Engineering Teams
Who keeps a project on schedule, manages budgets, and coordinates communication between teams?
Project Manager sys Engineer
Which manufacturing process removes material from a block of metal using cutting tools?
Machining
Name one vehicle designed by aerospace engineers.
Rocket, satellite, airplane, helicopter, spacecraft
What is reverse engineering?
Studying an existing product to understand how it works and how it was made.
You need
100,000 brake roters for a bike.
Best manufacturing process?
Laser Cutting + CNC + Heat Treating
Who decides how a part should actually be manufactured?
Quality Engineer
Which manufacturing process forces molten plastic into a mold to create identical parts?
Injection Molding
Why do aerospace companies spend so much time testing components?
Safety, reliability, tight tolerances, and performance
Why would a company reverse engineer a product?
To learn from it, improve it, repair it, or create a competing design.
You're designing a Formula race car.
Which is MOST important?
A. Make every part as heavy as possible.
B. Reduce unnecessary weight while maintaining strength.
C. Use the cheapest material everywhere.
D. Ignore aerodynamics.
Reduce unnecessary weight while maintaining strength.
Which engineer is responsible for making sure a product meets specifications before it reaches the customer?
Quality Engineer
Which manufacturing process creates parts one layer at a time?
3D Printing
An aerospace company wants to reduce the weight of an aircraft without reducing its strength. Name one thing engineers could change.
You are given a drone propeller, but no drawings or instructions. What is the first step in reverse engineering it?
Observe and inspect the part (identify its purpose, features, and how it functions).
A part has several sharp inside corners.
Why might an engineer round those corners?
To improve strength, reduce stress concentrations, and make the part easier to manufacture.
Which engineer intentionally pushes products to their limits to identify weaknesses?
Test Engineer
Which process uses a focused beam of light to cut metal?
Laser Cutting
Why are aerospace parts often made from aluminum or titanium instead of regular steel?
Because they provide an excellent strength-to-weight ratio, helping aircraft and spacecraft remain lightweight while maintaining strength.
You are reverse engineering a satellite bracket. Name three things you would measure or document.
An engineer notices a part requires 15 manufacturing steps.
Why might reducing that to 10 steps be beneficial?
Lower cost, faster production, fewer opportunities for errors, and improved efficiency.
You're designing a new drone. Which engineering roles would likely work together to bring it from concept to production?
Project Manager, Design Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, Test Engineer, Quality Engineer (and others such as Electrical or Software Engineers depending on the system)
Name three manufacturing processes commonly used to produce an aircraft component.
Machining, forging, heat treating, anodizing, inspection, assembly
An aircraft bracket must be:
Which manufacturing process would you recommend?
Forging or casting followed by CNC machining.
An aerospace company reverse engineers an aircraft bracket but notices the original design contains unnecessary material.
What engineering opportunity have they discovered?
Redesign and optimize the part to reduce weight, cost, or improve performance.
You need to make a lightweight bracket for a rocket. Which material would you choose and why?