Finding an engineer?

[pluc]

Hi,

I have a project underway for producing bikes. I don't wanna get too much into the details.

I am wondering if any of you knew what I should be looking for when hiring an engineer? Will any engineer do?

[Nessism]

There are different types of engineers: manufacturing, industrial, mechanical, electrical, aerospace, etc. You need to define exactly what you are looking for in a new hire. For example, if you are looking for someone to physically set up a bike assembly operation you would most likely want an industrial engineer since they could set up conveyors and such. A manufacturing engineer might be better if you are going to set up a framebuilding operation. Be specific and you will find your man (or woman).

[StephenH]

If you're looking for an engineer to actually design bicycles, it would help tremendously to find somebody that has it for a regular bicycle company before. I say this because the basics of analyzing a frame based on assumed loading and assumed road conditions is not that hard, but knowing what loading and road conditions to assume is the trick, and that's not something you can just generate by thinking about it.

[AKRX]

If you're looking for someone to actually design the frames and concieve linkage systems, etc, you'd want a mechanical engineer.

[Peterpan1]

How many bikes are really engineered. It's not as if having come to a conclusion about a particular load you can then specify a head lug desinged to receive a 5/8 top tube, ad 5/4 downtube, well not unless you really want to. Of course it it is composites or something oddball...