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Mechnical engineering applies the principles of mechanics and energy to the design of machines and devices. These engineers are concerned with the design, operation and maintenance of machines, their components, machine tools, manufacturing systems and process. Perhaps the broadest of all engineering disciplines, mechanical engineering is generally combind into three broad areas energy, structures and motion in mechanical systems, and manufacturing. Mechanical engineers work for a wide array of manufacturing and design firms. Almost every large technical or manufacturing company has need for mechanical engineers. Manufacture's utilities and consulting firms large and small hire mechanical engineers. Mechanical engineers are expected to lead the recolution taking place in manufacturing processes, in which defects are eliminated and greater efficiencies achieved.
Mechanical engineering is the second largest engineering discipline and one of the oldest in india. Mechanical engineers apply the principles of mechanics and energy to the design of machines and devices. Mechanical engineers are involved with the design of structures, operation and maintenance of mechanical systems. Mechanical engineers design automobiles, trucks, airplanes, and trains for transportation; tractors for food production; interplanetary space vehicles; copying machines, fax machines, staplers, and mechanical pencils used in the office; and lathes, milling machines, grinders, and drill presses used in the manufacture of goods. Mechanical engineers also design and operate power plants and are concerned with the economical combustion of fuels, the conversion of heat energy into mechanical energy, and the use of the mechanical energy to perform useful work.
The major divisions of mechanical engineering are designs and controls, thermo-science and fluids, engineering mechanics, and manufacturing. Depending on the colleges and the universities, some mechanical engineering programs offer more specialized pograms, such as mechatronics, robotics, transport and logistics, cryogenics and biomechanics, if a separate department does not exist for these subjects.
Modern analysis and design process in mechanical engineering are aided by various computational tools like finite element analysis (FEA) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM). In system design and controls, a mechanical engineer may apply CAD/CAM systems to feed "instructions" to computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines such as robots, milling machines and lathes. In this way the engineer could automate the manufacturing process without the need for intermediate drawings. A mechanical engineer working in thermo-fluid might design a heat sink, an air conditioning system, or an internal combustion engine. Other processes might focus on the fluid itself, such as a fan to cool an electrical system a turbine to power a submarine, or a spray gun to apply chemical coatings.
Given the wide range of subjects, students preparing to study mechanical engineering should consider the programs available in their respective colleges and universities. Most mechanical engineering programs offer the major subjects of study. Fundamental subjects of mechanical engineering include: statics, dynamics, strength of materials, solid mechanics, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, refrigeration and air conditioning, kinematics (including robotics), manufacturing technology, mechatronics and control theory. Mechanical engineers are also expected to understand and be able to apply concepts from chemistry and electrical engineering - one speculative goal of which is to create a molecular assembler to build molecules and materials via mechanosynthesis.
Mechanical engineering is the largest and oldest branch of the engineering profession. It is concerned with the design, development, manufacture, operation and maintenance of many types of plants, machinery and mechanical products. New areas include Robotic inspection systems, Cyrogenic technology for material treatment, Laser material processing etc. |
