Mechatronics is a booming and cutting-edge field. It is also a highly valued skill in the manufacturing industry. If you are looking to break into manufacturing and wondering how to learn mechatronics, you are in the right place. This guide discusses the ins and outs of mechatronics, how to learn mechatronics, plus exciting and in-demand mechatronic careers that you can land with some training in hand.
Mechatronics Makes it Possible
What is Mechatronics?
Mechatronic systems pick up and process environmental activity signals through microcomputers and sensors. Once the signals are activated, the mechatronic system generates an output, and, from the output, an intentional action is created.
Mechatronics is a leading productivity industry that streamlines quality and quantity to create unique system process solutions.
Mechatronics, although formerly considered a combination of “mechanical” and “electrical” engineering systems, has expanded alongside the swift advancement of technology. Today, the field of mechatronics also includes computer science, engineering, robotics, and telecommunications.
The following industries are frequent operators of mechatronic technology:
- Appliance design and repair
- Artificial intelligence
- Aviation
- Banking
- Biomechanics
- Cybersecurity
- Defense
- Drone design
- Energy
- Farming
- Food processing
- Healthcare
- Medical laboratories
- Mining
- Space exploration
- Temperature/humidity control
- Transportation, and more
Mechatronics, as you can see, is a sophisticated field. It requires great technical skill, attention-to-detail, and analytical thinking. It also requires experience in industry practices, such as PLC programming and blueprint reading. In order to land a career in mechatronics today, therefore, it is recommended that candidates pursue specialized training in the field. According to ZipRecruiter, becoming a mechatronics technician requires a “combination of technical skills, advanced educational qualifications, and professional experience.”
So, how do you get started? How can you learn mechatronics quickly?
A mechatronics certificate program, at the postsecondary level.
Mechatronics: From Learner to Livelihood
To break into advanced manufacturing and to thrive within the field, students of a mechatronics certificate program learn to operate the latest computer, electrical, mechanical, and software systems.
And this does not require years in school.
Career-focused mechatronics programs, like the one offered at Goodwin University, educate and develop aspiring workers into field specialists in just a few months. Over the course of two semesters, learners can swiftly lead the way to a successful mechatronics career.
Goodwin University mechatronics students are trained in a state-of-the-art facility, instructed in an innovative classroom, and receive imperative in-field experience. For added convenience and course flexibility, Goodwin’s mechatronics training program participants can rotate between classroom instruction and career apprenticeships.
At Goodwin, mechatronics professors are experienced experts with invaluable insight, eager to teach the fundamental tricks of the trade. The mechatronics curriculum includes (but is not limited to):
- Basic electrical
- Computer-aided design
- Hydraulics
- Industrial electrical maintenance
- Robotics
- Machining and pipe fabrication
- Mechanical drives
- Motor control
Students enrolled in the mechatronics program at Goodwin University also have access to the institution’s extensive connected network of quality employers throughout Connecticut.
Compelling Mechatronic Careers Across Industries
Mechatronic professionals, also known as engineering specialists, maintenance and mechanical technicians, and process control workers, design, operate, maintain, test, and fine-tune electromechanical equipment.
Mechatronics specialists are typically skilled in abilities related to control precision, creative problem-solving, critical thinking, finger dexterity, quality control analysis, repair, and troubleshooting.
One of the most common job titles of a mechatronics graduate is a mechatronics technician. Mechatronic technicians typically analyze automation opportunities and develop consumer or industrial mechatronic devices.
Mechatronics technicians create computer-driven systems for various operations. The specialists also perform, study, model, analyze solutions, implement solutions, and troubleshoot issues with existing mechatronics systems.
- Mechatronics technicians in agriculture, food, and forestry design greenhouses and irrigation systems that increase food production and ensure the sustainability of forests.
- Mechatronics technicians in biotechnology, life science, and medical equipment design build medical devices that mirror animals, humans, and plants. Mechatronics technology also improves clinical equipment, rehabilitation strategies, and more.
- Mechatronics technicians in homeland security and defense construct, maintain, and test drone, robotic, and smart technologies for border control, deployment, ground operations, logistics, surveillance, and more.
- Mechatronic technicians in renewable energy test and improve elements of hydropower, solar panels, wind turbines, and other green devices.
- Mechatronics technicians in transportation and logistics use custom-designed machines and transportation equipment and processes to keep companies running.
- Mechatronic technicians in telecommunications install and repair computer networks, electric systems, fiber-optic cables, mobile phones, and video conferencing equipment.
The Money in Mechatronics
In 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the national average wage for mechatronics technologists and technicians was $63,880 annually. The same year in Connecticut, the annual average wage for mechatronics workers was $69,400. With even more payday potential, top-paying industry employees, like electric power, generation, transmission, and distribution workers, earn an annual average salary of $117,060 per year.
A vital role in the future of technology, mechatronics roles offer a plethora of professional possibilities and are the new and exciting wave in worker innovation. With optimistic and abundant options, mechatronic technicians can be retained to build drones, control small robots that handle tasks in hazardous settings, create control systems for everyday smart appliances or rides in amusement parks, develop virtual reality displays, generate vision systems for autonomous driving cars, and much more.
Adding a mechatronics certificate to your professional resume means a competitive advantage in the job market. Making automation and manufacturing processes more effective and efficient, employers recognize that the skills gained in a mechatronics program are monumental. A combination fit for success, mechatronics graduates solve complex, real-world engineering problems while maintaining an adaptable, big-picture perspective.
Interested in learning mechatronics?
Discover what a mechatronics certificate could mean for your future!