Metallurgical engineering is one of the most crucial areas of engineering since current applications demand materials with a combination of high strength and low weight. The study of various metals in detail and how they are used in our daily lives is the focus of the engineering discipline known as metallurgy. Metal is used in practically every aspect of modern life and is extremely significant. It includes numerous studies of exotic materials, both pure and mixed, that are used in a variety of sectors. Careers in metallurgical engineering result in numerous advances for our civilization. The nature, bonding, and numerous environmental variables of metal are thoroughly studied by those who choose to pursue metallurgical engineering.
Metallurgical engineers are essentially experts in the extraction, refinement, and recycling of metals. Metals used to be employed in machinery and other industrial applications in novel ways. A metallurgical engineer’s work has a significant impact on this and other related engineering domains. The following are the three primary subfields of metallurgical engineering:
- Physical metallurgy – It discusses how to solve metallurgical problems, such as creating the metallic alloys required for various manufacturing and building processes, among other things.
- Extractive metallurgy – It focuses on the investigation of metal extraction from ore.
- Mineral processing – It entails collecting the byproducts of mineral occurrences in the crust of the earth.
Careers in Metallurgical Engineering
The need for metallurgical engineering is quite strong in major industries such as the car, energy, transportation, oil, nuclear power, etc. Wherever the production, operation, and maintenance of vital metallic components are required, metallurgy engineers who are experts in these tasks are required. After completing this course, candidates have the option of starting their own business or easily offering paid consulting services to smaller businesses with less expertise in metallurgy and materials engineering. Similar to this, there is a great demand for materials engineers in the electronics, space, bio-medical, and energy industries.
Major Fields where the graduates can find employment are:
- Metallurgical, Materials Research, and Development Laboratories
- Biomedical engineering
- Nuclear energy field
- Space research/Aeronautic
- Process Engineering / Corrosion Engineering
- Foundries
- Mineral Process Engineering / Ceramic Engineering
- Quality Planning Engineering
- Ballistics Engineering
- Manufacturing industries of metals
- Polymer Engineering / Welding Engineering
- Composites Engineering
- Semiconductor Processing Engineering
- Metallurgist
- Civil services
- Non Destructive Testing Specialist
- Steel industry
- Heat Treatment Specialist
Job Profiles
The following are some of the top employment profiles after metallurgical engineering:
- Metallurgist: A material scientist with a focus on metals is referred to as a “metallurgist.”
- Welding Engineer: Welding engineers have the knowledge and experience to create novel welding processes, tools, etc.
- Manager: In the metal sector, managers are responsible for managing the production of metals.
- Plant Equipment Engineer: Plant power systems must be planned, designed, installed, and maintained by engineers.
- Marketing executive: Through communication with the target audience, they carry out marketing tactics.
- Metallurgical lab technicians: They used to help the metallurgical engineers out with daily lab tasks.
- Quality Planning Engineer: They use planning labor to raise the caliber of any metallic product.
- Researcher: To produce some novel findings, they used to conduct more and more studies.
- Senior Process Engineer: The procedure, effectiveness, efficiency, quality, and safety of the metallic goods were all under the engineer’s watchful eye.