Materials and Processing

Materials and Processing is concerned with all the processes and activities of converting raw and commodity materials into valuable products for manufacturers or the end consumer.

Processing our raw materials and commodity goods more effectively is important to New Zealand’s continuing economic welfare. We need to develop products that have significant value in world markets. To do this, we need to understand fully the properties of materials as diverse as food, wood, metals, plastics and fuel. We then need to know how to use this knowledge to design, manufacture and process these materials into high-value products such as dietary formula, ceramics that can withstand high temperatures, titanium alloys, pharmaceuticals, laminated boards and functional proteins. We also need to understand the properties of these high-value products and how they will interact with their environment, whether it be within the body or in the atmosphere.

This discipline serves industrial and other activities where material is undergoing a change, be it chemical, biochemical or physical. Process engineering involves knowing how to prepare feed materials, how to make reactions occur, separating and purifying products, controlling wastes, minimising energy usage, and ultimately adding value to the raw materials used to produce something useful to people. These skills form the basis for the majority of New Zealand’s export earnings.

Degrees

• Bachelor of Engineering

Materials and Process Engineering is a specialisation available with the Bachelor of Engineering.

• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Science (Technology)

Materials and Processing can also be taken as a second major or supporting subject within most degrees.

School subjects

NCEA Level 3 Chemistry, Physics and one of Mathematics with Calculus, or Statistics with Modelling.

Other subjects that may interest you

Biochemical Engineering, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Electronic Engineering, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Software Engineering.

Career Opportunities

• Biotechnologist
• Composite Engineer  
• Manager  
• Materials Scientist  
• Process Engineer
• Product Developer  

Potential Employers

• Crown Research Institutes
• Environmental Industries
• Food and Dairy Industries
• Iron and Steel Manufacturing
• Petrochemical and Plastics Industry
• Pulp, Paper and Wood Industries

Papers

MATERIALS AND PROCESSING

ENMP102 Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering
An introduction to the basic laws and concepts of materials science. Topics include: relation of the structure of solids to the physical and mechanical properties of materials and uses of different type of materials. This paper is also a requirement for Materials and Processing Engineering.

MATERIALS AND PROCESS ENGINEERING

200 Level and Beyond
200 and 300 level papers cover a range of topics such as environmental technology, technological innovation and its management, biotechnology, materials performance, and mechanical engineering design.