Materials engineers select materials, improve their properties, lower their processing cost and increase their durability. They make steel stronger, ceramics tougher, composites less costly and computer chips faster. They have developed biomaterials for skin grafts and implants and replaced copper wire with fiberoptics to revolutionize telecommunications.
Materials engineering is truly the career that shapes the future.
Because materials are the starting point for new products, materials engineers work on the leading edge in many industries. In microelectronics , materials engineers focus on making microelectronic units smaller, less expensive and faster. They work to increase the capacity of magnetic memory devices such as hard drives and the storage capacity of permanent magnetic devices. Materials engineers have enhanced monitor resolution, decreased weight and increased battery life for computers . Advances in materials have made telecommunications and cellular phones more affordable.