S5E16 James Rogers | R&D Engineering Series – Interview 1 of 6

Being an Engineer

The episode features an interview with James Rogers about his career in R&D engineering. He discusses what drew him to engineering, his experiences working in R&D, the challenges of the field, important mindsets, and advice for others.

Main Topics:

• Defining R&D engineering
• Challenges in R&D
• Important tools and skills
• Key attributes of successful R&D engineers
• Lessons learned over his career.

About the guest: James Rogers holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a master’s degree in additive manufacturing and has substantial experience in both design and production. He is particularly interested in early-stage product development and rapid prototyping technologies, and says that in a perfect world he would spend his career putting humanity on other worlds and out among the stars, but in the meantime Medical Device work is a great way to help human kind!

Links:
James Rogers - LinkedIn
https://www.facebook.com/ProtoDevAndFab/
Email - [e-mail]
About Being An Engineer

The Being An Engineer podcast is a repository for industry knowledge and a tool through which engineers learn about and connect with relevant companies, technologies, people resources, and opportunities. We feature successful mechanical engineers and interview engineers who are passionate about their work and who made a great impact on the engineering community.

The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment such as cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us on the web at www.teampipeline.us

Chapters

1. Defining R&D engineering and how it differs from general engineering work through embracing ambiguity. (00:06:36)

2. Common challenges faced by R&D engineers like analysis paralysis, planning fallacy, and navigating office politics. (00:11:57)

3. Tools and skills used by R&D engineers, including CAD, FMEA, tolerance analysis, and additive manufacturing. (00:16:54)

4. James Rogers' proudest accomplishment designing animatronic figures for the Beauty and the Beast ride at Tokyo Disneyland. (00:20:05)

5. Attributes and mindsets important for R&D success like curiosity, cross-disciplinary knowledge, and willingness to experiment. (00:26:23)

6. Evolving understanding of research over his career from a passion for problem-solving to appreciating diverse team roles. (00:31:06)