What is a Facilities Engineer?
Facilities engineers are involved in the creation of the various systems that drive a manufacturing plant. Along with designing the layout for the production process, the facilities engineer will also be actively involved in the design for the utility systems within the space, including power sources, climate control, water, and lighting. Depending on the application, the facilities engineer will also be involved in more specialized system design and maintenance, such as the processing of chemicals or environmental controls. In addition to being actively engaged in the design and construction of plant systems, the facilities engineer will also often oversee the ongoing operation of the various systems. The engineer will often specify the maintenance schedule for each operating system within the building, including any downtime for part replacement and efficiency testing. Depending on the size and complexity of the plant, a company may choose to employ more than one facilities engineer.
For the answer to these questions and many more we invite you to visit the national website for AFE-http://www.afe.org. Membership applications are available there. Our Chapter is an educational organization that provides opportunities to further: 1) the facilities engineering profession; 2) successful approaches to solving major and minor engineering challenges in manufacturing, commercial and educational institutions; 3) a network of savvy people with resources to allow for the rapid implementation of engineering solutions to the usually complicated terrain associated with facilities management. MEMBER PROFILE Members of our chapter either live or work in an area ranging north to State College, south to the Mason-Dixon line, east to the eastern edge of Lancaster County, west to the vast gulf of space beyond Carlisle, somewhere east of Pittsburgh. Typically, a facility engineer is faced with a multitude of challenges that require highly organized interdisciplinary technical approaches
And to that, I say, What isn’t? Facilities Engineers focus on design, construction, and life-cycle maintenance of all sorts of installations. These installations could range from civil work projects, roadways, office buildings, airfields, etc. The engineering aspect involves all facets of the life-cycle management from planning all the way through disposal. This includes, design, construction, environmental concerns, site operations, and support, or possibly real estate. So Facilities Engineering can apply to a wide range of fields. It draws on quite a large amount of multi-disciplinary backgrounds, so even if you don’t think you are one, come give it a shot! Who knows?
