Mechanical Engineers
What do mechanical engineers do? “Mechanical engineers solve today’s problems and create future solutions in health care, energy, transportation, world hunger, space exploration, climate change, and more. Mechanical engineers are versatile. To meet the demands of their job, mechanical engineers may design a component, a machine, a system, or a process. This ranges from the macro to the micro, from the largest systems like cars and satellites to the smallest components like sensors and switches. Anything that needs to be manufactured – indeed, anything with moving parts – needs the expertise of a mechanical engineer.” Michigan Tech School of Engineering
What does a mechanical engineering study? Due to the potential variety in their work, mechanical engineers must take a wide range of courses. They study courses in math, chemistry, physics, principles of engineering, circuits and electronics, dynamics, electrical energy conversion, elements of mechanical engineering, thermodynamics, and more. They will even take additional courses related to other disciplines of engineering such as chemical engineering, nuclear engineering, civil engineering, and material science.
What type of job can a mechanical engineer have? “Mechanical engineers can work in the fields of aerospace, biotechnology, computers, electronics, microelectromechanical systems, energy conversion, robotics and automation, and manufacturing. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) currently lists 36 technical divisions, from advanced energy systems and aerospace engineering to solid-waste engineering and textile engineering.” — “The most common jobs for mechanical engineers fall into the following categories: product design (designing products ranging from biomedical devices to internal combustion engines), research and development (researching new ideas and solutions that satisfy society’s demands or improve or expanding older ideas), manufacturing (designing and rebuilding the machines that mass produce consumer products), systems management (managing the operations of a large system, such as a manufacturing facility), and energy (planning how energy is created, stored, and moved).” Columbia University School of Engineering and Educating Engineers
Thinking of studying mechanical engineering? The first video gives you a peek at what one real-life mechanical engineer does for work – if you listen carefully he talks about how he uses the design process in his work! The second gives you a more detailed look into mechanical engineering.
