THE MECHANICAL ENGINEER IN A SOCIETY energy systems.

Furthermore, students acquire

valuable skills in creative thinking, critical analysis,
Mechanical engineers and teamwork, which are highly sought after in any
- are critical to the inner workings of today's engineering industry, consulting, and management.
The rapidly-evolving technologies and economies of
society. Mechanical engineers research, design,
today require graduates with an adaptable and
develop, manufacture and test a variety of
broad skill set, which the Mechanical Engineering
mechanical devices including tools, engines, and
degree.
machines. Ultimately anything that can be
imagined, designed, and built has an aspect of Duties
mechanical engineering to it. Mechanical engineers typically do the following:
- work on a wide variety of machines, which • Analyze problems to see how mechanical and
produce power from electric generators to thermal devices might help solve a particular
internal combustion engines to steam and gas problem
turbines. • Design or redesign mechanical and thermal
- are experts on the use of existing energy devices or subsystems, using analysis and
resources and in developing new equipment. computer-aided design
- is one of the oldest and broadest engineering • Investigate equipment failures or difficulties to
disciplines and plays a significant role in diagnose faulty operation and to recommend
remedies
enhancing safety, economic vitality, enjoyment,
• Develop and test prototypes of devices they
and overall quality of life throughout the world.
design
A Mechanical Engineer can contribute to the • Analyze the test results and change the design or
society by following means: system as needed
• Oversee the manufacturing process for the device
1) helping the society by conducting an awareness
program in minimizing solid waste.
2) helping the public by conducting an awareness Mechanical engineers should also possess the
program in reducing the misuse of i) cooked food, ii) following specific qualities:
water, iii) paper, etc.
3) helping the society by conducting an awareness Creativity. Mechanical engineers design and build
program in giving the first priority to Cleanliness (so complex pieces of equipment and machinery. A
that the health of the society can be improved). creative mind is essential for this kind of work.
4) helping the society by conducting an awareness
program in the safety aspects of our mundane Listening skills. Mechanical engineers often work on
activities. projects with other engineers and professionals,
5) helping the society by introducing cost-effective such as architects. They must listen to and analyze
products. different approaches to the task at hand.
6) helping the society by conducting an awareness
program to use the present technology in an Math skills. Mechanical engineers use the principles
environmentally friendly way/approach. of calculus, trigonometry, and other advanced
7) helping the society by conducting an awareness topics in math for analysis, design, and
program as to ‘how to manage the waste disposal’. troubleshooting in their work.
8) helping the society by conducting an awareness
program for the public regarding planning mundane Mechanical skills. This allows engineers to apply
activities in a smooth way basic engineering concepts and mechanical
processes to the design of new devices.
What are your career prospects?
Problem-solving skills. Mechanical engineers take
The broadness of the Mechanical Engineering scientific discoveries and seek to make them into
degree offers a wide array of career possibilities. products that would be useful to people,
The key characteristics of the profession are its companies, and governments. Experience gained
breadth, flexibility, and individuality. The career through laboratory courses at university or a
paths of mechanical engineers are largely cooperative education program in college helps
determined by individual choices, a unique mechanical engineers develop skills that are useful
advantage in a dynamic world. Mechanical in solving real-world problems.
engineers are capable of working in a wide variety
of industry sectors, and new technologies will
create industries that don't exist today. Mechanical
engineers are no longer confined to the traditional
industries of aerospace, automotive, and
manufacturing, but are also employed extensively
in important emerging areas, such as nuclear
technology, robotics, biomedical technology, and
THE MECHANICAL ENGINEERING PROFESSION HVAC Engineering
Weather and climate are a natural
Nanotechnology - involves the manipulation of phenomenon, but fortunately, we have power over
molecules and atoms measured in nanometers, or 1 the elements inside a confined space, and that is
billionth of a meter, for use in modeling and what HVAC engineering is concerned with. It means
manufacturing. In this field, knowledge of Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning
mechanical engineering principles is utilized to solve engineering and again includes the principles of
issues at exceptionally small scales, where materials thermodynamics, fluid transfer, etc.
– due to their minuscule size – have properties that Marine Engineering
differ from materials of size. These differences are Marine engineering relates to the maintenance
what give nanotechnology an advantage and these and operation of the propulsion and other machines
advantages are used to improve manufacturing and onboard a ship. Machinery-on board the ship ranges
other processes. from the main propulsion plant, boilers, purifiers,
Manufacturing - Mechanical engineers who work in auxiliary generators, pumps, and so on.
manufacturing may have a variety of Aerospace Engineering
jobs/responsibilities, they can range from the Similar to marine engineering that focuses on
design and development of machines to work in transportation that floats, aerospace engineering is
research and testing. They will always have the task concerned with transportation that can fly.
of exploring efficient ways to convert raw materials Aerospace has further been subdivided into two
into a finished product. Opportunities may present main parts, astronautical and aeronautical
themselves to also work in the design and engineering which deal with spacecraft and
coordination of production systems while working airplanes respectively.
in this field. Working in the manufacturing field, Automotive Engineering
mechanical engineers will help to make a variety of Automotive engineering's main focus is vehicles
products including airplanes, electronics, cars, toys, that travel on roads as opposed to air or sea.
and recreational equipment. The manufacturing Automotive engineering again could be divided into
engineering discipline has very strong overlaps with several different parameters which each, in turn,
industrial engineering, electronic engineering, requires a specialist skillset of its own, like safety
mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, engineer, design engineer, etc. These sub-sectors
material management, and operations concentrate on the different sections of automotive
management. engineering during its maintenance, manufacturing,
Robotics - Working in the field of robotics as a or design.
mechanical engineer, some of your responsibilities Computer-Aided Engineering
might include the design and fabrication of Computer-Aided Engineering is more popularly
machines and devices that interact with their known as CAE and is used with CAM (Computer-
surroundings and can be operated remotely. The Aided Manufacturing) and CAD (Computer-Aided
spectrum of robots can vary from simplistic Design). It mainly focuses on using computers and
machines to more complex designs that can fulfill a software programs like AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor,
role in the manufacturing industry, carry out and Fusion 360, to carry out the design, simulation,
nuanced motions such as moving a human limb or and analysis of various procedures and machines. It
performing dangerous tasks too risky for a human is utilized in various fields such as automobile
being. Working as a robotics engineer you may have design and naval architecture to name a few. A
to work in many different industries including combination of automotive engineering and CAE
transportation and agriculture. Mechatronics
Thermodynamics - As a mechanical engineer in the A recent addition to mechanical engineering
field of thermodynamics, your focus will be on branches is mechatronics, which refers to a
energy and the systems available to transform and combination of mechanical electronics and
conserve it for several different applications. For computer engineering. It can also be referred to as
example, you might have to design a system that a hybrid branch that can cover several fields at the
can convert thermal heat into mechanical energy. same time.
You may work in refrigeration or the production of Acoustical Engineering
geothermal energy or could use your knowledge of Acoustical engineering is the field of mechanical
fluid mechanics and heat transfer to help design engineering that deals with vibrations and sounds. It
propulsion systems, power plants, refrigeration, and mainly focuses on analysis control and the design of
air-conditioning systems management systems. sound. The primary aim of acoustic engineering is to
Power Plant Engineering control the reduction of unwanted noises. This can
Every process needs energy and power, these be achieved by using sound absorbers, noise
are created in power plants and there are multiple barriers, and silencers or by redesigning the sound
modes of production like hydro, nuclear, thermal, sources themselves.
etc. As mentioned previously, this branch of
mechanical engineering utilizes the principles of
thermodynamics and uses equipment such as
alternators, boilers, etc.