Mechanical engineering

A mechanical engineer is a professional who designs, analyses, manufactures, and maintains mechanical systems. Mechanical engineering is a field of engineering that blends engineering physics and mathematical concepts with materials science in order to create mechanical systems. It is one of the oldest and most diverse engineering specialisations available.

In order to work in mechanical engineering, you must have a solid grasp of a number of fundamental concepts, including mechanics, dynamics, thermodynamics, material science, structural analysis, and electricity. Other tools used by mechanical engineers include computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), and product lifecycle management, which are used to design and analyse manufacturing plants, industrial equipment and machinery, heating and cooling systems, transportation system such as aeroplanes and ships as well as underwater vehicles. Other tools used by mechanical engineers include robotics, medical devices, and weapons. It is a field of engineering that is concerned with the design, manufacture, and operation of machinery, among other things.

Mechanical engineering was established as a discipline during the Industrial Revolution in Europe in the 18th century; however, its roots may be traced back several thousand years around the globe to the ancient Greeks. The advancement of physics in the nineteenth century paved the way for the creation of mechanical engineering science. Since its inception, mechanical engineering has continuously changed to embrace new technologies; now, mechanical engineers are seeking improvements in fields such as composites, mechatronics, and nanotechnology. It also has some overlap with other engineering disciplines, such as aerospace engineering, metallurgical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, manufacturing engineering, chemical engineering, industrial engineering, and other engineering disciplines, though the overlap is not as significant. As a mechanical engineer, you can find yourself working in the subject of biomedical engineering, especially in the areas of biomechanics, transport phenomena, biomechatronics (including bionanotechnology), and modelling of biological systems.