WHAT IS ENGINEERING?
The word “engineering” derives from the Latin root ingenuine, meaning to design or to devise, which also forms the basis of the word “ingenious.” Those meanings are quite appropriate summaries of the traits of a good engineer. At the most fundamental level, engineers apply their knowledge of mathematics, science, and materials—as well as their skills in communications and business—to develop new and better technologies. Rather than experiment solely through trial and error, engineers are educated to use mathematics, scientific c principles, and computer simulations (Figure 1.4) as tools to create faster, more accurate, and more economical designs. In that sense, the work of an engineer differs from that of a scientist, who would normally emphasize the discovery of physical laws rather than apply those phenomena to develop new products. Engineering is essentially a bridge between scientific c discovery and product applications. Engineering does not exist for the sake of furthering or applying mathematics, science, and computation by themselves. Rather, engineering is a driver of social and economic growth and an integral part of the business cycle
Engineers apply the theories and principles of science and mathematics to research and develop economical solutions to technical problems. Their work is the link between perceived social needs and commercial applications. Engineers design products, machinery to build those products, plants in which those products are made, and the systems that ensure the quality of the products and the efficiency of the workforce and manufacturing process. Engineers design, plan, and supervise the construction of buildings, highways, and transit systems. They develop and implement improved ways to extract, process, and use raw materials, such as petroleum and natural gas. They develop new materials that both improve the performance of products and take advantage of advances in technology. They harness the power of the sun, the Earth, atoms, and electricity for use in supplying the Nation’s power needs, and create millions of products using power. They analyze the impact of the products they develop or the systems they design on the environment and on people using them. Engineering knowledge is applied to improving many things, including the quality of healthcare, the safety of food products, and the operation of financial systems.
Many students begin to study engineering because they are attracted to the fi elds of mathematics and science. Others migrate toward engineering careers because they are motivated by an interest in technology and how everyday things work or, perhaps with more enthusiasm, how not-so-everyday things work. A growing number of others are impassioned by the significant impact that engineers can have on global issues such as clean water, renewable energy, sustainable infrastructures, and disaster relief.
Approximately 1.5 million people are employed as engineers in the United States. The vast majority work in industry, and fewer than 10% are employed by federal, state, and local governments. Engineers who are federal employees are often associated with such organizations as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) or the Departments of Defense (DOD), Transportation (DOT), and Energy (DOE). About 3–4% of all engineers are self-employed, working mostly in consulting and entrepreneurial capacities. Further, an engineering degree prepares students to work in a wide range of influential fi elds. In a recent list of the CEOs from the Fortune 500, 23% have undergraduate degrees in engineering, which is twice the number as those who earned business administration or economics degrees. Similar surveys showed that 22% of the CEOs in the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 .
#Mechanical engineering:-
The Mechanical Engineering Profession
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• Forces
• Materials
• Fluids
• Energy
• Motion
Mechanical engineers invent machines and structures that exploit those elements in order to serve a useful purpose and solve a problem. Original design and the practical issue of making something that works are the themes behind any engineering endeavor. An engineer creates a machine or product to help someone solve a technical problem. The engineer might start from a blank sheet of paper, conceive something new, develop and refi ne it so that it works reliably, and — all the while—satisfy the constraints of safety, cost, and manufacturability. Robotic welding systems (Figure 1.1), internal combustion engines, sports equipment, computer hard disk drives, prosthetic limbs, automobiles, aircraft, jet engines, surgical tools, and wind turbines are some of the thousands of technologies that mechanical engineering encompasses. It would not be much of an exaggeration to claim that, for every product you can imagine, a mechanical engineer was involved at some point in its design, materials selection, temperature control, quality assurance, or production. Even if a mechanical engineer didn’t conceive or design the product per se, it’s still a safe bet that a mechanical engineer designed the machines that built, tested, or delivered the product.
As you begin your formal mechanical engineering education, keep the outcome of your degree in mind. As your education process continues, either formally with more degrees or informally with on the job training, the immediate outcome is a job that matches your skills, passions, and education. A quick search on Monster.com reveals the following knowledge and skills employers are expecting from graduating bachelor level mechanical engineering students. In this textbook, we cover a number of these skills to help you prepare to be a successful professional in the dynamic fi eld of mechanical engineering.
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