Unarguably, mechanical engineering is the most ancient branch of engineering, and still, its demand across the budding engineers is soaring. It is also called the ‘mother of all engineering courses’ since it acts as a launchpad to various other forms of engineering – aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, aeronautics, drilling, power generation, and oil exploration. Apart from its allied branches, it’s somewhat involved in unrelated areas like nanotechnology, chemical, biomedical, etc.
This post covers the different branches of engineering that are either originated or inspired by mechanical engineering and makes it the mother of all engineering forms. Students seeking engineering courses can take help from the information shared below and land upon the right path.
Automotive Engineering
This engineering is a branch of vehicle engineering that incorporates designing, manufacturing, and operation of personal and commercial vehicles and their engineering subsystems. The modification and up-gradation of vehicles are the prime purposes of automotive engineers. Thus, calling it a sub-set of mechanical engineering won’t be an overstatement.
Computer-Aided Engineering
Computer-aided engineering is mixed with computer-aided manufacturing and computer-aided design. Revit, AutoCAD, Fusion 360, and Inventor are the main software that is used for analysis, designing, and simulation of various machines and their processes. Automobile design and naval architecture involved computer-aided engineering.
Robotics & Automation
As the name suggests, robotics is the engineering of designing robots to perform various tasks. Therefore, it needs mechanical skills to develop the robots. On the other hand, automation engineering has reduced human efforts to a large extent, with machines, software, and technologies performing tasks more precisely and in a shorter time.
Mechatronics
Mechatronics is an interdisciplinary branch of mechanical engineering that involves manufacturing and designing advanced automated machines and components. It’s a study of making complex machines and electronic devices simple and more innovative. This form is engineering is derived from mechanical engineering only.
Aerospace Engineering
Aerospace engineering can be broadly classified into two categories – astronautical and aeronautical engineering. On a larger scale, it involves dealing with the mechanism of aircraft designed for transporting the goods. At the same time, aeronautical engineering involves manufacturing and maintaining airplanes and spacecraft.
Nanotechnology
This engineering is all about manipulating atoms and molecules measured in nanometers (1 billionth of a metre) for manufacturing and modeling purposes. Nanotechnology utilizes most of the principles of mechanical engineering to solve small-scale issues—the advantages of this engineering help in optimizing the manufacturing processes.
Thermodynamics
The way to thermodynamics goes through mechanical engineering that involves converting thermal heat into mechanical energy. While pursuing thermodynamics engineering, students learn heat transfer and fluid mechanics to design air-conditioning systems, propulsion systems, and refrigeration.
Marine Engineering
Marine engineering also involves the methods and techniques of mechanical engineering, and it is all about the operation and maintenance of propulsion plants, purifiers, boilers, pumps, auxiliary generators, etc. Therefore, you can’t become an excellent marine engineer until you gain an understanding of mechanical engineering principles.
HVAC Engineering
HVAC engineering is all about the study of ventilation, heating, and air-conditioning system, and it applied the concepts of fluid transfer and thermodynamics. It is somewhat connected with mechanical engineering principles, and students need to learn the same to ace HVAC engineering.
Acoustical Engineering
Acoustical engineering is a branch of mechanical engineering, and it deals with sounds and vibrations. It equips students with the skills of sound design and analysis control. It employs the methods like noise barriers, sound absorbers, and spencers to reduce the noise from mechanical systems and improve the sound quality.
What do the best engineering colleges offer through mechanical engineering programmes?
Mechanical Engineering is, without a doubt, the most versatile engineering branch and plays a pivotal role in human life. A Mechanical Engineer uses his acumen to design products by transforming them into functional prototypes, conducting analysis from an engineering viewpoint, implementing manufacturing methods & processes. Hence, mechanical engineering is the mother of all other engineering disciplines.
The best engineering colleges design their curriculum aligned with the industry standards to prepare students to undertake all the professional challenges prudently. So, if mechanical engineering is your thing, pursue it from the best college.