Role, Responsibilities and the Required Skills of a Mechanic

Who is A Mechanic?

Also referred to as a mechanist or technician, a mechanic is a person whose expertise is repairs, maintenance and service of engines, motors, and sometimes other heavy machinery too. The most common misconception that goes around is that a mechanic only deals with automobiles, whereas in reality, they deal with all machinery and types of equipment that largely is powered by an engine or in some cases a battery. There are mechanics for car, for trucks and buses, and for large-scale aircrafts.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Mechanic

The role of an automobile mechanic is about the repairing and maintenance of the mechanical as well as the electrical components of the car. It is the duty of a mechanist to make sure the repair/maintenance job carried out on a vehicle is adequate in every aspect so as to avoid any repeat repairs. A shabby job of repair could end up in a disaster for both the customer and the company. If we take AMTs or aircraft technicians into perspective, a very small error on their part could become the reason for an air crash and cost hundreds of lives. An outline of a mechanic’s roles is as follows:

• Possessing a thorough knowledge of all basic and advanced hand tools is a must for a technician.

• Troubleshooting the defects as explained to them by the customer and performing the repairs accordingly.

• Having thorough know-how of the engine and other electrical and mechanical components is a necessity.

• Performing correct diagnosis of the problem by breaking down layman terms as told by the customer.

• The correct procedure to be carried out after the repair and/or maintenance to check for any quality issues is the responsibility of a technician.

• Maintaining a report of the job on the job card comes under the responsibilities of a technician, failing which, the repairs carried out are difficult to track and the task of carrying out diagnosis becomes even harder for the next technician.

Necessary Skills for a Good Mechanic

Apart from knowledge of hand tools and good communication skills, there are many other requirements of an expert mechanic. It is said that there is no end to a technician’s learning curve, this is largely due to the ever-expanding and non-stop innovations in the automobile industry. This makes it crucial for a mechanism to keep gaining knowledge and stay up to date with the new innovations happening in the industry in order to stay relevant to the industry.

What are The Skills Required to Become a Successful Mechanic?

• The technical know-how of electrical, and hydraulic systems and their working, along with this the knowledge of machines and their various components are also crucial and must be possessed by an expert mechanist.

• Precision measurement tools, hand tools, power tools, hydraulic and pneumatic tools and their correct method of operation has to be thoroughly known by a mechanic.

• Essentially, they should know the engine they are working on, inside out, but if not, then at least the basic outlay of the design and blueprint should be with the technician while working.

• Safety in a workshop is a big responsibility and the safeties of themselves as well as their colleagues are one of the roles and responsibilities of a technician.

• Knowledge of all different grades of oils, coolant, batteries, filters, paints, etc. is very crucial for an automotive mechanist.

Conclusion

It takes years of practice, research, study and skills to make an expert automotive mechanic and there are huge responsibilities that rest on their shoulders while carrying out their work in the best possible manner.