Mechanical Engineering is one of the basic branches of Engineering which employs fundamental principles to design, develop and construct nearly all of the physical devices and systems that we can see around us.These devices include automobiles, machines in all kind of manufacturing units, machinery used in building construction, road construction, agriculture, etc. Mechanical Engineers use their knowledge to design, construct, operate and maintain different kind of machines. They conceptualize the design (Product Development) for any product to be manufactured.
It requires a great deal of specialized knowledge to manufacture products with changing requirement, which ask for Agile Manufacturing Systems.Mechanical Engineers also shoulder upon responsibility for plant layout, production planning and control, as well as plant maintenance.
Students with basic knowledge of Mechanical Engineering can look for employment in almost every type of manufacturing industry such as automobile, aerospace, railway coach factory, chemical manufacturing plants, metal producing plants, etc. apart from the private sector, mechanical engineers find employment in public sector units such as BHEL, SAIL, GAIL, Indian Railway, Electricity Boards. There are around 3 lac mechanical engineers in India, who have been serving in different industries.
Skills that Students accrue while studying Mechanical Engineering Apart from the study of regular topics, mechanical engineering students are trained to hone other skills needed to undertake the professional challenges further. These skills are:
Innovation- Mechanical engineers are required to develop and design complex machines and heavy pieces of equipment. The innovation they learn while studying, plays a crucial role in this.
Mathematical Knowledge– Statistics, calculus, and other advanced mathematical concepts (Computation using MATLAB) are always helpful to mechanical engineers for designing and analyzing the complex machinery.
Communication Skills– Mechanical engineers are required to coordinate with professionals from other domains like architects and computer scientists. They must be goodat communication to analyze the approaches mentioned by others.
Decision- making Skills– Mechanical engineers need to be good at decision-making since they need to decide about the new processes to be implemented while building complex machines that too in a short span of time.
Core Mechanical Skills– Last but not the least: mechanical engineers should be adept at their core skills i.e. conceptualizing the mechanical processes and building / simulating the new systems, devices and processes.
Make in India is an ambitious initiative launched by government of India to attract manufacturing sector from international as well as domestic origin to set up manufacturing units in India to enhance the share of manufacturing in our GDP from the current 15% to 25% by the end of 2025. Manufacturing which is one of the highest employment generating sectors has been of current focus though capacity up-gradation, skill development and industrial development. To achieve this target, government of India has adopted a mix of policies for ease of doing business in India though good governance and scaling up infrastructural development, which is sure to increase the role of mechanical engineering.
The buzzword‘Industry 4.0’ has been defined as “a collective term for technologies and concepts of value chain organization which draws together Cyber-Physical Systems, the Internet of Things, and the Internet of Services. In Industry 4.0, cyber-physical systems made up of connected systems of software, sensors, machines, work pieces, and communication technologies monitor physical processes, create a virtual copy of the physical world, and make decentralized decisions.
Following is the list of new areas that shall be part of any Mechanical Engineering curriculum to make it relevant for industry 4.0
- Data science and advanced (big data) analytics
- Advanced simulation and virtual plant modeling
- Data communication and networks and system automation
- CAD /CAM
- Digital-to-physical transfer technologies, such as 3-D printing
- Closed-loop integrated product and process quality control/management systems
- Real-time inventory and logistics optimization systems
Similarly, for educational institutes to meet the challenges of Industry 4.0, it should recommend these three things:
- Providing broader skill sets
- Offering job-specific capabilities
- Closing the IT skills gap
The curriculum of B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering at Sangam University addresses the subjects CAD/CAM, Mechatronics, Robotics Engineering that could represent the efficient way of accommodating interdisciplinary elements, in a single program. Subjects covered under the ME courses, including production planning & control, product design & development, flexible manufacturing system, total quality management are also important in Industry 4.0.
Anticipated Growth in Mechanical Engineering by 2026
In the year 2016, there were around 3 lac mechanical engineers working in various industries and the number is expected to grow by 15% (approximately) by 2026. Therefore, the future of mechanical engineers seems very promising with the expanding role of the field. In fact, the invasion of electric cars in the coming years is not going to affect the scope of mechanical engineering since this engineering is not just confined to automobile sector. Robotic engineering is now the part of mechanical engineering and growing at a rapid pace. Mechanical engineering was the core stream, is a core stream, and will always be the core stream of engineering.
Dr. Rakesh Bhandari
Dy. Dean, School of Engineering & Technology
Sangam University, Bhilwara (Raj.)
