Free job simulation · Electrical and energy
Mechanical maintenance engineer job simulation
A mechanical maintenance engineer job simulation is practice at keeping machinery running safely. In a simulated board and packaging mill you place vibration readings in zones, work out shaft alignment corrections, judge a cavitating pump, isolate a hydraulic press that stores energy, plan a lift and write a bearing failure root cause analysis. It uses documents and calculations, so nothing real is at risk. It is practice, not employment.
You join Wyreside Board and Packaging Ltd (simulated company), a corrugated board and carton converter, maintenance department in Preston. Days 1 to 5 are free, with about 9 h 20 min of tickets. Premium continues to day 20. It is practice, not employment.
Days 1 to 5 are free. You need a free account and no card. Create an account.
- Free days
- 1 to 5
- Free tickets
- about 9 h 20 min
- Project documents
- 9
- Certificate, optional
- £14.99
The project
You join Wyreside Board and Packaging Ltd (simulated company)
Wyreside Board and Packaging Ltd (simulated company) is a corrugated board and carton converter, maintenance department in Preston. You help its team deliver a project for Wyreside production department, at Converting hall, line CL-3 and utilities (cooling water, hydraulics).
You are the junior maintenance engineer at a board and packaging mill. In four weeks you place a vibration round in its zones, work out a laser alignment, check a lubrication schedule, judge a rattling pump and a belt drive, read an oil report and refuse to leave a guard off. Then a hydraulic baler leaks with stored energy in an accumulator, a crane is past its examination, the only cooling water pump seizes for the third time and a gearbox overheats at night. You write the change, the root cause analysis and the method statement, and hand over a condition-monitoring plan. The skill is to be safe first, evidence-based second, and useful to production third.
What you will do
- Place vibration and temperature readings in their zones and act on them
- Work out laser alignment corrections and belt drive checks
- Isolate a hydraulic press with an accumulator in the correct order
- Plan a motor lift, check the examination record and refuse an unsafe one
- Write a root cause analysis and hand over a condition-monitoring plan
The people you deal with
- Maintenance Managercompany
- Senior Maintenance Fittercompany
- Reliability Techniciancompany
- Maintenance Plannercompany
- Health and Safety Advisorcompany
- Stores Controllercompany
- Production Managerclient
- Shift Team Leaderclient
- Hydraulic Service Engineervendor
- Lifting Equipment Engineervendor
The company, client and site are fictional. The people are fictional too.
Look inside
What the simulator looks like
The workplace, your tickets, the documents and the team chat, as a learner sees them.
Start in the workplace, with the team around you. 
Today: the morning email and your tickets for the day. 
Work: every ticket, by day, with its status. 
A ticket, written the way a colleague would write it. 
A project document with its number, revision and status. 
Ask a colleague. They are AI colleagues: they help you think, they do not hand out answers.
Screenshots from the simulator. Company, people and data are fictional. Portraits are AI-generated.
Meet the team
The colleagues you work with
You can read their messages and ask them questions. They are AI colleagues, clearly labelled. They help you think a ticket through; they do not hand out its answer.
- HTHelen TattersallMaintenance ManagerSimulated colleague, company side
- DTDelroy TullochSenior Maintenance FitterSimulated colleague, company side
- AYAisha YardleyReliability TechnicianSimulated colleague, company side
- RSRuth StanhopeMaintenance PlannerSimulated colleague, company side
- ESEwa SzymanskiHealth and Safety AdvisorSimulated colleague, company side
- BSBarry SutcliffeStores ControllerSimulated colleague, company side
- NTNaveen ThakrarProduction ManagerSimulated colleague, client side
- CWCraig WraggShift Team LeaderSimulated colleague, client side
Fictional people. Portraits are AI-generated.
What you get
What you walk away with
Run a month in a mill maintenance team: condition monitoring, alignment, stored energy, lifting and a root cause analysis.
What you produce
Condition round zone and action list
Condition report
Lubrication schedule review
Lubrication check
Gearbox oil analysis note
Condition note
A closed work order with findings
CMMS record
Change request for a coupling
Change controlPremium
Root cause analysis of a bearing failure
RCA reportPremium
Method statement and risk assessment
RAMSPremium
Condition-monitoring plan
CapstonePremium
Skills you practise
- Mechanical maintenance
- Safety and safe systems of work
- Machinery safety and guarding
- Condition monitoring (vibration, thermography, oil)
- Written communication
- Risk assessment
- Root-cause analysis
- Lubrication
Roles to look for
- Mechanical Maintenance Engineer
- Maintenance Fitter
- Multi-skilled Maintenance Engineer (mechanical bias)
- Reliability Technician
2264 live openings on the UK jobs board, checked 24 Oct 2026. See the jobs
Your proof
- A certificate anyone can verify. Optional, and included in Premium.
- An entry on your EDWartens profile under Work experience, marked as a job simulation.
- A work record with your skill scores, with Premium.
Free courses that go with it
What you can talk about at interview
- You can explain how you placed vibration readings in zones and why the limit depends on the machine.
- You can walk an interviewer through isolating a hydraulic press with an accumulator, step by step.
- In Premium, you can talk through a root cause analysis you wrote and a lift you refused because of an overdue examination.
Day by day
Days 1 to 5, ticket by ticket
Self-paced. A day opens when you hand in the previous day's tickets. Every ticket is checked, and you see the model answer after it.
Day 1
about 2 h 10 min- Induction: isolation, stored energy and lifting rulesQuiz · 50 min
- Condition round: zone, action and temperature statusTable · 1 h 20 min
Day 2
about 2 h 40 min- Laser alignment: tolerance and foot correctionsCalculation · 1 h 20 min
- Check the draft lubrication scheduleDocument review · 1 h 20 min
Day 3
about 1 h 40 min- P-204 is rattling like gravelDecision · 40 min
- Belt drive checks on extraction fan F-310Calculation · 1 h
Day 4
about 1 h 10 min- Gearbox GB-301: oil analysis noteWriting · 1 h 10 min
Day 5
about 1 h 40 min- The guard is off and a lorry is waitingDecision · 40 min
- Close out work order WO-2026-021774Writing · 1 h
Premium: days 6 to 20about 22 h 25 min more
After day 5 the project goes on with a change request, site work, faults, a handover and a capstone reviewed by an engineer.
Day 6
about 1 h 50 min- Isolate baler BP-2: put the steps in orderTable · 1 h 50 min
Day 7
about 40 min- Hose spraying, 40 bales to goDecision · 40 min
Day 8
about 1 h 30 min- Check the PUWER guarding assessmentDocument review · 1 h 30 min
Day 9
about 1 h 40 min- Change request: spacer coupling on P-204Writing · 1 h 40 min
Day 10
about 1 h 20 min- NPSH available for P-204, clean and fouledCalculation · 1 h 20 min
Day 11
about 1 h 30 min- Lift plan loads for the M-301 motor changeCalculation · 1 h 30 min
Day 12
about 40 min- The crane has never dropped anythingDecision · 40 min
Day 13
about 1 h 50 min- Root cause analysis: P-204 bearing failureWriting · 1 h 50 min
Day 14
about 40 min- 02:40: gearbox GB-301 at 96 degreesDecision · 40 min
Day 15
about 1 h 30 min- Re-order points for the critical sparesTable · 1 h 30 min
Day 16
about 1 h 20 min- How long should the 6309 bearing last?Calculation · 1 h 20 min
Day 17
about 2 h- Method statement and risk assessment: BP-2 accumulatorWriting · 2 h
Day 18
about 4 h- Capstone: condition-monitoring plan for the converting hallHand-in · 4 h
Day 19
about 1 h 10 min- Reliability of P-204: MTBF, availability and costCalculation · 1 h 10 min
Day 20
about 45 min- A conversation about your own workViva · 45 min
Real documents
The documents you will work with
Each one has a number, a revision and an approver, the way a project document does. You read them, check them and write your own.
WBP-HSE-001
Machinery safety rules, isolation and lifting
Rev 4Safety procedure
WBP-CMR-041
Condition monitoring round, week 41: readings and limits
Rev 1Condition monitoring report
WBP-ALN-007
Laser alignment report, pump P-204 and motor M-204
Rev AAlignment report
WBP-LUB-000
Lubricant register and relubrication rules
Rev 2Lubrication standard
WBP-LUB-014
Lubrication schedule, converting hall, draft
Rev ALubrication schedule
WBP-PMP-204
Pump P-204 datasheet and duty readings
Rev AEquipment datasheet
WBP-FAN-310
Extraction fan F-310: drive data and belt inspection sheet
Rev 1Equipment datasheet
WBP-OIL-0412
Oil analysis report, gearbox GB-301
Rev 1Oil analysis
WBP-LOG-009
Your notes from the F-310 belt change, day 5
Rev 1Shift log
Documents that arrive in Premiumchange requests, records, handover
WBP-HYD-003
Baler BP-2: hydraulic circuit data and isolation points
Rev BHydraulic schematic and SOPPremium
WBP-RA-022
PUWER guarding assessment, infeed of line CL-3
Rev ARisk assessmentPremium
WBP-MOC-001
Management of change: coupling on pump P-204
Rev AChange requestPremium
WBP-PMP-204
Pump P-204 datasheet, coupling changed
Rev BEquipment datasheetPremium
WBP-CAL-031
Pump P-204 suction conditions and NPSH check
Rev ACalculation sheetPremium
WBP-LFT-011
Lift plan: replace motor M-301 in bay 2
Rev ALift planPremium
WBP-RCA-027
Incident file: P-204 drive-end bearing failure
Rev ARCA evidencePremium
WBP-SPR-001
Critical spares list and re-order rule
Rev BSpare parts listPremium
WBP-PM-001
Preventive maintenance plan, converting hall, revised after RCA-027
Rev BPM planPremium
WBP-CMP-001
Condition monitoring plan: requirements
Rev ACapstone briefPremium
WBP-HOV-001
Maintenance handover pack requirements
Rev AHandover indexPremium
Tools
In the industry, and here
| In the industry | Here |
|---|---|
| Vibration meter, thermal camera, laser alignment kit, grease gun | Readings, reports and alignment numbers given in documents that you check and calculate from |
| CMMS work orders and close-out notes | Work orders and close-out notes as documents and tickets |
| Permits, isolation procedures, lift plans and risk assessments | Draft procedures to review and method statements to write |
| Spreadsheets for spares, reliability and bearing life | Tables and calculations you complete and have checked |
Standards
The standards the work follows
- PUWER 1998
- LOLER 1998
- ISO 20816-3 (vibration severity)
- BS EN ISO 4413 (hydraulics, basics)
- BS EN ISO 14120 and 14119 (guards and interlocks)
- ISO 281 (bearing life)
In the UK
The Mechanical Maintenance Engineer role in a UK setting
Who employs this kind of engineer: Paper, board and packaging mills, process and manufacturing plants, and rotating-equipment service companies.
Where: Industrial regions such as the North West, Yorkshire, the Midlands, Scotland and the South West have many sites with mechanical maintenance and reliability teams. This is context, not a statement about vacancies.
UK standards and regulations to know about
PUWER 1998
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations: equipment must be suitable, maintained and safe to use. HSE guidance L22 explains them.
LOLER 1998
Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations: planning, supervising and examining lifting operations.
PSSR 2000
Pressure Systems Safety Regulations: relevant to hydraulic accumulators and other stored-pressure equipment.
BS EN ISO 4413
Safety requirements for hydraulic systems. Basics only in this simulation.
These are named so that you recognise them. A job simulation does not teach them as a qualification, the tasks use simplified data, and you should always read the current edition of anything you rely on.
Your proof, optional
A certificate you can verify
The free days are free. The graded, verifiable certificate is an optional extra, and it is included in Premium.
- A graded, verifiable certificate with your score and band
- A public verification page and QR code
- One-click add to LinkedIn as a licence or certification
- Issued by WARTENS LTD. It is a training certificate, not an accredited qualification, and the company is simulated
Optional: £14.99 including VAT, once you pass.
Job Simulation Certificate
Your name
completed the Mechanical Maintenance Engineer job simulation at Wyreside Board and Packaging Ltd (simulated company). Your score and band are shown on the real certificate.
- Number
- EDW-JS-0000
- Issued by
- WARTENS LTD
Not an accredited qualification. A verification page and QR code are printed on the real certificate.
Prepare
Free courses and labs that get you ready
Linked from the tickets that need them. You can read them before you start.
Free courses
- Vibration Analysis Training
- Machinery Fault Diagnosis and Condition Monitoring
- Industrial Pneumatics and Hydraulics
- Machine Safety: ISO 12100, ISO 13849 and SISTEMA
- Health and Safety Foundations: HSWA 1974, RIDDOR and ISO 45001
- Pumps, Compressors and Rotating Equipment
- Reliability Engineering: RCM, Root Cause Analysis, Weibull
- Maintenance Planning, Scheduling and CMMS with SAP PM
About the Mechanical Maintenance Engineer role
Vibration zones and bearing temperature, worked through
Overall vibration velocity in mm/s rms is a first screen for rotating machinery. ISO 20816-3 gives general guidance by machine group and by how rigid the support is, with four zones from A (as new) to D (severe enough to cause damage). The same reading can be acceptable on one machine and a warning on another.
In the simulation you place six readings from a monthly round in their zones, give the action for each and judge the housing temperature against alert and alarm limits. Then you use each machine's own baseline to set better alert levels.
Laser alignment: offset, angle and shims
Misalignment loads the bearings and the coupling. A laser report gives the offset at the coupling and the angle between shafts. From those you work out the offset at the motor feet and the shims to remove or add, then check them against a tolerance that depends on speed.
The project gives you a pump and motor at 1480 rpm and a soft foot reading. Curing soft foot first is part of the answer, because the numbers are wrong if the foot moves when the bolt is tightened.
Cavitation and NPSH: why a hot pump rattles
A centrifugal pump cavitates when the pressure at the impeller eye falls below the vapour pressure of the liquid. NPSH available must stay above NPSH required by a margin. Hot water has a high vapour pressure, so the margin is small and a blocked strainer can remove it.
You calculate NPSH available with a clean and a fouled strainer, decide what to tell the shift when a pump rattles like gravel, and see why closing the suction valve is the wrong cure.
Stored energy, guarding and lifting in UK practice
Hydraulic accumulators keep a circuit pressurised after the pump stops, and a raised platen can fall. PUWER 1998 requires isolation from every source of energy for maintenance, so the order of steps matters: stop, make the load safe, lock with your own lock, prove, discharge and read zero.
You put the isolation steps of a baler in order, refuse a request to find a leak with cardboard, review a guarding assessment for planted faults and decide what to do when a crane is past its LOLER thorough examination.
Bearing failure root cause and the handover
A bearing that fails three times in 17 months is a system problem. The project gives you an incident file, a bearing life calculation and a reliability calculation, and asks for a root cause analysis with owners and dates. You look at the evidence first and the fix second, which is what a reliability engineer expects.
The capstone is a condition-monitoring plan for six critical assets, with techniques, limits, responses and a first-month calendar. A viva checks that you can explain your own work.
Keep going
Related job simulations and courses
Maintenance Electrical Engineer
Work orders, safe isolation, fault finding and a root-cause report.
Quality Engineer
8D, PFMEA, SPC and a customer complaint with 24-hour containment.
Commissioning Engineer
Loop checks, I/O checkout, SAT and a punch list on a plant that is nearly ready.
- Engineering job simulations
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Content reviewed 19 Oct 2026; UK context added 21 Oct 2026. Practice, not employment.
Questions
Quick answers
What does a mechanical maintenance engineer do?
They keep pumps, fans, gearboxes, hydraulic systems and lifting equipment working by planned maintenance, fault finding and condition monitoring, and they record what they find so the next shift can carry on. They also work safely around stored energy, guarding and lifting.
What is shaft alignment and why does it matter?
It is lining up the centrelines of two coupled shafts. Misalignment loads the bearings and the coupling and shortens their life, so it is measured, usually with a laser, and corrected with shims and sideways moves.
What is cavitation in a pump?
Vapour bubbles form when the pressure at the impeller inlet falls below the liquid's vapour pressure and then collapse, pitting the impeller and damaging bearings. It usually sounds like gravel and is a suction side problem.
What is stored energy and why is stopping the pump not enough?
Energy can remain after the power is off, for example in a hydraulic accumulator, a raised platen or a loaded spring. Isolation means every source is made safe, locked and proved at zero.
What are PUWER and LOLER?
They are UK regulations from 1998. PUWER covers the safe provision and use of work equipment, including guarding, maintenance and isolation. LOLER covers lifting equipment, including planning of lifts and thorough examination.
Do I need a 3D lab for this?
No. The work is mechanical, so you use reports, drawings and calculations, and compare your answers with worked solutions.
Do I need to be a fitter or a mechanical engineer?
No. The simulation teaches the order of work, the numbers and the safety rules, but it does not make you authorised to work on machinery. Always follow the rules of your own employer and country.
Is the mill a real one?
No. Wyreside Board and Packaging is a made-up company and the site is simulated. The documents, readings and situations follow what a junior maintenance engineer meets.
How long does it take?
The free week is about nine hours over five days. The full Premium edition runs over twenty working days and about thirty-two hours, at your own pace.
Does it use a 3D lab?
No. The work is mechanical, so you work from reports, drawings and data, and calculate the answers yourself. Every calculation shows its working afterwards.
What do I get at the end?
A work record with scores by task and skill, which shows on your EDWartens profile under Work experience, marked as a job simulation.
Is the Mechanical Maintenance Engineer job simulation free?
Yes, to start. Days 1 to 5 are free. The certificate (£14.99) and the Premium edition (£53.99) are optional, and both prices include VAT.
Does it count as work experience?
No. It is a training project at a simulated company, not employment, an internship or a placement. A job simulation is a realistic training project at a simulated company. It is not employment, an internship or a work placement, and it is not a job offer. Hours are active hours the learner logged on EDWartens UK.
A job simulation is a realistic training project at a simulated company. It is not employment, an internship or a work placement, and it is not a job offer. Hours are active hours the learner logged on EDWartens UK.
Start the Mechanical Maintenance Engineer job simulation today
Days 1 to 5 are free. No card to start. Practice, not employment.