mechanical engineering

first ever automobile made

2014-11-02T07:15:00.000-08:00

Karl (Carl) Benz.

This question does not have a straightforward answer. The history of the automobile is very rich and dates back to the 15th century when Leonardo da Vinci was creating designs and models for transport vehicles.

There are many different types of automobiles - steam, electric, and gasoline - as well as countless styles. Exactly who invented the automobile is a matter of opinion. If we had to give credit to one inventor, it would probably be Karl Benz from Germany. Many suggest that he created the first true automobile in 1885/1886.

Below is a table of some automobile firsts, compiled from information in Leonard Bruno's book Science and Technology Firsts (Detroit, c1997) and About.com'sHistory of the Automobile.

Inventor	Date	Type/Description	Country
AUTOMOBILE FIRSTS
Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot (1725-1804)	1769	STEAM / Built the first self propelled road vehicle (military tractor) for the French army: three wheeled, 2.5 mph.	France
Robert Anderson	1832-1839	ELECTRIC / Electric carriage.	Scotland
Karl Friedrich Benz (1844-1929)	1885/86	GASOLINE / First true automobile. Gasoline automobile powered by an internal combustion engine: three wheeled, Four cycle, engine and chassis form a single unit.	Germany Patent DRP No. 37435
Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler (1834-1900) and Wilhelm Maybach (1846-1929)	1886	GASOLINE / First four wheeled, four-stroke engine- known as the "Cannstatt-Daimler."	Germany
George Baldwin Selden (1846-1922)	1876/95	GASOLINE / Combined internal combustion engine with a carriage: patent no: 549,160 (1895). Never manufactured -- Selden collected royalties.	United States
Charles Edgar Duryea (1862-1938) and his brother Frank (1870-1967)	1893	GASOLINE / First successful gas powered car: 4hp, two-stroke motor. The Duryea brothers set up first American car manufacturing company.	United States

Wendell Whip, the Father of the Modern Lathe

2012-01-10T20:06:00.000-08:00

INVENTORS OF LATHE

Henry Maudslay was a British inventor who invented the first metal lathe in 1797. Industrial Revolution.

Wendell Whip, the Father of the Modern Lathe

In 1909 lathe design had not changed much in the past 20 to 30 years. Overhead shafts belted to the lathe’s headstock had most displaced human power. There were some first attempts at mulity-geared headstock, but these were nosy and left tooth impulse marks on the workpiece. The first quick change gearboxes to allow easier change of feeds or threads, were entering usage. For the most part, a lathe built in 1899 or 1889 look very much like those being made in 1909.

In 1908 a small lathe manufacturing company was moved back to Sidney, Ohio, and renamed The Monarch Machine Company which opened for business Oct. 4 1909. Sidney at that time was a quiet town of some 12,000, located in western Ohio long the Great Miami River. Sidney was progressive for the times by actively recruiting companies to move to the small town. One of these companies was the Sebastian-May company of Cincinnati and Hamilton, Ohio, which made among other industrial tools, lathes. Sebastian-May moved into their new factory in July of 1890. Sebastian would sell out to Sidney native A. P Wagner, in 1892, and move back to Cincinnati and start a new company bearing his name. In 1898, the now A. P. Wagner Co. moved to Detroit, MI. In 1905 the Sidney Machine Works would open in the old Sebastian-May factor. Sidney Machine started manufacturing wood working machinery, but would eventual make metal working lathes, and change their name to Sidney Machine Tool Co.

The man that connected all these companies was I. H. Thedieck. Thedieck, and German immigrant, made his fortune in retailing. He was also the driving force in Sidney’s commercial club whose aim was to bring new companies to Sidney, which in turn would bring more workers to the town and thus more opportunity for sales at his store. Thedieck loan money to Wagner, who was married to Thediek’s cousin, and in 1908 called in the loan. This provided the origins for Monarch, when Thedieck moved the machinery and engineering drawings back to Sidney. (See Shelby county historical group web site for more of Monarch’s history http://www.shelbycountyhistory.org/).

The lathes Monarch first built traces their design back to Sebastian-May, which by 1909 were indistinguishable from any other lathe. Monarch would struggle in its early years with a constant changing general managers, with the longest being A. C. Getz, who was also the president of Sidney Machine. Thedieck finally realized he was over his head with manufacturing, and he needed someone he could trust that also had a manufacturing background. This man would be his son-in-law, Wendell Whipp.

Whipp was working for John Patterson at the National Cash Register (NCR) in Dayton, Ohio. In the early 1900’s, NCR was the prime training grounds for managers. Many future company presidents had their start at NCR. In 1912, Whipp agreed to join Monarch as plant manager. Once in Sidney, Whipp found Monarch was drowning in red ink. He capitalized on Monarch’s lathes one outstanding feature, they were cheap. He worked to make the manufacturing as efficient as possible, while he also pushed to open doors to sell more lathes. His biggest obstacle was the low quality of the Monarchs. They were the cheap junk machines of their day, that people bought because they could not afford anything else. Whipp quickly realized for Monarch to succeed, the quality of the design had to improve as well as adding feature to start distinguishing the Monarch from other lathes.

Whipp would lead Monarch in a long series of lathe improvements starting with a quick change gearbox in 1912. This quick change gearbox proved to be a good improvement, but unfortunately it infringed on patents held by Flanther Lathe Co., of Naushua, N.H. On learning of the infringement, Flanther was on the first train bound for Sidney. Once at Monarch, Whipp and his engineers so impressed Flanther that he agreed to license his patent at a greatly reduced rate. Undeterred, Monarch continued to improve their lathe design, at the same time introducing more models. By 1918 Monarch had a complete line of lathes from 10” swing to 30” swing, but more importantly, the changes in design, materials, and quality resulted in a lathe that would make parts others lathes could not.

One of the most important features of the modern lathe was the invention of the Clutch-Actuating Device for Lathes, patented by Whipp (Patent #159700) in1924. This would be Monarch’s first of many patents, and one that resulted in a quantum leap in lathe control. This feature was soon copied by all major lathe builders in order for them to stay competitive with Monarch. Adding this feature to the helical gear headstock developed in 1923, pushed Monarch to front of the lathe builders. Whipp would be award a patent for this headstock in 1928. In 1929 Monarch adopted flange type spindle nose, and by 1935 Monarch would help develop the Camlock spindle nose. In the early 1930’s Monarch would be the first lathe builder to adopt anti-friction bearings in all rotating shafts, automatic lubrication to all wear surfaces, Timken roller bearings in the headstock, and in 1936 flame hardening of lathe beds was invented. This gave Monarch the first truly modern lathe, all under the direction of Wendell Whipp. All these features have changed little since.

An example of the results of these improvements was the change in spindle speed. Top speed in 1925 was around 300 rpm, five years later Monarch demonstrated a 16” lathe with top speed of 4,400 rpms (a world record at the time). From 1924 to 1936 Monarch received over 20 patents related to lathe development. Whipp even insisted that the paint of the lathe had to reflect the quality of Monarch’s lathes when in 1926 Monarch adopted the use of auto lacquer for the finish of their lathes. Lead by Whipp, Monarch led the industry in lathe development, not only for tool room and engine lathes, but also for production lathes and automatic lathe controls. Monarch was the first lathe manufacturer to introduce tracer controls, in 1930. In the span of 20 years Whipp transformed Monarch lathe’s from being cheap throw-a-ways to the industry standard, and he did so by keeping them affordable. Nearly all the features manual lathe users take for granted today, traces their roots back to The Monarch in the 1920’s and 30’s.

Whipp drown in a boating accident in 1957. At the time he was retired as president, but was still chairman of the boards. He lived long enough to see his company demonstrate the first NC control lathe in 1955, and the introduction of Monarch super lathes that would be produced for the next 40 years. He also left a legacy of managers that faithfully kept The Monarch the leading lathe manufacturer for the next 40 years.

For his contribution to making the modern lathe, Wendell E. Whipp should be included in the Machine Tool Hall of Fame

Wiki Intro

2011-12-29T08:09:00.000-08:00

Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the design, production, and operation of machines and tools.^[1] It is one of the oldest and broadest engineering disciplines.

The engineering field requires an understanding of core concepts including mechanics, kinematics, thermodynamics, materials science, and structural analysis. Mechanical engineers use these core principles along with tools like computer-aided engineering and product lifecycle management to design and analyzemanufacturing plants, industrial equipment and machinery, heating and cooling systems, transport systems, aircraft, watercraft, robotics, medical devices and more.

Mechanical engineering emerged as a field during the industrial revolution in Europe in the 18th century; however, its development can be traced back several thousand years around the world. Mechanical engineering science emerged in the 19th century as a result of developments in the field of physics. The field has continually evolved to incorporate advancements in technology, and mechanical engineers today are pursuing developments in such fields as composites,mechatronics, and nanotechnology. Mechanical engineering overlaps with aerospace engineering, building services engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, petroleum engineering, and chemical engineering to varying amounts.

[hide]

1 Development
2 Education
- 2.1 Coursework
- 2.2 License
3 Salaries and workforce statistics
4 Modern tools
5 Subdisciplines
- 5.1 Mechanics
- 5.2 Mechatronics and robotics
- 5.3 Structural analysis
- 5.4 Thermodynamics and thermo-science
- 5.5 Design and drafting
6 Frontiers of research
- 6.1 Micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)
- 6.2 Friction stir welding (FSW)
- 6.3 Composites
- 6.4 Mechatronics
- 6.5 Nanotechnology
- 6.6 Finite element analysis
- 6.7 Biomechanics
7 Related fields
8 See also
- 8.1 Associations
- 8.2 Wikibooks
9 Notes and references
10 Further reading
11 External links

[edit]Development

Applications of mechanical engineering are found in the records of many ancient and medieval societies throughout the globe. In ancient Greece, the works of Archimedes (287 BC–212 BC) deeply influenced mechanics in the Western tradition and Heron of Alexandria (c. 10–70 AD) created the first steam engine.^[2] In China, Zhang Heng (78–139 AD) improved a water clock and invented a seismometer, and Ma Jun (200–265 AD) invented a chariot with differential gears. The medieval Chinese horologist and engineer Su Song (1020–1101 AD) incorporated an escapement mechanism into his astronomical clock tower two centuries before any escapement can be found in clocks of medieval Europe, as well as the world's first known endless power-transmitting chain drive.^[3]

During the years from 7th to 15th century, the era called the Islamic Golden Age, there were remarkable contributions from Muslim inventors in the field of mechanical technology. Al-Jazari, who was one of them, wrote his famous Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices in 1206, and presented many mechanical designs. He is also considered to be the inventor of such mechanical devices which now form the very basic of mechanisms, such as the crankshaft and camshaft.^[4]

Important breakthroughs in the foundations of mechanical engineering occurred in England during the 17th century when Sir Isaac Newton both formulated the three Newton's Laws of Motion and developed Calculus. Newton was reluctant to publish his methods and laws for years, but he was finally persuaded to do so by his colleagues, such as Sir Edmund Halley, much to the benefit of all mankind.

During the early 19th century in England, Germany and Scotland, the development of machine tools led mechanical engineering to develop as a separate field within engineering, providing manufacturing machines and the engines to power them.^[5] The first British professional society of mechanical engineers was formed in 1847 Institution of Mechanical Engineers, thirty years after the civil engineers formed the first such professional society Institution of Civil Engineers.^[6] On the European continent, Johann Von Zimmermann (1820–1901) founded the first factory for grinding machines in Chemnitz (Germany) in 1848.

In the United States, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) was formed in 1880, becoming the third such professional engineering society, after the American Society of Civil Engineers (1852) and the American Institute of Mining Engineers (1871).^[7] The first schools in the United States to offer an engineering education were the United States Military Academy in 1817, an institution now known as Norwich University in 1819, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1825. Education in mechanical engineering has historically been based on a strong foundation in mathematics and science.^[8]

[edit]Education

Degrees in mechanical engineering are offered at universities worldwide. In Brazil, Ireland, Philippines, China, Greece, Turkey, North America, South Asia, India and the United Kingdom, mechanical engineering programs typically take four to five years of study and result in a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc), Bachelor of Science Engineering (B.ScEng), Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng), Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech), orBachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc) degree, in or with emphasis in mechanical engineering. In Spain, Portugal and most of South America, where neither BSc nor BTech programs have been adopted, the formal name for the degree is "Mechanical Engineer", and the course work is based on five or six years of training. In Italy the course work is based on five years of training, but in order to qualify as an Engineer you have to pass a state exam at the end of the course.

In Australia, mechanical engineering degrees are awarded as Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) or similar nomenclature^[9] although there are an increasing number of specialisations. The degree takes four years of full time study to achieve. To ensure quality in engineering degrees, Engineers Australia accredits engineering degrees awarded by Australian universities in accordance with the global Washington Accord. Before the degree can be awarded, the student must complete at least 3 months of on the job work experience in an engineering firm. Similar systems are also present in South Africa and are overseen by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA).

In the United States, most undergraduate mechanical engineering programs are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) to ensure similar course requirements and standards among universities. The ABET web site lists 276 accredited mechanical engineering programs as of June 19, 2006.^[10] Mechanical engineering programs in Canada are accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB),^[11] and most other countries offering engineering degrees have similar accreditation societies.

Some mechanical engineers go on to pursue a postgraduate degree such as a Master of Engineering, Master of Technology, Master of Science, Master of Engineering Management (MEng.Mgt or MEM), a Doctor of Philosophy in engineering (EngD, PhD) or an engineer's degree. The master's and engineer's degrees may or may not include research. The Doctor of Philosophy includes a significant research component and is often viewed as the entry point to academia.^[12] The Engineer's degree exists at a few institutions at an intermediate level between the master's degree and the doctorate.

[edit]Coursework

Standards set by each country's accreditation society are intended to provide uniformity in fundamental subject material, promote competence among graduating engineers, and to maintain confidence in the engineering profession as a whole. Engineering programs in the U.S., for example, are required by ABET to show that their students can "work professionally in both thermal and mechanical systems areas."^[13] The specific courses required to graduate, however, may differ from program to program. Universities and Institutes of technology will often combine multiple subjects into a single class or split a subject into multiple classes, depending on the faculty available and the university's major area(s) of research.

The fundamental subjects of mechanical engineering usually include:

Statics and dynamics
Strength of materials and solid mechanics
Instrumentation and measurement
Electrotechnology
Electronics
Thermodynamics, heat transfer, energy conversion, and HVAC
Combustion, automotive engines, fuels
Fluid mechanics and fluid dynamics
Mechanism design (including kinematics and dynamics)
Manufacturing engineering, technology, or processes
Hydraulics and pneumatics
Mathematics - in particular, calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra.
Engineering design
Product design
Mechatronics and control theory
Material Engineering
Design engineering, Drafting, computer-aided design (CAD) (including solid modeling), and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)^[14]^[15]

Mechanical engineers are also expected to understand and be able to apply basic concepts from chemistry, physics, chemical engineering, civil engineering, and electrical engineering. Most mechanical engineering programs include multiple semesters of calculus, as well as advanced mathematical concepts including differential equations, partial differential equations, linear algebra, abstract algebra, and differential geometry, among others.

In addition to the core mechanical engineering curriculum, many mechanical engineering programs offer more specialized programs and classes, such as robotics, transport and logistics, cryogenics, fuel technology,automotive engineering, biomechanics, vibration, optics and others, if a separate department does not exist for these subjects.^[16]

Most mechanical engineering programs also require varying amounts of research or community projects to gain practical problem-solving experience. In the United States it is common for mechanical engineering students to complete one or more internships while studying, though this is not typically mandated by the university. Cooperative education is another option.

[edit]License

Engineers may seek license by a state, provincial, or national government. The purpose of this process is to ensure that engineers possess the necessary technical knowledge, real-world experience, and knowledge of the local legal system to practice engineering at a professional level. Once certified, the engineer is given the title of Professional Engineer (in the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Bangladesh and South Africa), Chartered Engineer (in the United Kingdom, Ireland, India and Zimbabwe), Chartered Professional Engineer (in Australia and New Zealand) or European Engineer (much of the European Union). Not all mechanical engineers choose to become licensed; those that do can be distinguished as Chartered or Professional Engineers by the post-nominal title P.E., P.Eng., or C.Eng., as in: Mike Thompson, P.Eng.

In the U.S., to become a licensed Professional Engineer, an engineer must pass the comprehensive FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) exam, work a given number of years as an Engineering Intern (EI) or Engineer-in-Training (EIT), and finally pass the "Principles and Practice" or PE (Practicing Engineer or Professional Engineer) exams.

In the United States, the requirements and steps of this process are set forth by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), a national non-profit representing all states. In the UK, current graduates require a BEng plus an appropriate masters degree or an integrated MEng degree, a minimum of 4 years post graduate on the job competency development, and a peer reviewed project report in the candidates specialty area in order to become chartered through the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

In most modern countries, certain engineering tasks, such as the design of bridges, electric power plants, and chemical plants, must be approved by a Professional Engineer or a Chartered Engineer. "Only a licensed engineer, for instance, may prepare, sign, seal and submit engineering plans and drawings to a public authority for approval, or to seal engineering work for public and private clients."^[17] This requirement can be written into state and provincial legislation, such as in the Canadian provinces, for example the Ontario or Quebec's Engineer Act.^[18]

In other countries, such as Australia, no such legislation exists; however, practically all certifying bodies maintain a code of ethics independent of legislation that they expect all members to abide by or risk expulsion.^[19]

Further information: FE Exam, Professional Engineer, Incorporated Engineer, and Washington Accord

[edit]Salaries and workforce statistics

The total number of engineers employed in the U.S. in 2009 was roughly 1.6 million. Of these, 239,000 were mechanical engineers (14.9%), the second largest discipline by size behind civil (278,000). The total number of mechanical engineering jobs in 2009 was projected to grow 6% over the next decade, with average starting salaries being $58,800 with a bachelor's degree.^[20] The median annual income of mechanical engineers in the U.S. workforce was roughly $74,900. This number was highest when working for the government ($86,250), and lowest in education ($63,050).^[21]

In 2007, Canadian engineers made an average of CAD$29.83 per hour with 4% unemployed. The average for all occupations was $18.07 per hour with 7% unemployed. Twelve percent of these engineers were self-employed, and since 1997 the proportion of female engineers had risen to 6%.^[22]

[edit]Modern tools

An oblique view of a four-cylinder inline crankshaft with pistons

Many mechanical engineering companies, especially those in industrialized nations, have begun to incorporate computer-aided engineering (CAE) programs into their existing design and analysis processes, including 2D and 3D solid modeling computer-aided design (CAD). This method has many benefits, including easier and more exhaustive visualization of products, the ability to create virtual assemblies of parts, and the ease of use in designing mating interfaces and tolerances.

Other CAE programs commonly used by mechanical engineers include product lifecycle management (PLM) tools and analysis tools used to perform complex simulations. Analysis tools may be used to predict product response to expected loads, including fatigue life and manufacturability. These tools include finite element analysis (FEA), computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM).

Using CAE programs, a mechanical design team can quickly and cheaply iterate the design process to develop a product that better meets cost, performance, and other constraints. No physical prototype need be created until the design nears completion, allowing hundreds or thousands of designs to be evaluated, instead of a relative few. In addition, CAE analysis programs can model complicated physical phenomena which cannot be solved by hand, such as viscoelasticity, complex contact between mating parts, or non-Newtonian flows.

As mechanical engineering begins to merge with other disciplines, as seen in mechatronics, multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) is being used with other CAE programs to automate and improve the iterative design process. MDO tools wrap around existing CAE processes, allowing product evaluation to continue even after the analyst goes home for the day. They also utilize sophisticated optimization algorithms to more intelligently explore possible designs, often finding better, innovative solutions to difficult multidisciplinary design problems.

[edit]Subdisciplines

The field of mechanical engineering can be thought of as a collection of many mechanical engineering science disciplines. Several of these subdisciplines which are typically taught at the undergraduate level are listed below, with a brief explanation and the most common application of each. Some of these subdisciplines are unique to mechanical engineering, while others are a combination of mechanical engineering and one or more other disciplines. Most work that a mechanical engineer does uses skills and techniques from several of these subdisciplines, as well as specialized subdisciplines. Specialized subdisciplines, as used in this article, are more likely to be the subject of graduate studies or on-the-job training than undergraduate research. Several specialized subdisciplines are discussed in this section.

[edit]Mechanics

Mohr's circle, a common tool to study stressesin a mechanical element

Main article: Mechanics

Mechanics is, in the most general sense, the study of forces and their effect upon matter. Typically, engineering mechanics is used to analyze and predict the acceleration and deformation (both elastic and plastic) of objects under known forces (also called loads) or stresses. Subdisciplines of mechanics include

Statics, the study of non-moving bodies under known loads, how forces affect static bodies
Dynamics (or kinetics), the study of how forces affect moving bodies
Mechanics of materials, the study of how different materials deform under various types of stress
Fluid mechanics, the study of how fluids react to forces^[23]
Kinematics, the study of the motion of bodies (objects) and systems (groups of objects), while ignoring the forces that cause the motion. Kinematics is often used in the design and analysis of mechanisms.
Continuum mechanics, a method of applying mechanics that assumes that objects are continuous (rather than discrete)

Mechanical engineers typically use mechanics in the design or analysis phases of engineering. If the engineering project were the design of a vehicle, statics might be employed to design the frame of the vehicle, in order to evaluate where the stresses will be most intense. Dynamics might be used when designing the car's engine, to evaluate the forces in the pistons and cams as the engine cycles. Mechanics of materials might be used to choose appropriate materials for the frame and engine. Fluid mechanics might be used to design a ventilation system for the vehicle (see HVAC), or to design the intake system for the engine.

[edit]Mechatronics and robotics

Training FMS with learning robot SCORBOT-ER 4u, workbench CNC Mill and CNC Lathe

Main articles: Mechatronics and Robotics

Mechatronics is an interdisciplinary branch of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and software engineering that is concerned with integrating electrical and mechanical engineering to create hybrid systems. In this way, machines can be automated through the use of electric motors, servo-mechanisms, and other electrical systems in conjunction with special software. A common example of a mechatronics system is a CD-ROM drive. Mechanical systems open and close the drive, spin the CD and move the laser, while an optical system reads the data on the CD and converts it to bits. Integrated software controls the process and communicates the contents of the CD to the computer.

Robotics is the application of mechatronics to create 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 preprogrammed and interact physically with the world. To create a robot, an engineer typically employs kinematics (to determine the robot's range of motion) and mechanics (to determine the stresses within the robot).

Robots are used extensively in industrial engineering. They allow businesses to save money on labor, perform tasks that are either too dangerous or too precise for humans to perform them economically, and to ensure better quality. Many companies employ assembly lines of robots,especially in Automotive Industries and some factories are so robotized that they can run by themselves. Outside the factory, robots have been employed in bomb disposal, space exploration, and many other fields. Robots are also sold for various residential applications.

[edit]Structural analysis

Main articles: Structural analysis and Failure analysis

Structural analysis is the branch of mechanical engineering (and also civil engineering) devoted to examining why and how objects fail and to fix the objects and their performance. Structural failures occur in two general modes: static failure, and fatigue failure. Static structural failure 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. Fatigue 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 microscopic 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 defined as when a part breaks, however; it is defined as when a part does not operate as intended. Some systems, such as the perforated top sections of some plastic bags, are designed to break. If these systems do not break, failure analysis might be employed to determine the cause.

Structural analysis is often used by mechanical engineers after a failure has occurred, or when designing to prevent failure. Engineers often use online documents and books such as those published by ASM^[24] to aid them in determining the type of failure and possible causes.

Structural analysis may be used in the office when designing parts, in the field to analyze failed parts, or in laboratories where parts might undergo controlled failure tests.

[edit]Thermodynamics and thermo-science

Main article: Thermodynamics

Thermodynamics is an applied science used in several branches of engineering, including mechanical and chemical engineering. At its simplest, 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. As an example, automotive engines convert chemical energy (enthalpy) from the fuel into heat, and then into mechanical work that eventually turns the wheels.

Thermodynamics principles are used by mechanical engineers in the fields of heat transfer, thermofluids, and energy conversion. Mechanical engineers use thermo-science to design engines and power plants, heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, heat exchangers, heat sinks, radiators, refrigeration, insulation, and others.

[edit]Design and drafting

A CAD model of a mechanical double seal

Main articles: Technical drawing and CNC

Drafting or technical drawing is the means by which mechanical engineers design products and 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. A U.S. mechanical engineer or skilled worker who creates technical drawings may be referred to as a drafter or draftsman. Drafting has historically been a two-dimensional process, but computer-aided design (CAD) programs now allow the designer to create in three dimensions.

Instructions for manufacturing a part must be fed to the necessary machinery, either manually, through programmed instructions, or through the use of a computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) or combined CAD/CAM program. Optionally, an engineer may also manually manufacture a part using the technical drawings, but 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, finishes, and other processes that cannot economically or practically be done by a machine.

Drafting is used in nearly every subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, and by many other branches of engineering and architecture. Three-dimensional models created using CAD software are also commonly used in finite element analysis (FEA) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD).

[edit]Frontiers of research

Mechanical engineers are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is physically possible in order to produce safer, cheaper, and more efficient machines and mechanical systems. Some technologies at the cutting edge of mechanical engineering are listed below (see also exploratory engineering).

[edit]Micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)

Micron-scale mechanical components such as springs, gears, fluidic 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 microfluidic devices used in biomedical applications.

[edit]Friction stir welding (FSW)

Main article: Friction stir welding

Friction stir welding, a new type of welding, was discovered in 1991 by The Welding Institute (TWI). This innovative steady state (non-fusion) welding technique joins materials previously un-weldable, including several aluminum alloys. It may play an important role in the future construction of airplanes, potentially replacing rivets. Current uses of this technology to date include welding the seams of the aluminum main Space Shuttle external tank, Orion Crew Vehicle test article, Boeing Delta II and Delta IV Expendable Launch Vehicles and the SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket, armor plating for amphibious assault ships, and welding the wings and fuselage panels of the new Eclipse 500 aircraft from Eclipse Aviation among an increasingly growing pool of uses.^[25]^[26]^[27]

[edit]Composites

Composite cloth consisting of woven carbon fiber.

Main article: Composite material

Composites or composite materials are a combination of materials which provide different physical characteristics than either material separately. Composite material research within mechanical engineering typically focuses on designing (and, subsequently, finding applications for) 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 spacecraft and fishing rods.

[edit]Mechatronics

Main article: Mechatronics

Mechatronics is the synergistic combination of mechanical engineering, Electronic Engineering, and software engineering. The purpose of this interdisciplinary engineering field is the study of automation from an engineering perspective and serves the purposes of controlling advanced hybrid systems.

[edit]Nanotechnology

Main article: Nanotechnology

At the smallest scales, mechanical engineering becomes nanotechnology —one speculative goal of which is to create a molecular assembler to build molecules and materials via mechanosynthesis. For now that goal remains within exploratory engineering.

[edit]Finite element analysis

Main article: Finite element analysis

This field is not new, as the basis of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) or Finite Element Method (FEM) dates back to 1941. But evolution of computers has made FEM a viable option for analysis of structural problems. Many commercial codes such as ANSYS, Nastran and ABAQUS are widely used in industry for research and design of components.

Other techniques such as finite difference method (FDM) and finite-volume method (FVM) are employed to solve problems relating heat and mass transfer, fluid flows, fluid surface interaction etc.

[edit]Biomechanics

Main article: Biomechanics

Biomechanics is the application of mechanical principles to biological systems, such as humans, animals, plants, organs, and cells.^[28]

Biomechanics is closely related to engineering, because it often uses traditional engineering sciences to analyse biological systems. Some simple applications of Newtonian mechanics and/or materials sciences can supply correct approximations to the mechanics of many biological systems.

What is mechanical engineering

2009-03-01T06:23:00.000-08:00

Mechanical Engineering is an engineering discipline that involves the application of principles of physics for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest and broadest engineering disciplines.

Mechanical engineers design and build engines and power plants...

...structures and vehicles of all sizes...

It requires a solid understanding of core concepts including mechanics, kinematics, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and energy. Mechanical engineers use the core principles as well as other knowledge in the field to design and analyze motor vehicles, aircraft, heating and cooling systems, watercraft, manufacturing plants, industrial equipment and machinery, robotics, medical