though, and unfortunately you cant go around punching people, if that was the case I would have been knocked out several times by now.