Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering isapplicationphysical principles tocreationuseful devices, objectsmachines. Mechanical engineers use principles such as heat, force, andconservationmassenergyanalyze staticdynamic physical systems,contributing todesignthings such as automobiles, aircraft,other vehicles, heatingcooling systems, household appliances, industrial equipmentmachinery, weapons systems, etc.
Mechanical engineers often create simulations ofoperationobjects, as well asmanufacturing processesbe used,orderoptimize performance, cost effectiveness,energy efficiencies, before settling onparticular design.
Engineering drawings ofobjectsbe fabricatedtypically created. Prior tolate 20th Century most engineering drawings were drawn by hand withaidmechanical drafting boards. The advent ofdigital computergraphical user interface madecreationmodelsdrawings using Computer Aided Design (CAD) programs possible. Most CAD programs now permit creationthree-dimensional models which may be viewed from any angle. Such models may be used asbasisFinite Element Analysis (FEA)/ or Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) ofdesign. ThroughapplicationComputer Aided Manufacturing (CAM),models may also be used directly by softwarecreate "instructions" formanufactureobjects represented bymodels, through computer numerically-controlled (CNC) machining or other automated processes, withoutneedintermediate drawings.
Fundamental subjectsmechanical engineering include: dynamics, statics, strengthmaterials, heat transfer, fluid dynamics, solid mechanics, control theory, pneumatics, hydraulics, mechatronicsapplied thermodynamics. Mechanical engineersalso expectedunderstandbe ableapply concepts fromchemistryelectrical engineering fields. Atsmallest scales, mechanical engineering becomes molecular engineering - one speculative goalwhich iscreatemolecular assemblerbuild moleculesmaterials via mechanosynthesis. For now this goal remains within exploratory engineering,some considerscience fiction.
Related disciplines include; Electrical engineering, Industrial engineering, Systems engineering, Civil engineering, Aerospace engineering,other engineering disciplines.
