Mechanical engineering

Mechanical Engineering redirects here. For the

publication, see ASME.

Mechanical engineering is the discipline that applies

engineering, physics, and materials science principles to
design, analyze, manufacture, and maintain mechanical
systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the
design, production, and operation of machinery.[1][2] It is
one of the oldest and broadest of the engineering disci-
plines.
The mechanical engineering eld requires an under-
standing of core areas including mechanics, kinematics,
thermodynamics, materials science, structural analysis,
W16
and electricity. In addition to these core principles, me-
engine of the Bugatti Veyron. Mechanical engineers
chanical engineers use tools such as computer-aided de-
design and build engines, power plants, other machines...
sign (CAD), and product life cycle management to design
and analyze manufacturing plants, industrial equipment
and machinery, heating and cooling systems, transport
systems, aircraft, watercraft, robotics, medical devices,
weapons, and others.
Mechanical engineering emerged as a eld during
the Industrial Revolution in Europe in the 18th cen- ...structures,
tury; however, its development can be traced back and vehicles of all sizes.
several thousand years around the world. In the
19th century, developments in physics led to the de-
velopment of mechanical engineering science. The
eld has continually evolved to incorporate advance-
ments; today mechanical engineers are pursuing de-
1 History
velopments in such areas as composites, mechatronics,
and nanotechnology. It also overlaps with aerospace The application of mechanical engineering can be seen in
engineering, metallurgical engineering, civil engineer- the archives of various ancient and medieval societies. In
ing, electrical engineering, manufacturing engineering, ancient Greece, the works of Archimedes (287212 BC)
chemical engineering, industrial engineering, and other inuenced mechanics in the Western tradition and Heron
engineering disciplines to varying amounts. Mechanical of Alexandria (c. 1070 AD) created the rst steam en-
engineers may also work in the eld of biomedical en- gine (Aeolipile).[3] In China, Zhang Heng (78139 AD)
gineering, specically with biomechanics, transport phe- improved a water clock and invented a seismometer, and
nomena, biomechatronics, bionanotechnology, and mod- Ma Jun (200265 AD) invented a chariot with dierential
eling of biological systems. gears. The medieval Chinese horologist and engineer
Su Song (10201101 AD) incorporated an escapement
mechanism into his astronomical clock tower two cen-
turies before escapement devices were found in medieval
European clocks. He also invented the worlds rst known
endless power-transmitting chain drive.[4]
During the Islamic Golden Age (7th to 15th century),
Muslim inventors made remarkable contributions in the
eld of mechanical technology. Al-Jazari, who was one
of them, wrote his famous Book of Knowledge of Inge-
nious Mechanical Devices in 1206, and presented many
mechanical designs. He is also considered to be the in-

1
2 2 EDUCATION

ventor of such mechanical devices which now form the Degrees in mechanical engineering are oered at vari-
very basic of mechanisms, such as the crankshaft and ous universities worldwide. In Ireland, Brazil, Philip-
camshaft.[5] pines, Pakistan, China, Greece, Turkey, North America,
During the 17th century, important breakthroughs in South Asia, Nepal, India, Dominican Republic, Iran and
the foundations of mechanical engineering occurred in the United Kingdom, mechanical engineering programs
England. Sir Isaac Newton formulated Newtons Laws of typically take four to ve years of study and result in a
Motion and developed Calculus, the mathematical basis Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng. or B.E.), Bachelor of
of physics. Newton was reluctant to publish his works for Science (B.Sc. or B.S.), Bachelor of Science Engineering
(B.Sc.Eng.), Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.), Bache-
years, but he was nally persuaded to do so by his col-
leagues, such as Sir Edmond Halley, much to the benet lor of Mechanical Engineering (B.M.E.), or Bachelor of
Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) degree, in or with emphasis
of all mankind. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz is also cred-
ited with creating Calculus during this time period. in mechanical engineering. In Spain, Portugal and most
of South America, where neither B.Sc. nor B.Tech. pro-
During the early 19th century industrial revolution, grams have been adopted, the formal name for the degree
machine tools were developed in England, Germany, and is Mechanical Engineer, and the course work is based
Scotland. This allowed mechanical engineering to de- on ve or six years of training. In Italy the course work is
velop as a separate eld within engineering. They brought based on ve years of education, and training, but in or-
with them manufacturing machines and the engines to der to qualify as an Engineer one has to pass a state exam
power them.[6] The rst British professional society of at the end of the course. In Greece, the coursework is
mechanical engineers was formed in 1847 Institution of based on a ve-year curriculum and the requirement of a
Mechanical Engineers, thirty years after the civil engi- 'Diploma' Thesis, which upon completion a 'Diploma' is
neers formed the rst such professional society Institution awarded rather than a B.Sc.
of Civil Engineers.[7] On the European continent, Johann
von Zimmermann (18201901) founded the rst factory In Australia, mechanical engineering degrees are
for grinding machines in Chemnitz, Germany in 1848. awarded as Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) or
similar nomenclature[10] although there are an increasing
In the United States, the American Society of Mechan- number of specialisations. The degree takes four years of
ical Engineers (ASME) was formed in 1880, becom- full-time study to achieve. To ensure quality in engineer-
ing the third such professional engineering society, after ing degrees, Engineers Australia accredits engineering
the American Society of Civil Engineers (1852) and the degrees awarded by Australian universities in accordance
American Institute of Mining Engineers (1871).[8] The with the global Washington Accord. Before the degree
rst schools in the United States to oer an engineer- can be awarded, the student must complete at least 3
ing education were the United States Military Academy months of on the job work experience in an engineering
in 1817, an institution now known as Norwich Uni- rm. Similar systems are also present in South Africa
versity in 1819, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in and are overseen by the Engineering Council of South
1825. Education in mechanical engineering has histori- Africa (ECSA).
cally been based on a strong foundation in mathematics
and science.[9] In the United States, most undergraduate mechanical en-
gineering programs are accredited by the Accreditation
Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) to en-
sure similar course requirements and standards among
2 Education universities. The ABET web site lists 302 accredited me-
chanical engineering programs as of 11 March 2014.[11]
Mechanical engineering programs in Canada are accred-
ited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board
(CEAB),[12] and most other countries oering engineer-
ing degrees have similar accreditation societies.
In India, to become an engineer, one needs to have an en-
gineering degree like a B.Tech or B.E or have a diploma
in engineering or by completing a course in an engineer-
ing trade like tter from the Industrial Training Institute
(ITIs) to receive a ITI Trade Certicate and also have to
pass the All India Trade Test (AITT) with an engineering
trade conducted by the National Council of Vocational
Training (NCVT) by which one is awarded a National
Trade Certicate. Similar systems are used in Nepal.
Some mechanical engineers go on to pursue a postgrad-
Archimedes screw was operated by hand and could eciently uate degree such as a Master of Engineering, Master of
raise water, as the animated red ball demonstrates.
2.2 License and regulation 3

Technology, Master of Science, Master of Engineering Engineering design and product design
Management (M.Eng.Mgt. or M.E.M.), a Doctor of Phi-
Drafting, computer-aided design (CAD) and
losophy in engineering (Eng.D. or Ph.D.) or an engineers
computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)[15][16]
degree. The masters and engineers degrees may or may
not include research. The Doctor of Philosophy includes
Mechanical engineers are also expected to understand
a signicant research component and is often viewed as
and be able to apply basic concepts from chemistry,
the entry point to academia.[13] The Engineers degree ex-
physics, chemical engineering, civil engineering, and
ists at a few institutions at an intermediate level between
electrical engineering. All mechanical engineering pro-
the masters degree and the doctorate.
grams include multiple semesters of mathematical classes
including calculus, and advanced mathematical concepts
2.1 Coursework including dierential equations, partial dierential equa-
tions, linear algebra, abstract algebra, and dierential ge-
Standards set by each countrys accreditation society are ometry, among others.
intended to provide uniformity in fundamental subject In addition to the core mechanical engineering curricu-
material, promote competence among graduating engi- lum, many mechanical engineering programs oer more
neers, and to maintain condence in the engineering pro- specialized programs and classes, such as control systems,
fession as a whole. Engineering programs in the U.S., for robotics, transport and logistics, cryogenics, fuel tech-
example, are required by ABET to show that their stu- nology, automotive engineering, biomechanics, vibration,
dents can work professionally in both thermal and me- optics and others, if a separate department does not exist
chanical systems areas.[14] The specic courses required for these subjects.[17]
to graduate, however, may dier from program to pro-
Most mechanical engineering programs also require vary-
gram. Universities and Institutes of technology will of-
ing amounts of research or community projects to gain
ten combine multiple subjects into a single class or split
practical problem-solving experience. In the United
a subject into multiple classes, depending on the faculty
States it is common for mechanical engineering students
available and the universitys major area(s) of research.
to complete one or more internships while studying,
The fundamental subjects of mechanical engineering though this is not typically mandated by the university.
usually include: Cooperative education is another option. Future work
skills[18] research puts demand on study components that
[19]
Mathematics (in particular, calculus, dierential feed students creativity and innovation.
equations, and linear algebra)

Basic physical sciences (including physics and 2.2 License and regulation
chemistry)
Engineers may seek license by a state, provincial, or
Statics and dynamics national government. The purpose of this process is
to ensure that engineers possess the necessary techni-
Strength of materials and solid mechanics
cal knowledge, real-world experience, and knowledge of
Materials Engineering, Composites the local legal system to practice engineering at a pro-
fessional level. Once certied, the engineer is given
Thermodynamics, heat transfer, energy conversion, the title of Professional Engineer (in the United States,
and HVAC Canada, Japan, South Korea, Bangladesh and South
Africa), Chartered Engineer (in the United Kingdom, Ire-
Fuels, combustion, Internal combustion engine
land, India and Zimbabwe), Chartered Professional Engi-
Fluid mechanics (including uid statics and uid dy- neer (in Australia and New Zealand) or European Engi-
namics) neer (much of the European Union), or Professional En-
gineer in Philippines and Pakistan.
Mechanism and Machine design (including
In the U.S., to become a licensed Professional Engi-
kinematics and dynamics)
neer (PE), an engineer must pass the comprehensive FE
Instrumentation and measurement (Fundamentals of Engineering) exam, work a minimum
of 4 years as an Engineering Intern (EI) or Engineer-in-
Manufacturing engineering, technology, or pro- Training (EIT), and pass the Principles and Practice
cesses or PE (Practicing Engineer or Professional Engineer) ex-
ams. The requirements and steps of this process are set
Vibration, control theory and control engineering forth by the National Council of Examiners for Engineer-
Hydraulics, and pneumatics ing and Surveying (NCEES), a composed of engineering
and land surveying licensing boards representing all U.S.
Mechatronics, and robotics states and territories.
4 5 MODERN TOOLS

In the UK, current graduates require a BEng plus an ap- Like other engineers, mechanical engineers use comput-
propriate masters degree or an integrated MEng degree, ers to help create and analyze designs, run simulations and
a minimum of 4 years post graduate on the job com- test how a machine is likely to work.[23]
petency development, and a peer reviewed project re-
port in the candidates specialty area in order to become
a Chartered Mechanical Engineer (CEng, MIMechE) 4 Salaries and workforce statistics
through the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. CEng
MIMechE can also be obtained via an examination route
administered by the City and Guilds of London Institute. The total number of engineers employed in the U.S. in
2015 was roughly 1.6 million. Of these, 278,340 were
In most developed countries, certain engineering tasks, mechanical engineers (17.28%), the largest discipline by
such as the design of bridges, electric power plants, and size.[24] In 2012, the median annual income of mechan-
chemical plants, must be approved by a professional en- ical engineers in the U.S. workforce was $80,580. The
gineer or a chartered engineer. Only a licensed engi- median income was highest when working for the govern-
neer, for instance, may prepare, sign, seal and submit en- ment ($92,030), and lowest in education ($57,090).[25] In
gineering plans and drawings to a public authority for ap- 2014, the total number of mechanical engineering jobs
proval, or to seal engineering work for public and private was projected to grow 5% over the next decade.[26] As
clients.[20] This requirement can be written into state and of 2009, the average starting salary was $58,800 with a
provincial legislation, such as in the Canadian provinces, bachelors degree.[27]
for example the Ontario or Quebecs Engineer Act.[21]
In other countries, such as Australia, and the UK, no
such legislation exists; however, practically all certifying 5 Modern tools
bodies maintain a code of ethics independent of legis-
lation, that they expect all members to abide by or risk
expulsion.[22]
Further information: FE Exam, Professional Engineer,
Incorporated Engineer, and Washington Accord

3 Job duties
Mechanical engineers research, design, develop, build,
and test mechanical and thermal devices, including tools,
engines, and machines.
Mechanical engineers typically do the following:

Analyze problems to see how mechanical and ther-

mal devices might help solve the problem. An oblique view of a four-cylinder inline crankshaft with pistons

Design or redesign mechanical and thermal devices

Many mechanical engineering companies, especially
using analysis and computer-aided design.
those in industrialized nations, have begun to incorporate
Develop and test prototypes of devices they design. computer-aided engineering (CAE) programs into their
existing design and analysis processes, including 2D and
Analyze the test results and change the design as 3D solid modeling computer-aided design (CAD). This
needed. method has many benets, including easier and more ex-
haustive visualization of products, the ability to create vir-
Oversee the manufacturing process for the device. tual assemblies of parts, and the ease of use in designing
mating interfaces and tolerances.
Mechanical engineers design and oversee the manufac- Other CAE programs commonly used by mechanical
turing of many products ranging from medical devices engineers include product lifecycle management (PLM)
to new batteries. They also design power-producing ma- tools and analysis tools used to perform complex simula-
chines such as electric generators, internal combustion tions. Analysis tools may be used to predict product re-
engines, and steam and gas turbines as well as power- sponse to expected loads, including fatigue life and man-
using machines, such as refrigeration and air-conditioning ufacturability. These tools include nite element anal-
systems. ysis (FEA), computational uid dynamics (CFD), and
6.2 Mechatronics and robotics 5

computer-aided manufacturing (CAM).

(shear)
Using CAE programs, a mechanical design team can
quickly and cheaply iterate the design process to develop max
(xx(),xy())
a product that better meets cost, performance, and other xy()
constraints. No physical prototype need be created until
the design nears completion, allowing hundreds or thou- yy() 2 (normal)
sands of designs to be evaluated, instead of a relative xx()
few. In addition, CAE analysis programs can model com-
min
plicated physical phenomena which cannot be solved by (yy(),-xy())
hand, such as viscoelasticity, complex contact between (max+min)/2
mating parts, or non-Newtonian ows.
max
As mechanical engineering begins to merge with other
disciplines, as seen in mechatronics, multidisciplinary de-
sign optimization (MDO) is being used with other CAE
programs to automate and improve the iterative design Mohrs circle, a common tool to study stresses in a mechanical
process. MDO tools wrap around existing CAE pro- element
cesses, allowing product evaluation to continue even after
the analyst goes home for the day. They also utilize so- bodies. Dynamics includes kinematics (about move-
phisticated optimization algorithms to more intelligently ment, velocity, and acceleration) and kinetics (about
explore possible designs, often nding better, innovative forces and resulting accelerations).
solutions to dicult multidisciplinary design problems.
Mechanics of materials, the study of how dierent
materials deform under various types of stress
6 Subdisciplines Fluid mechanics, the study of how uids react to
forces[28]
The eld of mechanical engineering can be thought of
as a collection of many mechanical engineering science Kinematics, the study of the motion of bodies (ob-
disciplines. Several of these subdisciplines which are typ- jects) and systems (groups of objects), while ignor-
ically taught at the undergraduate level are listed below, ing the forces that cause the motion. Kinematics is
with a brief explanation and the most common applica- often used in the design and analysis of mechanisms.
tion of each. Some of these subdisciplines are unique to
mechanical engineering, while others are a combination Continuum mechanics, a method of applying me-
of mechanical engineering and one or more other disci- chanics that assumes that objects are continuous
plines. Most work that a mechanical engineer does uses (rather than discrete)
skills and techniques from several of these subdisciplines,
as well as specialized subdisciplines. Specialized subdis- Mechanical engineers typically use mechanics in the de-
sign or analysis phases of engineering. If the engineering
ciplines, as used in this article, are more likely to be the
subject of graduate studies or on-the-job training than un-project were the design of a vehicle, statics might be em-
dergraduate research. Several specialized subdisciplines ployed to design the frame of the vehicle, in order to eval-
are discussed in this section. uate where the stresses will be most intense. Dynamics
might be used when designing the cars engine, to evalu-
ate the forces in the pistons and cams as the engine cycles.
6.1 Mechanics Mechanics of materials might be used to choose appro-
priate materials for the frame and engine. Fluid mechan-
Main article: Mechanics ics might be used to design a ventilation system for the
vehicle (see HVAC), or to design the intake system for
Mechanics is, in the most general sense, the study of the engine.
forces and their eect upon matter. Typically, engineer-
ing mechanics is used to analyze and predict the accelera-
tion and deformation (both elastic and plastic) of objects
6.2 Mechatronics and robotics
under known forces (also called loads) or stresses. Sub-
Main articles: Mechatronics and Robotics
disciplines of mechanics include

Statics, the study of non-moving bodies under Mechatronics is a combination of mechanics and elec-
known loads, how forces aect static bodies tronics. It is an interdisciplinary branch of mechani-
cal engineering, electrical engineering and software en-
Dynamics the study of how forces aect moving gineering that is concerned with integrating electrical
6 6 SUBDISCIPLINES

occurs when, upon being loaded (having a force applied)

the object being analyzed either breaks or is deformed
plastically, depending on the criterion for failure. Fa-
tigue failure occurs when an object fails after a number
of repeated loading and unloading cycles. Fatigue failure
occurs because of imperfections in the object: a micro-
scopic crack on the surface of the object, for instance,
will grow slightly with each cycle (propagation) until the
crack is large enough to cause ultimate failure.
Failure is not simply dened as when a part breaks, how-
ever; it is dened as when a part does not operate as in-
tended. Some systems, such as the perforated top sections
of some plastic bags, are designed to break. If these sys-
tems do not break, failure analysis might be employed to
Training FMS with learning robot SCORBOT-ER 4u, workbench determine the cause.
CNC Mill and CNC Lathe
Structural analysis is often used by mechanical engineers
after a failure has occurred, or when designing to prevent
and mechanical engineering to create hybrid systems. In failure. Engineers often use online documents and books
this way, machines can be automated through the use of such as those published by ASM[29] to aid them in deter-
electric motors, servo-mechanisms, and other electrical mining the type of failure and possible causes.
systems in conjunction with special software. A common
example of a mechatronics system is a CD-ROM drive. Structural analysis may be used in the oce when design-
Mechanical systems open and close the drive, spin the ing parts, in the eld to analyze failed parts, or in labora-
CD and move the laser, while an optical system reads the tories where parts might undergo controlled failure tests.
data on the CD and converts it to bits. Integrated soft-
ware controls the process and communicates the contents
of the CD to the computer. 6.4 Thermodynamics and thermo-science
Robotics is the application of mechatronics to create Main article: Thermodynamics
robots, which are often used in industry to perform tasks
that are dangerous, unpleasant, or repetitive. These
robots may be of any shape and size, but all are prepro- Thermodynamics is an applied science used in several
grammed and interact physically with the world. To cre- branches of engineering, including mechanical and chem-
ate a robot, an engineer typically employs kinematics (to ical engineering. At its simplest, thermodynamics is the
determine the robots range of motion) and mechanics (to study of energy, its use and transformation through a
determine the stresses within the robot). system. Typically, engineering thermodynamics is con-
cerned with changing energy from one form to another.
Robots are used extensively in industrial engineering. As an example, automotive engines convert chemical en-
They allow businesses to save money on labor, perform ergy (enthalpy) from the fuel into heat, and then into me-
tasks that are either too dangerous or too precise for chanical work that eventually turns the wheels.
humans to perform them economically, and to ensure
better quality. Many companies employ assembly lines Thermodynamics principles are used by mechanical en-
of robots, especially in Automotive Industries and some gineers in the elds of heat transfer, thermouids, and
factories are so robotized that they can run by them- energy conversion. Mechanical engineers use thermo-
selves. Outside the factory, robots have been employed in science to design engines and power plants, heating, ven-
bomb disposal, space exploration, and many other elds. tilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, heat ex-
Robots are also sold for various residential applications, changers, heat sinks, radiators, refrigeration, insulation,
from recreation to domestic applications. and others.

6.3 Structural analysis 6.5 Design and drafting

Main articles: Structural analysis and Failure analysis Main articles: Technical drawing and CNC

Structural analysis is the branch of mechanical engineer-
ing (and also civil engineering) devoted to examining why
and how objects fail and to x the objects and their per-
formance. Structural failures occur in two general modes:
static failure, and fatigue failure. Static structural failure
Drafting or technical drawing is the means by which me-
chanical engineers design products and create instruc-
tions 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
7.1 Micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) 7

7.1 Micro electro-mechanical systems

(MEMS)

Micron-scale mechanical components such as springs,

gears, uidic and heat transfer devices are fabricated from
a variety of substrate materials such as silicon, glass and
polymers like SU8. Examples of MEMS components are
the accelerometers that are used as car airbag sensors,
modern cell phones, gyroscopes for precise positioning
and microuidic devices used in biomedical applications.

7.2 Friction stir welding (FSW)

Main article: Friction stir welding

A CAD model of a mechanical double seal Friction stir welding, a new type of welding, was dis-
covered in 1991 by The Welding Institute (TWI). The
innovative steady state (non-fusion) welding technique
joins materials previously un-weldable, including several
well as assembly notes, a list of required materials, and
aluminum alloys. It plays an important role in the fu-
other pertinent information. A U.S. mechanical engineer
ture construction of airplanes, potentially replacing riv-
or skilled worker who creates technical drawings may be
ets. Current uses of this technology to date include weld-
referred to as a drafter or draftsman. Drafting has his-
ing the seams of the aluminum main Space Shuttle exter-
torically been a two-dimensional process, but computer-
nal tank, Orion Crew Vehicle test article, Boeing Delta
aided design (CAD) programs now allow the designer to
II and Delta IV Expendable Launch Vehicles and the
create in three dimensions.
SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket, armor plating for amphibious
Instructions for manufacturing a part must be fed to assault ships, and welding the wings and fuselage pan-
the necessary machinery, either manually, through pro- els of the new Eclipse 500 aircraft from Eclipse Aviation
grammed instructions, or through the use of a computer- among an increasingly growing pool of uses.[30][31][32]
aided manufacturing (CAM) or combined CAD/CAM
program. Optionally, an engineer may also manually
manufacture a part using the technical drawings, but 7.3 Composites
this is becoming an increasing rarity, with the advent of
computer numerically controlled (CNC) manufacturing.
Engineers primarily manually manufacture parts in the
areas of applied spray coatings, nishes, and other pro-
cesses that cannot economically or practically be done by
a machine.
Drafting is used in nearly every subdiscipline of mechani-
cal engineering, and by many other branches of engineer-
ing and architecture. Three-dimensional models created
using CAD software are also commonly used in nite el-
ement analysis (FEA) and computational uid dynamics
(CFD).

Composite cloth consisting of woven carbon ber

7 Areas of research
Mechanical engineers are constantly pushing the bound-
aries of what is physically possible in order to produce
safer, cheaper, and more ecient machines and me-
chanical systems. Some technologies at the cutting edge
of mechanical engineering are listed below (see also
exploratory engineering).
Main article: Composite material
Composites or composite materials are a combination of
materials which provide dierent physical characteristics
than either material separately. Composite material re-
search within mechanical engineering typically focuses
on designing (and, subsequently, nding applications for)
8 7 AREAS OF RESEARCH

stronger or more rigid materials while attempting to re- 7.7 Biomechanics

duce weight, susceptibility to corrosion, and other unde-
sirable factors. Carbon ber reinforced composites, for Main article: Biomechanics
instance, have been used in such diverse applications as
spacecraft and shing rods. Biomechanics is the application of mechanical principles
to biological systems, such as humans, animals, plants,
organs, and cells.[36] Biomechanics also aids in creating
7.4 Mechatronics prosthetic limbs and articial organs for humans.

Main article: Mechatronics Biomechanics is closely related to engineering, because it

often uses traditional engineering sciences to analyse bio-
logical systems. Some simple applications of Newtonian
Mechatronics is the synergistic combination of mechani- mechanics and/or materials sciences can supply correct
cal engineering, electronic engineering, and software en- approximations to the mechanics of many biological sys-
gineering. The purpose of this interdisciplinary engineer- tems.
ing eld is the study of automation from an engineering
perspective and serves the purposes of controlling ad- Over the past decade the Finite element method (FEM)
vanced hybrid systems. has also entered the Biomedical sector highlighting fur-
ther engineering aspects of Biomechanics. FEM has
since then established itself as an alternative to in vivo
surgical assessment and gained the wide acceptance of
7.5 Nanotechnology
academia. The main advantage of Computational Biome-
chanics lies in its ability to determine the endo-anatomical
Main article: Nanotechnology
response of an anatomy, without being subject to ethi-
cal restrictions.[37] This has led FE modelling to the point
At the smallest scales, mechanical engineering becomes of becoming ubiquitous in several elds of Biomechanics
nanotechnologyone speculative goal of which is to cre- while several projects have even adopted an open source
ate a molecular assembler to build molecules and ma- philosophy (e.g. BioSpine).
terials via mechanosynthesis. For now that goal re-
mains within exploratory engineering. Areas of current
mechanical engineering research in nanotechnology in- 7.8 Computational uid dynamics
clude nanolters,[33] nanolms,[34] and nanostructures,[35]
among others. Main article: Computational uid dynamics
See also: Picotechnology
Computational uid dynamics, usually abbreviated as
CFD, is a branch of uid mechanics that uses numerical
methods and algorithms to solve and analyze problems
7.6 Finite element analysis that involve uid ows. Computers are used to perform
the calculations required to simulate the interaction of liq-
Main article: Finite element analysis uids and gases with surfaces dened by boundary condi-
tions. With high-speed supercomputers, better solutions
can be achieved. Ongoing research yields software that
This eld is not new, as the basis of Finite Element improves the accuracy and speed of complex simulation
Analysis (FEA) or Finite Element Method (FEM) dates scenarios such as transonic or turbulent ows. Initial val-
back to 1941. But the evolution of computers has idation of such software is performed using a wind tunnel
made FEA/FEM a viable option for analysis of struc- with the nal validation coming in full-scale testing, e.g.
tural problems. Many commercial codes such as ANSYS, ight tests.
NASTRAN, and ABAQUS are widely used in industry
for research and the design of components. Some 3D
modeling and CAD software packages have added FEA 7.9 Acoustical engineering
modules. In the recent times, cloud simulation platforms
like SimScale are becoming more common. Main article: Acoustical engineering
Other techniques such as nite dierence method (FDM)
and nite-volume method (FVM) are employed to solve Acoustical engineering is one of many other sub disci-
problems relating heat and mass transfer, uid ows, uid plines of mechanical engineering and is the application of
surface interaction, etc. In recent years meshfree meth- acoustics. Acoustical engineering is the study of Sound
ods like Nogrid points become more popular in case of and Vibration. These engineers work eectively to re-
solving problems involving complex geometries, free sur- duce noise pollution in mechanical devices and in build-
faces, moving boundaries, and adaptive renement. ings by soundproong or removing sources of unwanted

noise. The study of acoustics can range from designing
a more ecient hearing aid, microphone, headphone, or
recording studio to enhancing the sound quality of an or-
chestra hall. Acoustical engineering also deals with the
vibration of dierent mechanical systems.[38]
8 Related elds
Manufacturing engineering, Aerospace engineering and
Automotive engineering are sometimes grouped with me-
chanical engineering. A bachelors degree in these ar-
eas will typically have a dierence of a few specialized
classes.
9 See also
Lists
Glossary of mechanical engineering
List of historic mechanical engineering landmarks
List of inventors
List of mechanical engineering topics
List of mechanical engineers
List of related journals
List of mechanical, electrical and electronic equip-
ment manufacturing companies by revenue
Associations
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and
Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
(ASME)
Pi Tau Sigma (Mechanical Engineering honor soci- [11] ABET searchable database of accredited engineering pro-
ety)
Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) [13] Types of post-graduate degrees oered at MIT - Accessed
(British) 19 June 2006.
Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers
(CIBSE) (British)
Verein Deutscher Ingenieure (VDI) (Germany)
Wikibooks
Engineering Mechanics
9
Engineering Thermodynamics
Engineering Acoustics
Fluid Mechanics
Heat Transfer
Microtechnology
Nanotechnology
Pro/Engineer (ProE CAD)
Strength of Materials/Solid Mechanics
10 Notes and references
[1] engineering mechanical engineering. The American
Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edi-
tion. Retrieved: 19 September 2014.
[2] mechanical engineering. Webster dictionary. Re-
trieved: 19 September 2014.
[3] Heron of Alexandria. Encyclopdia Britannica 2010 -
Encyclopdia Britannica Online. Accessed: 9 May 2010.
[4] Needham, Joseph (1986). Science and Civilization in
China: Volume 4. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd.
[5] Al-Jazar. The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechan-
ical Devices: Kitb f ma'rifat al-hiyal al-handasiyya.
Springer, 1973. ISBN 90-277-0329-9.
[6] Engineering - Encyclopdia Britannica, accessed 6 May
2008
[7] R. A. Buchanan. The Economic History Review, New
Series, Vol. 38, No. 1 (Feb., 1985), pp. 4260.
[8] ASME history, accessed 6 May 2008.
[9] The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07, en-
gineering, accessed 6 May 2008
[10] Mechanical Engineering. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
grams, Accessed 11 March 2014.
[12] Accredited engineering programs in Canada by the Cana-
dian Council of Professional Engineers, Accessed 18
April 2007.
[14] 2008-2009 ABET Criteria, p. 15.
[15] University of Tulsa Required ME Courses - Undergradu-
ate Majors and Minors. Department of Mechanical En-
gineering, University of Tulsa, 2010. Accessed: 17 De-
cember 2010.
[16] Harvard Mechanical Engineering Page. Harvard.edu.
Accessed: 19 June 2006.
10 11 FURTHER READING

[17] Mechanical Engineering courses, MIT. Accessed 14 June
2008.
[18] . Apollo Research Institute, Future Work Skills 2020, Ac-
cessed 5 November 2012.
[19] Aalto University School of Engineering, Design Factory
- Researchers Blog, Accessed 5 November 2012.
[20] Why Get Licensed?". National Society of Professional
Engineers. Retrieved 6 May 2008.
[37] Tsouknidas, A., Savvakis, S., Asaniotis, Y., Anagnos-
tidis, K., Lontos, A., Michailidis, N. (2013) The eect
of kyphoplasty parameters on the dynamic load transfer
within the lumbar spine considering the response of a bio-
realistic spine segment. Clinical Biomechanics 28 (9-10),
pp. 949-955.
[38] What is the Job Description of an Acoustic Engineer?".
learn.org.

[21] Engineers Act. Quebec Statutes and Regulations (Can-

LII). Retrieved 24 July 2005.
11 Further reading
[22] Codes of Ethics and Conduct. Online Ethics Center. Burstall, Aubrey F. (1965). A History of Mechanical
Archived from the original on 19 June 2005. Retrieved Engineering. The MIT Press. ISBN 0-262-52001-
24 July 2005. X.
[23] Mechanical Engineer Career Prole | Job Description, Marks Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engi-
Salary, and Growth | Truity. www.truity.com. Retrieved neers (11 ed.). McGraw-Hill. 2007. ISBN
2017-04-06.
9780071428675.
[24] May 2015 National Occupational Employment and Wage
Estimates. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor
Statistics. Retrieved 3 March 2017.

[25] Occupational Employment and Wages, 17-2141 Mechan-

ical Engineers. U.S. Bureau of Labor, May 2012. Ac-
cessed: 15 February 2014.

[26] Mechanical Engineers. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,

December 17, 2015. Accessed: 3 March 2017.

[27] 2010-11 Edition, Engineers. Bureau of Labor Statistics,

U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Hand-
book, Accessed: 9 May 2010.

[28] Note: uid mechanics can be further split into uid statics
and uid dynamics, and is itself a subdiscipline of con-
tinuum mechanics. The application of uid mechanics in
engineering is called hydraulics and pneumatics.

[29] ASM International's site containing more than 20,000

searchable documents, including articles from the ASM
Handbook series and Advanced Materials & Processes

[30] Advances in Friction Stir Welding for Aerospace Appli-

cations

[31] PROPOSAL NUMBER: 08-1 A1.02-9322 - NASA 2008

SBIR

[32] Military Applications.

[33] Nilsen, Kyle. (2011) Development of Low Pressure Fil-

ter Testing Vessel and Analysis of Electrospun Nanober
Membranes for Water Treatment

[34] Mechanical Characterization of Aluminium Nanolms,

Microelectronic Engineering, Volume 88, Issue 5, May
2011, pp. 844847.

[35] http://www.cise.columbia.edu/nsec/ Columbia University

and National Science Foundation, Accessed 20 June 2012.

[36] R. McNeill Alexander (2005) Mechanics of animal

movement, Current Biology Volume 15, Issue 16, 23 Au-
gust 2005, pp. R616-R619.
 11

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