Will “Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech)” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

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Job Description

Build, install, test, or maintain optical or fiber optic equipment, such as lasers, lenses, or mirrors, using spectrometers, interferometers, or related equipment.

Job Details

The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 17-3029.08

☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Photonics Technicians”.

Also Known As…

Tasks for “Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech)”

Fabricate devices, such as optoelectronic or semiconductor devices.
Assemble fiber optical, optoelectronic, or free-space optics components, subcomponents, assemblies, or subassemblies.
Adjust or maintain equipment, such as lasers, laser systems, microscopes, oscilloscopes, pulse generators, power meters, beam analyzers, or energy measurement devices.
Recommend optical or optic equipment design or material changes to reduce costs or processing times.
Set up or operate assembly or processing equipment, such as lasers, cameras, die bonders, wire bonders, dispensers, reflow ovens, soldering irons, die shears, wire pull testers, temperature or humidity chambers, or optical spectrum analyzers.
Monitor mechanical factors, such as turbine load or strain information.
Mix, pour, or use processing chemicals or gases according to safety standards or established operating procedures.
Assemble components of energy-efficient optical communications systems involving photonic switches, optical backplanes, or optoelectronic interfaces.
Perform diagnostic analyses of processing steps, using analytical or metrological tools, such as microscopy, profilometry, or ellipsometry devices.
Build photonics tools to be applied to electrical grids to detect hot spots, such as failing insulators or conductors.
Fabricate sensors to be used to control wind turbines.
Compute or record photonic test data.
Terminate, cure, polish, or test fiber cables with mechanical connectors.
Test or perform failure analysis for optomechanical or optoelectrical products, according to test plans.
Design, build, or modify fixtures used to assemble parts.
Develop solar power sources for lasers used in fiber optics.
Assemble devices or equipment to be used in green technology applications, including solar energy, high efficiency solid state lighting, energy management, smart buildings, or green processes.
Document procedures, such as calibration of optical or fiber optic equipment.
Perform laser seam welding, heat treatment, or hard facing operations.
Set up or operate prototype or test apparatus, such as control consoles, collimators, recording equipment, or cables.
Splice fibers, using fusion splicing or other techniques.
Maintain clean working environments, according to clean room standards.
Lay out cutting lines for machining, using drafting tools.
Build prototype optomechanical devices for use in equipment such as aerial cameras, gun sights, or telescopes.
Optimize photonic process parameters by making prototype or production devices.
Monitor inventory levels and order supplies as necessary.
Repair or calibrate products, such as surgical lasers.
Assist scientists or engineers in the conduct of photonic experiments.
Assemble or adjust parts or related electrical units of prototypes to prepare for testing.
Assist engineers in the development of new products, fixtures, tools, or processes.

Related Technology & Tools

Digital oscilloscopes
Personal computers
Positioning stages
Fiber cleavers
Depth gauges
Optical comparators
Lab jacks
Laser heat treatment equipment
Optical mounts
Cutoff saws
Vacuum deposition systems
Chemical protective face shields
Computerized numerical control CNC machining centers
Shearing interferometers
Liquid dye lasers
Solid state lasers
Binocular light compound microscopes
Abrasive grinding machines
Signal generators
Dataloggers
Wafer bonding systems
Non contact profilometers
Coordinate measuring machines CMM
Scanning electron microscopes SEM
Laboratory forceps
Wire bonders
Diode lasers
Ellipsometers
Ion lasers
Fire extinguishers
Optical rails
Fiber polishers
Micropositioners
Protective gowns
Spectrometers
Wire pull testers
Soldering irons
Computerized numerical control CNC drill presses
Safety glasses
Temperature chambers
Protective gloves
Biosafety cabinets
Phase-shifting interferometers
Excimer lasers
Multifunction digital multimeters
Computerized numerical control CNC lathes
Isolators
Die shears
Spherometers
Logic pulsers
Gas lasers
Diffractometers
Collimators
Monochromators
Digital logic probes
Hand calculators
Optical spectrum analyzers
Optical power meters
Autocollimators
Sputter deposition systems
Semiconductor detectors
Wire saws
Bench refractometers
Digital logic analyzers
Analog oscilloscopes
Laser drills
Semiconductor parameter analyzers
Fiber optic fault locators
Atomic force microscopes AFM
Die bonders
Fabry-Perot interferometers
Common path interferometers
Electron beam evaporators
Michelson interferometers
Laser welders
Calipers
Wavelength meters
Optical alignment scopes
Contact profilometers
Micrometers
Loupes
Laser marking machines
Humidity chambers
Vernier micrometers
Rapid thermal annealers RTA
Laser cutting machines
Fusion splicers
Twyman-Green interferometers
Mach-Zehnder interferometers
Chemical vapor deposition CVD systems
Die saws
Spectrophotometers
Oscilloscopes
Hardness testers
Photoelectric power meters
Bit error rate testers BERT
Reflow ovens
Magnifiers
Computerized numerical control CNC band saws
Plasma strippers
Electron cyclotron resonance ECR reactive ion etchers RIE
Mechanical steppers

Microsoft Office
ZEMAX Optical Design Program
Word processing software
Presentation software
Statistical analysis software
Data acquisition software
Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
Microsoft Excel
Image processing software
Computer aided design CAD software
The MathWorks MATLAB
Web browser software
Database software
SAP