“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

- Lao Tzu

Definition of Mechanical Engineering

My personal definition of Mechanical Engineering is

If it needs engineering but it doesn’t involve electrons, chemical reactions, arrangement of molecules, life forms, isn’t

a structure (building/bridge/dam) and doesn’t fly, a mechanical engineer will take care of it… but

if it does involve electrons, chemical reactions, arrangement of molecules, life forms, is a structure or does fly,

mechanical engineers may handle it anyway

Although every engineering faculty member in every engineering department will claim that

his/her field is the broadest engineering discipline, in the case of Mechanical Engineering that’s

actually true (I claim) because the core material permeates all engineering systems (fluid mechanics,

solid mechanics, heat transfer, control systems, etc.)

Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest engineering fields (though perhaps Civil Engineering

is even older) but in the past 20 years has undergone a rather remarkable transformation as a result

of a number of new technological developments including

• Computer Aided Design (CAD). The average non-technical person probably thinks that

mechanical engineers sit in front of a drafting table drawing blueprints for devices having nuts,

bolts, shafts, gears, bearings, levers, etc. While that image was somewhat true 100 years ago,

today the drafting board has long since been replaced by CAD software, which enables a part to

be constructed and tested virtually before any physical object is manufactured.

• Simulation. CAD allows not only sizing and checking for fit and interferences, but the

resulting virtual parts are tested structurally, thermally, electrically, aerodynamically, etc. and

modified as necessary before committing to manufacturing.

• Sensor and actuators. Nowadays even common consumer products such as automobiles have

dozens of sensors to measure temperatures, pressures, flow rates, linear and rotational speeds,

etc. These sensors are used not only to monitor the health and performance of the device, but

also as inputs to a microcontroller. The microcontroller in turn commands actuators that adjust

flow rates (e.g. of fuel into an engine), timings (e.g. of spark ignition), positions (e.g. of valves), etc.

• 3D printing. Traditional “subtractive manufacturing” consisted of starting with a block or

casting of material and removing material by drilling, milling, grinding, etc. The shapes that can

be created in this way are limited compared to modern “additive manufacturing” or “3D

printing” in which a structure is built in layers. Just as CAD + simulation has led to a new way

of designing systems, 3D printing has led to a new way of creating prototypes and in limited

cases, full-scale production.

• Collaboration with other fields. Historically, a nuts-and-bolts device such as an automobile

was designed almost exclusively by mechanical engineers. Modern vehicles have vast electrical

and electronic systems, safety systems (e.g. air bags, seat restraints), specialized batteries (in the

case of hybrids or electric vehicles), etc., which require design contributions from electrical, 

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biomechanical and chemical engineers, respectively. It is essential that a modern mechanical

engineer be able to understand and accommodate the requirements imposed on the system by

non-mechanical considerations.

These radical changes in what mechanical engineers do compared to a relatively short time ago

makes the field both challenging and exciting.

Mechanical Engineering curriculum

In almost any accredited Mechanical Engineering program, the following courses are required:

• Basic sciences - math, chemistry, physics

• Breadth or distribution (called “General Education” at USC)

• Computer graphics and computer aided design (CAD)

• Experimental engineering & instrumentation

• Mechanical design - nuts, bolts, gears, welds

• Computational methods - converting continuous mathematical equations into discrete

equations solved by a computer

• Core “engineering science”

o Dynamics – essentially F = ma applied to many types of systems

o Strength and properties of materials

o Fluid mechanics

o Thermodynamics

o Heat transfer

o Control systems

• Senior “capstone” design project

Additionally you may participate in non-credit “enrichment” activities such as undergraduate

research, undergraduate student paper competitions in ASME (American Society of Mechanical

Engineers, the primary professional society for mechanical engineers), the Formula SAE racecar

project, etc.

Figure 1. SAE Formula racecar project at USC

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Examples of industries employing MEs

Many industries employ mechanical engineers; a few industries and the type of systems MEs

design are listed below.

o Automotive

• Combustion

• Engines, transmissions

• Suspensions

o Aerospace (w/ aerospace engineers)

• Control systems

• Heat transfer in turbines

• Fluid mechanics (internal & external)

o Biomedical (w/ physicians)

• Biomechanics – prosthesis

• Flow and transport in vivo

o Computers (w/ computer engineers)

• Heat transfer

• Packaging of components & systems

o Construction (w/ civil engineers)

• Heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC)

• Stress analysis

o Electrical power generation (w/ electrical engineers)

• Steam power cycles - heat and work

• Mechanical design of turbines, generators, ...

o Petrochemicals (w/ chemical, petroleum engineers)

• Oil drilling - stress, fluid flow, structures

• Design of refineries - piping, pressure vessels

o Robotics (w/ electrical engineers)

• Mechanical design of actuators, sensors

• Stress analysis

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