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Quality Assurance Engineer
Tests products and processes to ensure they meet standards — from software to manufacturing.
Did you know?
At Toyota, any worker can pull an 'andon' cord to call for help with a quality problem, and the line stops if it can't be fixed fast.
How subjects help
- Mathematics: Measure parts precisely and check they fall within the allowed size limits.
- Statistics: Sample products from a production line to spot when faults start creeping in.
- Computer Science: Write automated tests that check software still works after every change.
- Engineering: Design test rigs that drop, shake or heat a product to see if it survives.
A famous name
W. Edwards Deming: Taught quality-control methods to Japanese industry after 1950, helping its products become world-class.
Try it yourself: Package one crisp so it survives
- Design a package that fits inside the envelope and protects one crisp. Use only soft or paper materials: no wood, metal, glass or hard plastic.
- Build it and seal the crisp inside, tearing rather than cutting. Weigh it if you can: a lighter, smaller package scores better.
- Test it the way the post might: drop it from table height a few times and shake it.
- Open it and score the crisp: whole, cracked or broken. Improve the design and test again, or post it to a relative and ask them to report back.
Packaging engineers design boxes and padding that protect products in transport with as little material as possible, and quality engineers drop-test packages to check them.
Adapted from Montana State University: Pringles Potato Chip Mailing Challenge.
Also try: Measure your sensor delay.
Known for it in
Japan, Germany, USA, South Korea, Switzerland