National Engineers Week 2023

Since its establishment in 1951, National Engineers Week has been promoted by the National Society of Professional Engineers as a way to celebrate and recognize the work accomplished by engineers worldwide. Observed each year, the week of recognition brings awareness and education to the engineering industry.

“Engineer” is defined as “a person trained and skilled in the design, construction, and use of engines or machines, or in any various branches of engineering.” At Barreto Manufacturing, our engineers play the most critical role of designing and testing our equipment from the ground up. The Engineering department at Barreto encompasses the following three processes involved in mechanical engineering:

1. Education & Training

2. Research & Development

3. Testing

Education & Training

Most engineering professions require schooling in a specific area of concentration. This can include a typical four year Bachelor’s degree and/or other technical schooling and training. Barreto engineers are Mechanical engineers - they work with the “processes of motion, energy, and force” to design equipment that upholds Barreto’s standards of safety, ease of use, and durability.

Our engineers are skilled in the use of Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems that allow designs to be drawn and tested in a digital environment before being produced physically. Here is where technology and math meet creativity and skill, as these complex systems require extensive training and practice to use and design concepts efficiently.

Research & Development

An enormous amount of creativity is involved in producing a mechanical concept from scratch. In order to design a machine, creativity, mechanical knowledge, and skill must all combine to make it a reality. Our engineers research potential needs in the equipment market and forecast the timeline to design and build a machine that fills a market gap. They do all this within the constraints of the technology available and the cost included to produce it. They strive to create a streamlined design that is as aesthetically pleasing as it is rugged.

Put simply, the main goal of our engineers’ design process is to create a machine that works well with less operator effort. They strive to make the best better through innovation, safety, user-friendliness, and durability in every design.

Innovation is the heart of engineering at Barreto, so R&D is a vital, ongoing work. Once a concept has been designed and tested in a digital environment, it continues on in its development process to take shape in the real world. Engineers work closely with our fabrication technicians to produce a physical concept for further testing.

Testing

When the concept has taken shape, the machine is put through rigorous field testing. The machine endures extensive use in many different conditions over an extended period of time, and it is carefully monitored for performance. If any sub-par performance instances occur, the engineers go back to the design to troubleshoot potential causes and make the necessary adjustments.

The process of testing a new design takes time - months, or even years. Barreto Manufacturing carefully tests every concept to its max capacity to ensure a finished product that is safe and ready for the everyday user.

Mechanical engineering is the heart of what we do. This National Engineers Week is an opportunity to thank and recognize the engineers who make it all possible by using their training and talent to design and create the equipment we know and love. We wouldn’t be able to produce world-class equipment without them!