Don’t understand basic mechatronics interview questions?
You won’t get the job.
Knowing basic mechatronics is necessary for both for a job interview and for general knowledge as a mechatronics engineer.
You will not provide value if you don’t understand the concepts of basic mechatronics interview questions.
Engineering classes go very in depth, but in reality you only need to know the basics.
The following questions are basic concepts that you will go over in a mechatronics class.
Make sure you know these questions both so that you are ready for an interview and you also will need to know these terms if you want to be a good mechatronics engineer.
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What is mechatronics?
Mechatroncis is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering consisting of Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Software Engineering principles. Mechatronics forms the basis of practical robotics applications.
What are some industrial applications of mechatronics?
Mechanical, Industrial, Aerospace, Aviation, Automotive, Robotics, and Computer Systems are practical examples of mechatronics systems being placed.
Tell me about a time you ran into a conflict with a Mechatronics project and what you did to resolve it.
As a lead engineer, I was responsible for the delivery for the automation system used to manufacture semiconductor components. Through the evaluation of important KPIs such as number of non conformances and on time percentages, I noticed there was a big gap. I led an implementation effort to reduce the amount of non conformances and even increased the rate of doing so through machine learning and artificial intelligence technology. As a result, revenue goals were met for the quarter.
Want to learn how to answer tell me about a time questions? Study the STAR Method for Interview Questions.
Tell me about how you manage a project schedule and you ensure that you hit key project milestones regarding dates and scheduling
Whenever I’m in charge of something, I run a high level spreadsheet that covers deliverables both at a large and small scale. Within those deliverables, I set important dates that the team needs to meet. I run a weekly status meeting to ensure the group is on task to meet deliverables for the project.
What is your greatest technical challenge regarding mechatronics?
My greatest challenge included the optimization of our existing robotics system used to manufacture automotive vehicle components. The system was extremely complicated and utilized challenging principles in Mechanical, Electrical, and Software Engineering. We utilized a high level white-board approach which broke down the preliminary concept, then made iteration upon iteration until the design was taken to review. The design was then approved by review and implemented. The most challenging part of this was the approval of the design by stakeholders and to ensure Design for Assembly and Design for Manufacturability principles were implemented. As a result, this led to the success and release of millions of dollars in product release.
What is your experience working with mechatronics teams?
As a mechatronics engineer, I’ve been involved with key stakeholders such as customers, clients, quality, manufacturing, management, and senior leadership teams.
Tell me about a time you failed on a project
As the responsible design engineer for a mechatronics project, I was responsible for the design and development for a robotic arm responsible for automotive vehicle door manufacturing. Due to poor engineering practices such as not implementing model based systems engineering, a critical dimension was missed. As a result of this, the robotic arm would not be able to successfully manufacture the vehicle doors.
I informed management of this discrepancy and although they were extremely dissatisfied, efforts were made to correct the arm and as a result, a successful arm was delivered to the customer. Although it was unfortunate costs were increased, our internal engineering processes improved as a result.
What machining or manufacturing processes are you familiar with?
Machining and manufacturing processes I’m with consist of those such as:
- Boring
- Turning
- Milling
- Reaming
- Blanchard grinding
- Broaching
- Drilling
- Grinding
- EDM
- Waterjet
- CNC Machining
What programming languages are you familiar with?
Programming languages I’m familiar with consist of those such as Python, MATLAB, C/C++, HTML, and CNC.
Tell me about how you’ve coordinated with other disciplines and stakeholders outside of mechatronics to complete a project
As a mechatronics engineer, I’ve had to lead meetings consisting of stakeholders such as Project Management, Quality, Manufacturing, Test, Systems, Electrical, and Mechanical stakeholders. It was extremely important to develop leadership skills to run the meeting smoothly and ensure a productive use of time.
Do you have a project in which you utilized MATLAB?
I’ve led several projects in MATLAB such as optimal traffic program simulators and several robotics projects I’ve had involved the use of MATLAB. It was important to set the right logical frameworks to ensure successful release of the product. The implementation of principles such as if-then statements, data structures, and algorithms were crucial. As a result, some of the technology that I’ve developed through MATLAB has been key in the usage of 300K users and customers daily.
Have you used Simulink before?
Simulink is a software that it utilized for modeling, simulating, and analyzing dynamic systems. I’ve used Simulink in an academic robotics environment in which we would model systems using written equations of motion and comparing it to theoretical results. I’ve been able to analyze systems such as rotating balance and identify applications such as dampening and resonance.
What are control systems?
A control system is a set of either mechanical or electrical devices used to regulate systems based on input and feedback in control loops. Practical applications of control systems can include those such as cruise control on a vehicle or a thermostat in your home.
Do you have experience with thermal or structural analysis?
I’ve performed structural analysis to ensure the operation and integrity for rotating machinery components in Oil & Gas, Power, and City Municipality applications. Structural analysis requires the correct determination of operating and boundary conditions in a mechanical system. It’s up to me as the engineer to ensure the usage of correct operating conditions as well as the interpretation of respective results. I’ve had to perform structural analysis for components such as pumps that were then integrated into important systems such as power plants which powered the infrastructure for cities.
Do you have any questions for us?
Make sure you have good questions for your interviewer. Showcase your interest and competence by asking your interview a series of questions that wouldn’t be available through the quick research on the company website. As a result, we suggest questions that highlight macroeconomics.
Ask questions such as:
- Where do you see the outlook of mechatronics 5 to 10 years from now?
- What manufacturing processes does the company/industry currently use?
- Are we investigating newer approaches to manufacturing?
- Do you know of any pivots or where leadership plans to take the direction of the company?
- What technological innovations have been placed in the company within the past years?
You can even choose to ask more personable questions to help build an initial relationship with your manager as well as understand what working at the company is like such as:
- How do you like working here at this company?
- What is your day to day like working at this company?
Closing Thoughts on Mechatronics Interview Questions
Mechatronics is typically an advanced graduate engineering class that will set the foundation of your theoretical knowledge for your career.
There’s so much to cover from mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and software engineering to achieve to cost competitive and economical solutions for applications such as Aerospace and Automotive design.
Use these basic mechatronics interview questions as a guideline to prepare yourself.
Want to learn how to write a good mechatronics engineer resume and more about mechatronics engineering (a really good industry to go into if you want to utilize mechanical, electrical, and software engineering principles in your career)?
Check out: Entry Level Mechanical Engineering Resume
Don’t forget to check out our career services as we provide resumes, cover letters, interviews, and LinkedIn optimization for those specializing in engineering careers.
Book a technical mock interview with Kazu to 10X chances of landing the engineering job.
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About the author
Kazuyoshi Fujimoto, PE
Founder | Engineering Career Coach | Principal Mechanical Engineer
Kazu oversees all of ultmeche’s engineering services. He provides consulting such as resume reviews, rewrites, mock interviews, and all services career related. Additionally, Kazu performs consulting work regarding Oil & Gas, Automotive, and Aerospace & Defense. Kazu is licensed as a professional engineer in the state of California and has 9+ years of experience in Oil & Gas, Automotive, and Aerospace & Defense.