In the 1970s, as energy prices skyrocketed, the mechanical engineering profession became one of the most prominent in the effort to conserve energy and make energy-intensive processes and machines more efficient. This need to conserve energy led to the implementation of minimum mile-per-gallon ratings for automobiles and energy-efficiency ratings on household appliances, among other applications. A tremendous amount of work was performed by mechanical engineers in redesigning all these machines.
Today, with energy prices mostly stable, energy efficiency is a less critical factor. What has come to the fore now is the need for less pollution. Exhaust gases from cars, aircraft, power plants, and heating systems have caused air pollution, acid rain, and the decrease in the ozone layer of the earth's atmosphere (which protects us from harmful solar radiation). The most profound problem, however, is the warming of the planet, caused by an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere. Although still subject to much research and debate, a number of scientific analyses point to this gas as the cause of the "greenhouse effect" in which heat and radiation enter the earth (mostly from the sun), but cannot escape through the thickening blanket of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The global warming issue is troublesome because when something is burned or ignited, carbon dioxide gas is almost always generated. Striking a match, lighting a wood fire, or even breathing produces carbon dioxide. To reduce the amount of combustion in the civilized world will require enormous changes in how we do things. Mechanical engineers will be at the forefront of contending with this issue in the future.
New machines are appearing all the time, including more advanced robots. In the past, a mechanical engineer used to sit at a drafting table figuring out the dimensions of the parts of a piece of equipment. Then a machine shop cut and ground the metal to form prototypes of the parts. Today much of this design work is done with specialized computer programs called CAD (computer-aided design). The vision of the future-which mechanical engineers are gradually turning into a reality-is to develop designs on a computer, test them with other programs, then send the designs to automated production machinery that will fabricate and assemble the parts. This procedure will make possible very fast redesigns to meet customer demands and lower production costs.
To give an idea of the many types of work mechanical engineers do, take a look at the following list. These groups are the divisions or special interest areas of the members of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
- Basic engineering, including fluids, applied mechanics, heat transfer, tribology (the study of lubrication), and bioengineering
- General engineering, covering management, safety, and technology and society
- Manufacturing, involving materials handling, production engineering, textile engineering, process industries, and plant engineering and maintenance
- Energy conversion, including fuels and combustion technologies, internal combustion engines, power and nuclear engineering
- Materials ana1 structures, comprising materials, pressure vessels and piping, nondestructive evaluation engineering (i.e., testing materials without destroying them), offshore mechanics, and arctic engineering
- Energy resources, involving petroleum, solar energy, ocean engineering, and advanced energy systems
- Environment and transportation, covering the topics of rail, aerospace, environmental control, solid-waste processing, noise control, and acoustics
- Systems and design, comprising dynamic systems and control, design engineering, computers in engineering, electrical and electronic packaging, and fluid power systems and technology
Mechanical engineers can spend all their time writing computer software or work full-time on a factory floor. Many mechanical engineers also ascend to corporate management. The range of opportunities is very broad.
Job Titles
Wherever there are machines, there are mechanical engineers. Of course, a higher concentration of engineers are in the areas of industry where machines are produced-automotive, aircraft, machine tools, and power generation systems. Some of the typical job titles are:
- Design engineer. These engineers work with computer programs, laboratory models, and prototypes to develop new machinery or components. Today many types of machines are developed with electronic components. The electronics provide control and measurement capability, and the mechanical devices transform the electronic instructions into physical action. Thus, knowledge of electronics and control theory is helpful.
- Manufacturing/production engineer. The 1990s were characterized by an enormous adjustment to robotics and computer controls in manufacturing processes. The concept of "supply chain management"-overseeing the flow of raw materials or components into a factory, through the production lines, and out to inventory or to the customer's site-became the driving force of assembly-type manufacturing. Higher quality and faster through puts-all at lower costs-remain the challenge. Mechanical engineers with this kind of experience can move rapidly into corporate management.
