How did you develop engineering intuition and grow into a strong problem solver?

[EdwardNigma]

Hi all,

I’m currently a stress engineer working on aircraft interiors. I’m fairly new to this kind of work but I worked on MRB stress of primary metallic structures before this primarily driven by hand analysis by extracting loads from a FEM. A lot of the FEA I do is coarse loads modeling to correlate with a test article as allowables are unknown. I also determine interface loads calculations on the surrounding structures, calculate margins of safety on inserts common to attachment areas and determine failure indices of panels. So, while I’m involved with simulation work, I’m not always deep in detailed stress calculations. That’s something I want to move toward in the future—running meaningful models, doing hand calcs, and being the person others rely on for engineering judgment.



Over time, I’ve seen both good and not-so-great engineers among the pool of senior engineers. The good ones seem to have this ability to cut through the noise, simplify complex problems, and get to a “good enough” answer efficiently. They know how to set up boundary conditions that reflect reality, approximate without losing accuracy where it matters, and understand what the FEA is actually telling them—especially when it doesn’t match the test or real-world behavior. They are also able to automate FEA processes with coding as well. Basically, they are able to predict an FEA simulation before they actually run the model with a gut feeling or good engineering judgement.



What I want to ask is: how did you develop that kind of thinking? That mix of technical judgment, modeling intuition, and practical simplification? Was it repetition, mentorship, or just digging into more real-world data?



I’d really appreciate any advice or experience you’re willing to share. I’m trying to grow—not just in tools—but in mindset.



Thanks in advance!

 

[SWComposites]

Was it repetition, mentorship, or just digging into more real-world data?

Yes, all of the above.
And with a willingness to understand structural behavior, including failure mechanisms, understand part production processes, understand the background behind analysis methods and where they should and should not be applied.
Experience also comes from conducting and analyzing structural test articles.
And working a new aircraft development program from start to finish is the best learning activity; the process of development just can't be taught in the abstract.

 

[IRstuff]

Dibert talked about the "knack," and there are two levels to that; there are those that have the basic "knack" which comes from just having the experience and guidance, and there are those that are just in another league altogether. I met one of the latter once; he showed up late to a design meeting, and came in on the MEs' CAD model in a Powerpoint and said, as he came into the room, "Isn't there a problem with the 30-Hz resonance in the fixture?" The ME giving the presentation spluttered and the chief ME directed them to check it out, and the interloper was 100% correct, simply "knowing" that the fixture depicted. I've only met two MEs my entire career that could do the voodoo that only they could do, sans FEA, or even hand calcs; the rest of the MEs still had to at least do a hand calc or two.

 

[EdwardNigma]

Yes, all of the above.
And with a willingness to understand structural behavior, including failure mechanisms, understand part production processes, understand the background behind analysis methods and where they should and should not be applied.
Experience also comes from conducting and analyzing structural test articles.
And working a new aircraft development program from start to finish is the best learning activity; the process of development just can't be taught in the abstract.

Thanks SWComposites. I'm thinking that I'd need to work on a development program from start to finish to see my actions unfold and learn from my decisions and consequently mistakes. If there's any testing that would help as well.

 

[EdwardNigma]

Dibert talked about the "knack," and there are two levels to that; there are those that have the basic "knack" which comes from just having the experience and guidance, and there are those that are just in another league altogether. I met one of the latter once; he showed up late to a design meeting, and came in on the MEs' CAD model in a Powerpoint and said, as he came into the room, "Isn't there a problem with the 30-Hz resonance in the fixture?" The ME giving the presentation spluttered and the chief ME directed them to check it out, and the interloper was 100% correct, simply "knowing" that the fixture depicted. I've only met two MEs my entire career that could do the voodoo that only they could do, sans FEA, or even hand calcs; the rest of the MEs still had to at least do a hand calc or two.

Thanks for the example IRstuff! I think I'm talking about the latter as a goal, while the basic knack is more what this post is about. I've met a few people who fit that second level you mentioned, and it's really impressive and admirable. Their ability to trust their gut and make suggestions is pretty cool!

 

[hvillasenor]

@EdwardNigma,
I'm going to give you some direct and clear advice.

If you want to develop this kind of engineering intuition and move into modeling, interpreting, and validating complex FEA analysis you first need to be passionate and have a drive for your work. I believe this you already have.

Second, be very observant and pay close attention to what both the good and not so good engineers do - you'll gain insight as to what to do and not to do.

Third, you will need to invest time and dive into more in-depth and specialized subjects; these include materials and their behavior, structural mechanics, numerical methods and approximation methods, and the finite element method in detail such as meshing, element types, and when to use and combine certain element types. You will also need to learn how to run detailed calculations by hand and you'll need to collect a good library of books, articles, and other literature related to the topics your interested in.

Fourth, you will need to be humble enough to recognize when you may have done something incorrectly, and NEVER be embarrassed to ask questions or ask for feedback from other leaders in the field. ONE SIGN OF A GREAT AND SENIOR ENGINEER IS THAT THEY ADMIT WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW.

Lastly, whenever you go out for a walk or a drive, observe how structures behave, whether its a vehicle in motion, a lightpole, a building, a carport, and highway, a scissor lift...anything. Learn to break down complex mechanical structures in your mind and understand how the load path transfers between each component to the point that you can see any structure and it becomes second nature where you can identify the critical areas without running a single calculation.

You will see what others cannot.

Mastering the computation structural mechanics and material behavior will take time but it is well worth it.

Never stop learning.

Hope this helps.

Best regards,
Humberto Villasenor, P.E.
VEMAC Consulting, LLC.
www.vemac-consulting.com

 

[GregLocock]

I think that breaking a lot of things helped me. At the very least it was fun. My second job in particular I had a surprising amount of freedom, and resources. Also in my 4th job I had 3 cars to play with, one was the program I was working on, the other two were $1 cars that could be (and often were) used for anything we felt like, they were off to the crusher once we broke them.

 

[Sparweb]

You're getting good advice already.
My 3 cents:

Find projects to take on from start to finish. That means concept to execution to repairs in the field. You don't seem likely to find that where you work (sounds like a fairly large OEM or sub-contractor). Therefore, Cue the hobbies: Find ambitious projects that interest you and pursue them in your free time. I live this almost every day myself, having many pursuits that are somewhat engineering related. The engineers I admire the most among the many that I know are the ones that have more than the "knack" but also an "itch" to build and fix stuff. They have workshops of their own, and projects they are proud to show off, improve, and figure out. They also do things like take night classes at the local technical college to learn how to weld and program CNCs.

Unrelated advice: Read about engineering and stay current.

• IEEE magazine, phys.org, Aviation Week, etc.
• books like JE Gordon's "Science of Strong Materials", or "Not Much of an Engineer" by Sir Stanley Hooker, "To Engineer is Human" by Henry Petroski
• Air Accident investigation reports; NTSB, TSB, etc.
• Watch technical lectures on engineering subjects (e.g. Youtube channel Dark Aero)

Last and most important suggestion: go fly an airplane.
You call yourself an aerospace engineer. In my time, I have met only a handful of aerospace engineers who have ever ONCE flown an aircraft, let alone got a license, traveled places, or heaven-forbid BOUGHT an airplane. And yet, those individuals are the ones who have the sharpest minds, clearest of thought and expression, broadest understanding of the goals and the means to achieve them. Yes there are good aero engineers who haven't flown airplanes themselves, but it's the GREAT ones that you want to follow.
This is very difficult to imagine if you haven't flown a plane or two, but once you have, the concept of "airworthiness" takes on a whole new meaning that is not just intellectual any more. Your butt is in that seat.

 

[kontiki99]

I was exposed to airplanes in the USMC, my first carrier was as a licensed airplane mechanic (since maybe 1978), went back and got a BSEE in mid 90s, got pilot license and instrument rating in subsequent years, bought a small airplane. I do airline support work now, all our group does is handle the problems maintenance folks don't have authority to fix. I think it's about finding the work interesting and relevant and making it a life long discovery.

 

[WKTaylor]

<<<See the round circle above my name?... I helped my dad build that homebuilt aircraft [T18] starting in Jr High... thru my college years. I was born into aviation and flying and almost had no choice in this matter... I was destined to be a pilot.

Then I met the designer of 'that T18 aircraft'... John W Thorp... and saw how his mind was constantly working to solve a multitude of problems on-the-way to his many real-world creations... Then I wanted to be 'HIM'... an aeronautical engineer.

On my way to a life long career of being an engineer I discovered a 'hidden truth': aviation/aerospace is hugely diverse 'business'... more-so than most mere mortals can conceive of.

As stated already [above]... In aviation there is no truer/purer experience than actually learning to fly... and the exhilaration and freedom and awareness of the importance of pilotage... being a pilot with your life in your own hands... and reliance on your machine... and total immersion in Earth's land-air-sea environment... are very real.

Poke around in the following FAA portal... of unique topic diversity... for downloadable documents to find what grabs your heart/mind.
Start here => https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation

"It is necessary for us to learn from others' mistakes [and experiences]. You will not live long enough to make [learn] them all yourself." -- Hyman Rickover, American admiral
"If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants."-- Sir Isaac Newton
"When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do." -- Walt Disney
"Always stay curious. Curiosity instills creativity.” --Aerin Lauder
"The truth, however ugly in itself, is always curious and beautiful to the seeker after it.” -- Agatha Christie
I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” –Albert Einstein

Fight for a seat in every technical short course focused on non-university topics relevant to aviation/aerospace. For instance... I have taken focused courses on following subjects... and used the the knowledge thru my years...
Aircraft mishap/accident investigation
Aircraft fire and explosion
Aircraft wreckage analysis and reconstruction
Aircraft engine mishap investigation
The 'basics/hands on'... of aircraft fabrication processes and Non Destructive Inspection [all common]
Corrosion... every aspect
TRIZ... technical problem solving with minimal tools
Durability and Fatigue... real world applications
Drafting/sketching and finally CAD
and so on.

Human Factors.
Get to know Yourself... every corner... strengths and weaknesses. But be aware...
"The easiest person to lie to is yourself... which makes misleading others wayyyy too easy."
"Engineering is easy... people are hard." - me
"Trust is hard earned; but easily lost." --unk
"To err is human; to admit it, superhuman." --Doug Larson

And for many years.. and still... I forcibly overcome my natural introversion by teaching many of these topics.. any my practical experiences... to fellow engineers. OH, and for awhile, I taught 'Jr College night school courses' to strangers. Come-on, don't be a-scaredy-cat...... learn to teach to teach effectively... start here... [example]

*Technical Instruction: A Handbook for Technical Instructors (Ea-183-2)

Amazon.com

*Aviation instructor's Handbook https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/f...rs_handbook/aviation_instructors_handbook.pdf
"To teach is to learn twice." --Joseph Joubert, French writer

Now I have to GOBAKTUWURK.
PS... see also the quotes under my signature block