Manufacturing Engineer Mock Interview
Master 31 Manufacturing Engineer interview questions covering process optimization, lean principles, and production systems.
Question 2 of 31
Please explain why it is important to have a detailed specification when quoting equipment?
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A large part of a manufacturing engineer's job will likely be quoting new equipment and bringing it on-line. Equipment which is quoted by manufacturing engineers will likely not be off-the-shelf products. Usually, the equipment will be configured to order or even custom built. This means that the equipment suppliers will quote their products based on the specification provided by the manufacturing engineer. If the specification is not correct, then the product may not perform at an acceptable level once purchased. If the specification is ambiguous, or if it exceeds the actual requirements, then there may be unnecessary cost incurred.
"It is very important that specifications be as detailed and accurate as possible. The more clear that you can make the requirements of a piece of equipment to the supplier, the better results you will achieve. If equipment is under quoted, it will likely not perform at the required level. If equipment is over quoted, there will be unnecessary cost incurred."
Daniel Neuhaus is a Tool Design Engineer with 10 years of CAD experience and 3 years in the manufacturing field. He is a University of Cincinnati Alumni with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology.
"The customer needs the right product to totally fulfill their requirements, and we, the manufacturer, need to provide appropriate pricing. For example, we don't want to quote plastic for a steel application because that could be dangerous or simply ineffective, nor do we want to quote steel equipment for a plastic application because we would be going beyond budget and engineering requirements. So, in summary - budget, safety, customer satisfaction, and to avoid over-engineering."
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Anonymous Answer
I believe that the more clear the requirements of a piece of equipment to the supplier, the better results will achieve. Therefore, make the specifications as detailed and accurate as possible. If equipment is underquoted, it will likely not perform at the required level. If equipment is over-quoted, there will be unnecessary costs incurred.
Cindy's Feedback
Very clear. Can you add an example that shows what happens if you do/don't add enough detail to specifications?
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