Thurs 23^rd June 2016 marks National Women in Engineering Day, an annual campaign that aims to highlight the role of women in engineering, and focus attention on the array of career opportunities available for women in this rewarding industry. The campaign is run by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) whose goal is to ‘encourage women to participate and achieve as engineers, scientists and as leaders’. As a company who aim to inspire, and actively encourage women to enter careers in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), this resonates with us.

To show our appreciation of this campaign, we interviewed Randox Engineer, Maryrose McLoone from our Randox Teoranta team. Maryrose shared with us her journey into the industry of engineering…

How long have you worked in engineering?

I began working in Randox Teoranta after completing my undergraduate studies in Mechanical Engineering, and have been working here for the past year. Prior to this, as part of my undergraduate studies, I took a five month work placement as a Quality Intern at a medical device company.

How did you know a career in engineering was for you?

I have always been interested in maths and science, and the general STEM subjects. Engineering had been suggested to me by our Career Guidance Counsellor in secondary school due to my interest in maths. I hadn’t much experience with engineering related subjects prior to starting college but my undergraduate studies began with the basics, so everybody started on the same level.

How did you decide which area of engineering you wanted to pursue?

I chose Mechanical Engineering as it is a versatile form of engineering that would allow me to work in both the mechanical and biomedical engineering industries. My interest in working with medical devices came about during my college work placement. Through my placement I gained a great appreciation of engineering and the benefits it can have in the medical device industry.

Tell us about your role within the Randox Engineering team?

I work as a Mechanical Design Engineer. This involves designing and testing components and modules for clinical chemistry analysers. At the minute I am working alongside other Engineers from mechanical, electrical, and embedded systems, as well as Software Developers in the development of the RX misano test jigs which will be used for troubleshooting and to aid in QC procedures.

What skills have you gained with your career experience?

 My role as a Design Engineer has allowed me to improve my skills in many areas such as design and testing, communication, organisation and time management skills, as well as gaining an understanding of the relevant medical device quality standards. My position involves working with a team of engineers from various engineering backgrounds, as well as working closely with quality and manufacturing to ensure the smooth transition from prototype to production.

 What do you enjoy most about your job?

As a Design Engineer you are constantly coming up with new and creative solutions to problems. You can see your designs evolve from prototypes to completed projects. I find working in medical devices in particular to be a very fulfilling and highly rewarding job.  You can be assured that your hard work is for a good purpose as it results in the creation of analysers which are used to conduct a wide variety of tests and perform important diagnoses. The design of clinical chemistry analysers involves careful consideration and attention to detail, an aspect which I enjoy.

My skills in the structure and organisation of tasks have developed from working in a highly regulated environment; such traits are extremely important when designing medical devices to ensure the production of quality products. As a Design Engineer working for Randox it is rewarding to be part of team that work together to improve healthcare through the development of clinical diagnostic solutions.

Do you work alongside any other women in the engineering department?

Yes, our R&D team comprises of Engineers in the areas of Mechanical, Electrical, and Embedded systems Engineering as well as Software Developers and Scientists. In our team there are women working in Embedded Systems, Software, and Science. Each team member has an important role in the design, development, and testing of our analysers. Embedded Systems Engineers and Software Developers work on developing and testing the software for our analysers. We also have a Scientist in our team who ensures our analysers can accurately run chemistry and helps in the verification and validation processes.

Proud to work as part of such a united team, Maryrose gives great insight into the role of a Design Engineer, and really highlights the depth of roles within the engineering industry; from System Engineers to Mechanical and Electrical Engineers. It is clear that women play a pivotal role in the Randox Engineering team, working together to design, develop and test our clinical diagnostic solutions.

Maryrose discussed her work as a Design Engineer within the RX series Engineering team. Her work on the RX misano has been crucial in the development of this new semi-automated analyser, details for which can be found below:

The RX misano is the newest analyser in the RX series of clinical chemistry analysers, and will be available for purchase soon.  It is a semi-automated analyser designed with usability in mind; the screen has been positioned at an optimal viewing angle for the user, a touch button has been incorporated into the design to allow for the easy aspiration of sample, and, a 7” touch screen has also made the RX misano more user friendly than previous designs. The analyser software, developed by Randox, provides easy-to-use test screens and highlights any analytical problems to the user.

For more information, and to register your interest in the RX misano, please visit: therxseries.com/rx-altona

The RX misano is currently unavailable to purchase in Germany