Nature of Work
Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal devices, including tools, engines, and machines. They deal with anything that moves, from components to machines to the human body.
Essential Skills and Qualities
This field requires an understanding of kinematics, materials science, mechanics, thermodynamics, structural analysis, design and manufacturing. In addition, it requires a solid understanding of industry standards and excellent computer skills, because much time is spent in designing, simulating, and testing.
Creativity, Analytical ability, Problem Solving, Communication and Team work are the soft skills that are required in any Mechanical field.
Work Opportunities
Mechanical engineers play a central role in industries such as –
- Automotive Industry (from the car chassis to its every subsystem—engine, transmission, sensors)
- Computer Aided Design
- Aerospace (design and maintenance of airplanes, aircraft engines, control systems for airplanes and spacecraft)
- Biotechnology (implants, prosthetic devices, pharmaceutical industries)
- Computers and electronics (disk drives, printers, cooling systems, semiconductor tools) Micro- electromechanical systems (sensors, actuators)
- Energy conversion (gas turbines, wind turbines, solar energy, fuel cells)
- Environmental control (air-conditioning, refrigeration, compressors)
- Automation (robots, data and image acquisition, control)
- Manufacturing (machine tools, prototypes)
- Design of sports equipment
