Course Packet 01: Mechanical Engineering Profession

1.1 Introduction

“Engineering” derives from the Latin root ingeniere, meaning to design or to devise, which also
forms the basis of the word “ingenious.”

It is a scientific field and job that involves scientific understanding of the natural world and using it
to invent, design, and build things to solve problems and achieve practical goals.

Science vs. Engineering

Science: Engineering:
Investigation, understanding, and discovery Manipulating the forces of nature to advance
of nature, its composition, and its behavior humanity
(i.e., “laws of nature”) Learn to build (products and services useful
Build (experiments, tools, devices, etc.) to for humans)
learn

Engineers are educated to use mathematics, scientific principles, computer simulations, and
hardware as tools to develop new and better technologies rather than experiment solely through trial
and error.

Figure 1.1: Engineers combine their skills in mathematics, science, computers, and hardware.
(Wickert, J., Lewis, K., “An Introduction to Mechanical Engineering – Third Edition”)
1.2 What is Mechanical Engineering?

 Mechanical engineering is an engineering discipline that applies the concepts of mathematics,

physics, and material science to mechanical system analysis, design, manufacturing, and
maintenance.
 It is a profession that concerns itself with mechanical design, energy conversion, fuel and
combustion technologies, heat transfer, materials, manufacturing processes, rail transportation,
automatic control, product safety and reliability, solar energy, and technological impacts to
society.
 The main focus of this particular engineering is the operation of machines and tools and to
measure and improve their output and efficiency.

Main Branches of Mechanical Engineering:

Figure 1.2: The four main branches of mechanical engineering.

Production

Maintenance
Mechanical
Engineering
Designing

Quality Control

Production

 It deals with the production of predesigned products.

 It generally deals with mass and batch productions.

Special skills required:

 Great management and good communication skills.

 Deep knowledge of manufacturing processes and machining operations.
 Easier than designing and quality control.

Maintenance

 Maintenance of machine or equipment in such a way that they run with maximum productivity,
minimal emissions, and increased life are concerned.
 Easier availability of job.
Special skills required:

 Higher technical skills related to machines, mechanism, bearing standards and abilities in
cost control.

Designing

 It deals with the design of new devices, parts, components, and systems that are new and more
effective.

Special skills required:

 Great and profound knowledge of subjects such as physics, material science, mechanics,
machine design, etc.
 High presentation skills are required.
 Deep knowledge of at least 3-4 computer-aided design software is basic need.

Quality Control

 Quality control (QC) is a set of procedures intended to ensure that a manufactured product or
performed service adheres to defined set of quality criteria or meets the requirements of the
client.

Special skills required:

 High knowledge of metrology instrumentation is required.

 External degree and certificates are required.

1.3 Who are Mechanical Engineers?

Mechanical engineers are known for their broad scope of skills and expertise. They are the person
who are practicing or rendering mechanical engineering service and perform the following (based on
Republic Act No. 8495):

 Consultation, investigation and management services.

 Engineering design, preparation of plans, specifications and projects studies for mechanical
equipment, works, projects or plants.
 Management, operation, maintenance of any mechanical equipment, works, projects or plants.
 Management of production, sale, supply or distribution of mechanical equipment parts or
components.
 Teaching of mechanical engineering professional subjects in government recognized and
accredited engineering schools.
 Employment in government as a professional mechanical engineer, registered mechanical
engineer, or certified plant mechanic if the nature and character of his work is in line with his
profession requiring professional knowledge of the science of mechanical engineering.

Professional Organizations for Mechanical Engineers

International: American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) - This professional society is the
primary organization that represents and serves the mechanical engineering community in the
United States and internationally.

ASME was founded in 1880 and serves a wide-ranging engineering community through quality
learning, the development of codes and standards, certifications, research, conferences and
publications, government relations, and other forms of outreach.

Local: Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers (PSME) is the only PRC Accredited Professional
Organization (APO) of mechanical engineers.

PSME is an organization of mechanical engineers in the Philippines founded in 1952 for the purpose
of uniting and enjoining the mechanical engineers in the pursuit of continuing professional growth.

Mechanical Engineering’s Top Achievements

The ASME surveyed its members to identify the major accomplishments of mechanical engineers.
This top list of achievements can help you better understand who mechanical engineers are and
appreciate the contributions they have made to your world.

1. Automobile
German engineer Nicolaus Otto is credited with designing the first practical four-stroke internal-
combustion engine. It is today the power source of choice for most automobiles.

2. Power generation
One aspect of mechanical engineering involves designing machinery that can convert energy
from one form to another. Mechanical engineers manipulate the stored chemical energy of such
fuels as coal, natural gas, and oil; the kinetic energy of wind that drives electricity-producing
turbines; the nuclear energy in electrical plants, ships, submarines, and spacecraft; and the
potential energy of water reservoirs that feed hydroelectric power plants.

3. Agricultural mechanization
Mechanical engineers have developed technologies to improve significantly the efficiency in the
agricultural industry. Automation began from powered tractors to automated harvest machine
without any human interventions.

4. Airplane
One of the main contributions has been in the area of propulsion. Mechanical engineers design
the combustion and control systems of such advanced jet engines. Also, the discovery of
lightweight aerospace-grade materials, including titanium alloys and graphite-fiber-reinforced
epoxy composites.

5. Integrated-circuit mass production

The electronics industry has developed remarkable technologies for miniaturizing integrated
circuits, computer memory chips, and microprocessors. Mechanical engineers design the
machinery, alignment systems, advanced materials, temperature control, and vibration isolation
that enable integrated circuits to be made at the nanometer scale.

6. Air conditioning and refrigeration

Mechanical engineers apply the principles of heat transfer and energy conversion to design
refrigeration systems that preserve and store food at its source, during transportation, and in the
home.

7. Computer-aided engineering (CAD) technology

It refers to a wide range of automation technologies in mechanical engineering, and it
encompasses the use of computers for performing calculations, preparing technical drawings,
simulating performance, and controlling machine tools in a factory.

1.4 Career Paths

Now that we have introduced the field of mechanical engineering and some of the profession’s most
significant contributions, we next turn to the career options where future mechanical engineers will
face the global, social, and environmental challenges around the world.

Mechanical engineers can work as designers, researchers, and technology managers for companies
that range in size from small start-ups to large multinational corporations. The figure below gives
you an idea of the range of available opportunities for mechanical engineers.

Figure 1.3: Mechanical engineers in different tracks.

Education

Local Research and

government development

Graduate Independent
school entrepreneur

Mechanical
Engineers

Industry Military

Technical sales
Technical
and marketing
consulting

Engineering
1.5 Typical Program of Study

As you begin to study mechanical engineering, will be required to complete the following
mechanical engineering courses:
 General education courses in the humanities and social sciences
 Preparatory courses in mathematics, science, and computer programming
 Core courses in fundamental mechanical engineering subjects
 Elective courses on specialized topics that you find particularly interesting

The major topics in a typical mechanical engineering curriculum are shown in Figure 1.4. While the
topics are allocated into separate branches, the mechanical engineering curriculum is becoming an
integrated system with interrelationships among many of the courses, topics, and knowledge areas.

Figure 1.4: Hierarchy of topics and courses studied in a typical mechanical engineering curriculum.

Innovation and Design

An important place to start your study is to understand that the design of products, systems, and
processes is how mechanical engineers impact the social, global, environmental, and economic
challenges in the world.

Knowledge of innovation and design will require the study of how a design process is structured,
including the following topics:

 The development of system requirements from a variety of system stakeholders.

 The generation of innovative concept alternatives and the effective selection and realization
of a final design.
 Principles of sound decision making applied to the multitude of tradeoffs involved in a
product development process.

In addition, knowledge of contemporary and emerging issues is critical to design products and
systems that will sustain and transform lives, communities, economies, nations, and the
environment. Of course, because of the direct impact mechanical engineers have on potentially
billions of lives, they must be outstanding professionals of the highest character. To become such a
professional, you will learn the following skills:

 Sound technical problem-solving skills.

 Effective practices in technical communications (oral presentations, technical reports, e-
mails).
 The latest digital and cyber-enabled tools to support engineering design processes.

Engineering Sciences and Analysis

Providing the foundation for the curricular components of innovation and design are the core
engineering sciences and analysis. A series of courses focus on mechanical systems, including
modeling and analyzing the components of mechanical devices (e.g., gears, springs, mechanisms).
These core courses usually include the following issues:

 Understanding the forces that act on machines and structures during their operation,
including components that move and those that do not.
 Determining whether structural components are strong enough to support the forces that
act on them and what materials are the most appropriate.
 Determining how machines and mechanisms will move and the amount of force, energy,
and power that is transferred between them.

Another series of courses focus on thermal fluid principles, including modeling and analyzing the
behavior and properties of thermodynamic and fluidic systems. These core courses usually include
the following issues:

 The physical properties of liquids and gases and the drag, lift, and buoyancy forces present
between fluids and structures.
 The conversion of energy from one form to another by efficient power generation machinery,
devices, and technologies.
 Temperature control and the management of heat through the processes of conduction,
convection, and radiation.

Gaining Experience

Along with formal study, it is also important to gain experience through summer employment,
internships, research projects, co-op programs, and study abroad opportunities. Those experiences,
as well as courses completed outside the formal engineering program, will greatly broaden your
perspective of the role that engineering plays in our global societies.

Increasingly, employers are looking for engineering graduates who have capabilities and
experiences above and beyond the traditional set of technical and scientific skills.
Knowledge of business practices, interpersonal relationships, organizational behavior, international
cultures and languages, and communication skills are important factors for many engineering career
choices.