What is the difference between design engineering and production engineering?
Design engineering focuses on deciding what a product or part should be and turning its required functions, performance, and safety into specifications, drawings, or 3D data. Production engineering focuses on making that design reliably in a factory while considering quality, cost, and delivery time; it develops manufacturing processes, equipment, tooling, and work methods. The roles are different but closely connected through prototyping and evaluation of how easily a design can be produced.
Key points
- Design engineering determines what to make and the specifications it should meet.
- Production engineering determines how to make it reliably and efficiently.
- Production engineering can include process planning, equipment and tooling selection, and improvements to quality and productivity.
Things to check
- The actual responsibilities and job titles vary by company and industry, and some positions may cover parts of both areas.