Engineering ServicesISCO 3115
Optomechanical engineering technician
An optomechanical engineering technician is a person who works with engineers to develop optomechanical devices such as optical tables, deformable mirrors and optical mounts.
Check yourself in a minute: optomechanical engineering technician
Rate 5 of the 28 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.
inspect quality of products
assemble optomechanical equipment
test optical components
record test data
conduct quality control analysis
About optomechanical engineering technician
The technician builds, installs, tests and maintains prototypes of those devices. Assembling optomechanical devices is precision work: the mechanical parts hold the optical elements in a precisely defined position, and even a small shift in a mount changes how the device performs. The technician tests optical components against the design requirements and carries out quality control analysis on what has been built. The technician also determines material and assembly requirements, which means deciding what a part is made from and how it is fastened, given how the whole assembly will expand, vibrate and be adjusted.
The technician reads engineering sketches and design drawings every day and assembles optomechanical devices from them. They operate scientific measuring instruments to check how a prototype performs, and assist in scientific research.
The technician needs knowledge of optomechanical engineering: optics, mechanics and the behaviour of materials at small tolerances. Formal requirements are set by the employer.
European Skills Framework
Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.
Essential (28)
optical equipment standardsoptical equipment standardsThe national and international quality and safety standards and regulations with regards to the use and manufacture of optical equipment, including optical materials, optical components, optical syste...optical glass characteristicsoptical glass characteristicsThe characteristics of optical glass such as refractive index, dispersion, and chemical properties.optomechanical devicesoptomechanical devicesDevices which combine mechanical and optical properties, such as precision mirror mounts used in the construction of lasers, optical mounts used in the manufacture of cameras, and optical tables used ...opticsopticsThe science that studies the elements and reaction of light.optomechanical componentsoptomechanical componentsComponents that possess mechanical and optical features, such as optical mirrors, optical mounts, and optical fibre.types of optical instrumentstypes of optical instrumentsCommon types of optical instruments and lenses, such as microscopes and telescopes, their mechanics, components, and characteristics.design drawingsdesign drawingsThe drawings detailing the design of products, tools, and engineering systems.refractive powerrefractive powerRefractive power or optical power is the degree to which an optical system, such as a lens, converges or diverges light. Diverging lenses possess negative refractive power, while converging lenses pos...optomechanical engineeringoptomechanical engineeringSubset of mechanical engineering specialised in optical systems and products, such as binoculars, microscopes, telescopes, and spectrometers, as well as optomechanical components, such as optical moun...mechanical engineeringmechanical engineeringDiscipline that applies principles of physics, engineering and materials science to design, analyse, manufacture and maintain mechanical systems.optical engineeringoptical engineeringSubdiscipline of engineering that deals with the development of optical instruments and applications, such as telescopes, microscopes, lenses, lasers, fibre optic communication, and imaging systems.optical manufacturing processoptical manufacturing processThe process and different stages of manufacturing an optical product, from design and prototyping to the preparation of optical components and lenses, the assembly of optical equipment, and the interm...inspect quality of productsinspect quality of productsUse various techniques to ensure the product quality is respecting the quality standards and specifications. Oversee defects, packaging and sendbacks of products to different production departments.assemble optomechanical equipmentassemble optomechanical equipmentPrepare and assemble optomechanical components and systems, such as optical mounts and optical tables, using hand tools, precision measuring equipment, soldering and polishing techniques.test optical componentstest optical componentsTest optical systems, products, and components with appropriate optical testing methods, such as axial ray testing and oblique ray testing.record test datarecord test dataRecord data which has been identified specifically during preceding tests in order to verify that outputs of the test produce specific results or to review the reaction of the subject under exceptiona...conduct quality control analysisconduct quality control analysisConduct inspections and tests of services, processes, or products to evaluate quality.adjust engineering designsadjust engineering designsAdjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements.align componentsalign componentsAlign and lay out components in order to put them together correctly according to blueprints and technical plans.apply optical coatingapply optical coatingApply coating to optical lenses, such as reflective coating to mirrors, anti-reflective coatings to camera lenses, or tinted coatings to sunglasses.define part requirementsdefine part requirementsCalculate and determine the functional, physical, structural, geometrical and size dimensions for the parts necessary to create machines or equipment.read engineering drawingsread engineering drawingsRead the technical drawings of a product made by the engineer in order to suggest improvements, make models of the product or operate it.clean optical componentsclean optical componentsClean optical components after every cycle in the manufacturing process.liaise with engineersliaise with engineersCollaborate with engineers to ensure common understanding and discuss product design, development and improvement.fasten componentsfasten componentsFasten components together according to blueprints and technical plans in order to create subassemblies or finished products.operate scientific measuring equipmentoperate scientific measuring equipmentOperate devices, machinery, and equipment designed for scientific measurement. Scientific equipment consists of specialised measuring instruments refined to facilitate the acquisition of data.assist scientific researchassist scientific researchAssist engineers or scientists with conducting experiments, performing analysis, developing new products or processes, constructing theory, and quality control.prepare production prototypesprepare production prototypesPrepare early models or prototypes in order to test concepts and replicability possibilities. Create prototypes to assess for pre-production tests.
Optional (21) — show
cavity optomechanicscavity optomechanicsSubset of physics that focuses on the interaction between mechanical objects and light. The focus predominantly lies on the amelioration of radiation pressure interaction between matter from the optic...CAE softwareCAE softwareThe software to perform computer-aided engineering (CAE) analysis tasks such as Finite Element Analysis and Computional Fluid Dynamics.CAD softwareCAD softwareThe computer-aided design (CAD) software for creating, modifying, analysing or optimising a design.microopticsmicroopticsOptical devices with a size of 1 millimeter or smaller, such as microlenses and micromirrors.computational mechanicscomputational mechanicsThe use of modelling and simulation to predict complex physical behaviours in science and engineering. It interacts with other areas in mechanics including solid mechanics and fluid mechanics, but als...electromagnetic spectrumelectromagnetic spectrumThe different electromagnetic wavelenghts or frequencies that are situated on the electromagnetic spectrum. Wavelenghts are divided in several categories according to their wavelength and energy level...continuum mechanicscontinuum mechanicsThe study of the behaviour of materials disregarding their specific nature. It aims to create mathematical models to predict this behaviour particularly in relation to material deformation and motion.monitor machine operationsmonitor machine operationsObserving machine operations and evaluating product quality thereby ensuring conformity to standards.resolve equipment malfunctionsresolve equipment malfunctionsIdentify, report and repair equipment damage and malfunctions. Communicate with field representatives and manufacturers to obtain repair and replacement components.calibrate optical instrumentscalibrate optical instrumentsCorrect and adjust the reliability of optical instruments, such as photometers, polarimeters, and spectrometers, by measuring output and comparing results with the data of a reference device or a set ...use CAM softwareuse CAM softwareUse computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) programmes to control machinery and machine tools in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimisation as part of the manufacturing processes of workpieces.operate industrial equipmentoperate industrial equipmentOperate devices, machinery, and equipment used in industrial production. Industrial equipment usually includes mounting, adjusting, clamping, rotating, and indexing elements, as well as mechanical, hy...integrate new products in manufacturingintegrate new products in manufacturingAssist with the integration of new systems, products, methods, and components in the production line. Ensure that production workers are properly trained and follow the new requirements.write technical reportswrite technical reportsCompose technical customer reports understandable for people without technical background.inspect optical suppliesinspect optical suppliesCheck optical materials for damage, such as scratches, before using the material.use precision toolsuse precision toolsUse electronic, mechanical, electric, or optical precision tools, such as drilling machines, grinders, gear cutters and milling machines to boost accuracy while machining products.apply technical communication skillsapply technical communication skillsExplain technical details to non-technical customers, stakeholders, or any other interested parties in a clear and concise manner.keep records of work progresskeep records of work progressMaintain records of the progress of the work including time, defects, malfunctions, etc.repair optical equipmentrepair optical equipmentIdentify the problem of the optical instrument, check for deterioration, and replace deficient components.operate precision machineryoperate precision machineryOperate machinery used for the making of small systems or components with a high level of precision.operate optical assembly equipmentoperate optical assembly equipmentSet up and operate optical processing or assembly equipment, such as optical spectrum analysers, power saws, lasers, die bonders, soldering irons, and wire bonders.
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Frequently asked questions
What does an optomechanical engineering technician do?
Optomechanical engineering technicians collaborate with engineers in the development of optomechanical devices, such as optical tables, deformable mirrors, and optical mounts. Optomechanical engineering technicians build, install, test, and maintain optomechanical equipment prototypes. They determine materials and assembly requirements.
What skills does an optomechanical engineering technician need?
An optomechanical engineering technician needs 28 essential skills, including optical equipment standards, optical glass characteristics, optomechanical devices, optics, optomechanical components.
Will AI replace optomechanical engineering technician jobs?
The AI disruption score for optomechanical engineering technician is 22/100 (low risk). Skills most exposed to automation: record test data, keep records of work progress, write technical reports. Most resilient: electromagnetic spectrum, optical glass characteristics, optomechanical components.
AI Replacement Risk
22/ 100
Low Risk
Low riskHigh risk
Quick Facts
SectorEngineering Services
ISCO GroupScience and engineering associate professionals
Essential Skills28
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