What is Mechanical Engineering?

Mechanical Engineering is the application of the principles of physics in the analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is one of the broadest engineering disciplines and has one of the longest histories.

It requires a solid understanding of core concepts including mechanics, kinematics, thermodynamics and energy. Mechanical engineers use these core principles to design and analyze motor vehicles, aircraft, heating and cooling systems, watercraft, manufacturing plants, industrial equipment and machinery, robotics, medical devices, alternative energy solutions and more.

Subdisciplines

Mechanical Engineering may be divided into a number of subdisciplines, which can include the following:

Mechanics is the study of forces and their effect upon matter.

Kinematics is the study of the motion of bodies or groups of bodies.

Structural analysis is the branch of mechanical engineering (and also civil engineering) devoted to examining why and how objects fail.

Thermodynamics is the study of energy, its use and transformation through a system. Typically, engineering thermodynamics is concerned with changing energy from one form to another.

Mechatronics is a combination of electrical and mechanical engineering to create hybrid systems. An example of such a system would be an optical disc drive. Mechanical systems open and close the drive, spin the disc and move the laser, while a laser reads the data on the disc.

Robotics is the application of mechatronics in the creation of robots.

Drafting is the means by which mechanical engineers create instructions for manufacturing parts. A technical drawing can be a computer model or hand-drawn schematic showing all the dimensions necessary to manufacture a part, as well as assembly notes, a list of required materials, and other pertinent information.

Frontiers

Many fields of mechanical engineering are at the frontier of modern research, producing new technology that will better our lives. Some of these fields follow.

Clean Energy

Clean Energy focuses on fuel cells, rechargeable batteries, electrochemical supercapacitors, solar energy with an emphasis on the development of new materials and advanced nuclear fuel cycles; efficient manufacturing processes; system integration and control; analysis, testing and design of components at both the microscale and system levels; and analysis of off-design and transient behavior.

Composites

Composite materials are a combination of materials which provide different physical characteristics than either material independently. Composite material research within mechanical engineering typically focuses on designing stronger or more rigid materials while attempting to reduce weight, susceptibility to corrosion and other undesirable factors. Carbon fiber reinforced composites, for instance, have been used in such diverse applications as spacecrafts and fishing rods.

Advanced Manufacturing

Because of its importance to international competitiveness and the continued development of the economy, advanced manufacturing and materials processing is a focus of a significant national research effort. Manufacturing and materials processing include dimensions and disciplines that encompass all of the important areas of Mechanical Engineering.

Mechanical Systems Intelligence (MSI)

MSI is focused on the scientific development of intelligent machines in order to create a new wave of technology building on the success of the last wave associated with computers. The research seeks to merge robotics with other complex systems (e.g. aircraft, automotives, manufacturing and construction equipment, biomedical devices, etc.) to reduce human drudgery, and enhance the relationship between man and machine.

Nano and Micro-scale Engineering (NMSE)

Nano and Micro-scale Engineering refers to a field of applied science whose theme is the control of matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally nanotechnology deals with structures 100 nanometers or smaller, and involves developing materials or devices within that size.