A mechanical contractor is a contractor who is responsible for overseeing and implementing mechanical projects. In a project, they are involved in repairing and processing machines and parts of production equipment of factories and enterprises.
1. What a mechanical contractor is and elements of their job
We can find a mechanical contractor in almost any industry. Although, the details of their work vary depending on the field they work. Generally, a contractor is in charge of installing, maintaining, and repairing mechanical systems, etc.
1.1 Mechanical contractors and the overview you need to know
A mechanical contractor is a combination of many professions, and they can work on many different types of projects in various industries. A mechanical engineer ensures that everything is installed and working correctly, including the systems and components of the plant’s production equipment and machinery, etc.Mechanical contractors work as supervisors, overseeing work and working with other workers to ensure that projects run smoothly. Mechanical contractors may hire subcontractors who are experts in their field to carry out the projects they are working on.Indeed your first thought is that contractors only work on construction sites. However, the opportunities for them are vast and include many different areas such as:
- Medicine
- Technology
- Car
- Retail
- Food processing
- Government
- Health care
Becoming a mechanical engineer opens many doors and offers many opportunities to specialize in many different fields.
1.2 Elements that make mechanical contractor become a dynamic profession
A mechanical contractor is an active job and has the opportunity to work with many projects of diverse sizes. Therefore, the types of work of mechanical contractors will also be different, such as:
- Expansion joint replacement: including new expansion joint supply and installation to protect the pipeline in the thermal expansion process.
- Filter house repair: including louver and roof fabrication, steel structure replacement, scaffolding, and painting application.
- Diffuser repair: including a support change, new bolt and nut installation, internal and external repainting, and insulation.
- Boiler fin tube repair: including cutting, welding, and hydraulic process test to recognize leakage/abnormal deformation
- Cold pipe cutting and bevelling: supply machines to part off heavy wall wipe, perform any kind of angles for various weld preparations due to its precision and higher safety.
- Flange facing: provide flange facing solutions from 2” diameter to 126” diameter on any material to meet the surface finish required.
- Controlled bolting: provide technicians and equipment to ensure properly leak-free bolting connections on any bolted joints safely and competently.
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1.3 The mechanical contractor – what do they do, and what are they responsible for?
In projects, a mechanical contractor is heavily involved in coordinating all trades and connecting cooperation between departments. Therefore, the contractor is an essential factor for the success of a project. They must also be aware of time and budget obligations and must complete all elements on time within the project’s budget.Responsibilities of a mechanical contractor are:
- Manage employees, workers
- Assign tasks to team members
- Resource monitoring
- A full scope of electrical construction and maintenance
It’s important to note that while many mechanical technicians do the work themselves, some also subcontract the work to third-party businesses. 
2. What are some skills a mechanical contractor should have?
The mechanical contractor needs various hard and soft skills to do their jobs effectively. These skills may include:
- Advanced math skills
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Communication skills, both orally and in writing
- Leadership skills
- Knowledge of job-specific mechanical systems such as HVAC systems, refrigerators, elevators, etc.
3. The difference between a mechanical contractor and a mechanical engineer?
While contractors and engineers work on different mechanical systems, there are apparent differences between the two career paths. Mechanical engineers design systems and machines that produce energy – such as generators, refrigerators, AC equipment, elevators, etc. Meanwhile, a mechanical undertakes the installation, day-to-day operation, and maintenance of systems and machines.Basically, a mechanical engineer builds systems and machines for public and private use. After such systems or machines are manufactured, the mechanical engineer performs the installation, maintenance, and repair of those systems and machines. If the mechanical engineer’s product doesn’t work, a mechanical contractor will fix the problem, and mechanical engineers do not handle their product again.
Read more: What are the insulation contractors and how to find an ideal one?
A mechanical engineer is a contractor with a certificate of competence in the related professions and capable of performing contracts requiring experience, knowledge, and skill in the construction, maintenance, repair, and maintenance of mechanical systems requiring such certifications (including but not limited to plumbing, heating, and ventilation, air conditioning, fire protection systems) without limitation scale of the project.As a professional mechanical contractor in Vietnam, VIVABLAST is proud to provide versatile solutions with high technical expertise to support our customers in their industrial challenges. VIVABLAST has solutions for mechanical maintenance, especially for the Power Generation and Oil and Gas industries, from technical consulting to project implementation. The mechanical maintenance solutions provided by VIVABLAST mainly include the implementation of cutting, welding, replacing steel structures, and installation (such as solar installation), which are carried out by experienced staff with specific experts’ qualifications and international organization based on International Standards,… For more detailed consulting information on mechanical contractor services, please get in touch with us via:
- Tel: (+84-28)38 965 006/7/8
- Fax: (+84-28)38 965 004
- Email: vivablast@vivablast.com
