Introduction
Mechanical engineering is the most diverse engineering discipline that involves the research, evaluation, development, design, manufacture, installation, testing, operation, maintenance and management of machines, robots, automated systems, mechatronic systems, heat transfer processes, thermodynamic and combustion systems, process plant, materials and materials handling, and manufacturing equipment.
Roles of Mechanical Engineers
A mechanical engineer’s role includes taking a product from the design phase to the end user. To perform this role effectively, a mechanical engineer has to possess a vast range of skills. To ensure that a designed product will operate efficiently without failure, the mechanical engineer should know the forces and thermal conditions that the product and it subsystems will encounter. This will enable the mechanical engineer to come up with the best methods to manufacture the item.
Mechanical Engineers Employment
Mechanical Engineering Design Process
The engineering design process is a series of cyclic stages that engineering teams follow to devise solutions to problems and meet the required needs. The steps involved in the design process involves identification of needs, researching the problem, developing solutions, selecting the best solution, building a prototype, testing the prototype and making improvements where necessary. Mechanical engineering design process is similar to the above engineering design process in very many ways. Mechanical engineers find out the environment that a designed product and all its components will work in and the forces it will work against. This is followed by critically analyzing these situations and understanding such things as magnitude of the forces and if there is any thermal conditions involved finding out how hot the conditions are. Mechanical engineers then decide the materials and manufacturing process to use that will ensure the product works well in these conditions. After this, a prototype is manufactured using the most cost effective and efficient method. The prototype is tested in the same conditions with any problems and necessary adjustments made to ensure the product meets the required standards.
Unique Mechanical Engineering Projects
Two projects that mechanical engineering is directly involved with include system dynamics and control, and transportation systems. System dynamics and control is concerned with the modeling, analyzing, and simulation physical systems with the use of automated control methods to change the systems dynamic characters in a helpful way (Erickson). Transportation system projects deal with optimizing transport systems and minimize fuel usage and environmental degradation.
My Opinion on Mechanical Engineering
The most interesting thing about mechanical engineering is the vast skills and knowledge they get to learn. This is because of the large number of subjects that this engineering discipline is involved with. This is also gives them an advantage when it comes employment opportunities as they can work in any industrial sector. Although mechanical engineering is not my major, given the chance I would consider making it my major course. This is because I find learning many different subjects interesting as I will get to expand my skills and knowledge.
Works cited
Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2014: 17-2141 Mechanical Engineers.” Occupational Employment Statistics. 15 Mar. 2015. Web. 9 Feb. 2016.
Erickson, David. “Areas of Interest in Mechanical Engineering.” Mechanical and Aeospace Engineering (31 Oct. 2012): n.pag. Print.
