Jobs in Robotics

I got into robowars when I was about 14, left school at 16 to do a Btec in mechanical engineering, then started an apprenticeship at LDV vans to become a mechanical engineer... Machining/fabricating parts for production lines etc which consisted of a first year college based learning doing cnc machining, welding, turning, milling, precision grinding, bench work, PLC programming, hydraulics, pneumatics, industrial wiring, then a 2nd year on site work in the factory... When the company went bust I was head hunted to Finnish my apprenticeship at Cadburys...

In my last 2 years I did mainly electrical work, doing an electrical/electronics Btec course once a week, working full time and completing a level 3 nvq in electrical/mechanical maintenance course all at the same time (stress!)

Now I do a lot of work maintaining industrial ABB robot arms and production line machinery...

The other good thing about getting an apprenticeship is you can go to degree level if you ask nicely/have a good employer... Meaning you can get a degree, experiance and not be in debt.

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Originally Posted by typhoon_driver

The best piece of advice that i could give you would be, don't specialise too early.

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I would echo this. Engineering courses are a great foundation to take you into many areas and your interests will change over time.
Apprenticeships were also mentioned. Sadly I think these have declined as engineering in the UK has declined but a valuable way to get solid skills

Would agree with most of the above comments, I left school for an apprenticeship with the Ordnance factories and got onto a degree course through work and was paid - those options I am afraid are long dead.

Jobs in robotics are few and far between but engineering in general will give you the skills to take your hobby to the highest level and you will make contacts who will be able to make the bits you want, unless you can use your employers equipment out of hours, in which case you have arrived......

Don't specialise though, the world of engineering is so diverse that basic degree qualifications will open most doors. A good practical grounding is also good, but rarely combined........I have been lucky.

Like some of the previous comments I found the theoretical a bit heavy going and to this day have never used any of it................ :?

To finish.... look for an apprenticeship that will sponsor you through University.....and if you find one make sure it is yours before telling anyone else :lol: :lol:

Trev

this is about as interesting as robotics gets in industry IMO;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82w_r2D1Ooo

those robots are really cool to watch in person, i was lucky enough to do my yr 10 work expierence at a company that services and progammes such robots

Dave - you don't want to know the amount of problems our work has had with industrial robots. :lame: I work for a plastic blow-moulding company, and it's become common practice for one of the robots to, nearly every minute, put a spout on a bottle backwards, or even crush the bottle thinner than with a pop can. The set-up gents are nearly in hysterics trying to fix the robots. :rofl: