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What does a mechanical engineer actually do?

Interested in majoring in mechanical engineering, what is the actual work that this entails.

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Glenn’s Answer

Justin, that's a great question, but not a simple one to answer. Mechanical Engineering covers a lot of ground. You'll learn about different areas like Heat and Mass Transfer, Statics and Dynamics, and Fluid Dynamics. You'll also get to know about circuit design.

There are many ways to use your degree. I work in product development for medical devices now, but I've also worked with consumer electronics. I love my job because it changes with each project. We start by figuring out what we need, come up with ideas, build models, and work on designs while thinking about how parts are made and put together. We also make sure everything meets the requirements.

I work with a team of engineers, many with Mechanical Engineering degrees too. This includes people in tech support, manufacturing, testing, regulation, project management, and more.

Mechanical Engineers can also work in construction, designing HVAC systems for buildings or working on water treatment facilities. The possibilities are endless.
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Fahad Elahi’s Answer

Mechanical engineers have exciting and varied roles. They test, develop, and design mechanical systems and devices. Depending on the industry and job, their daily tasks can differ a lot. For example, in product development, a morning might be spent testing a new component in CAD software to see if it can handle stress. In the afternoon, they might meet with manufacturing teams to discuss production possibilities. They constantly ask, "Will this work?" and "Can we make it better or cheaper?" Some engineers focus on designing medical equipment, car engines, or consumer products, while others specialize in HVAC systems for buildings. They might optimize production lines, solve problems with malfunctioning machines, or test new technologies. Their work involves a mix of computer tasks like CAD modeling and data analysis, physical testing and prototyping, problem-solving, and collaborating with other engineers, suppliers, and customers. Often, they bring ideas to life, considering real-world factors like budget, materials, and physics. If you enjoy figuring out how things work and making them better, then a career in mechanical engineering might be for you.
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William’s Answer

Hi Justin,
Thanks for your excellent question. Mechanical engineering is a rather broad area of specialization. It overlaps both civil and electrical engineering.
Roles exist in production & manufacturing, design, utilities, maintenance, projects, consultancy, research, teaching in institutions of higher learning etc. It's also a pathway to such areas as biomedical, automotive & aerospace engineering, robotics etc. Additional competence in management & leadership provide opportunities for roles at all organizational levels.
Success requires love for what you do, keen interest in learning, curiosity, deep understanding of how nature works, diligence, interpersonal skills, problem solving skills etc. Creativity allows you to pursue new solutions to some of the most pressing challenges we face as society - this is the most enduring essence of engineering (addressing human needs). Practical competence remains the overriding goal for a successful career.
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Sreedhar’s Answer

Hi Justin,
Mechanical engineering is a field that involves utilizing the knowledge of mechanics to build things. Mechanics involves movement. Some examples of movement are below.
- Movement of a body from earth's surface to space.
- Movement of a body back and forth.
- Rotation of a body about a hinge.
- Movement of heat within a body and from one body to another.
- Movement of electrons through connected bodies.

A Mechanical Engineer, upon graduation, will be able to calculate these movements in order to build things such as a rocket, a car engine, an electric motor, an air conditioner, etc. To build these things to the required size, a Mechanical Engineer performs careful calculations.

Good luck!
Sreedhar
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Don’s Answer

Hello Justin,

There are many things that mechanical engineers do in terms of skills, analysis of products and systems. Here is a list of things that mechanical engineers do. Hope this helps!

List:
-They create/develop new mechanical devices or preexisting ones
-They are important in troubleshooting problems
-They test and analyze problems with you car
-They will need to install/operate new equipment when it comes to mechanical systems
-They are important in overseeing projects and need to do documentation
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Dan’s Answer

I'll add to Glen's answer- I'm an engineer in the machinery manufacturing industry. We use a lot of physics and algebra, but nothing that is too difficult to understand. A lot of my day is spent using SAP and 2D/3D design software to draw & store production documents for production to make. Some of this is simple, while other parts are quite complex. No matter what you end up doing, get close to good people who are willing to teach you. When you have learned everything you can from those people, find new people and keep learning. If you keep that mindset, you'll be fine in whatever industry you choose.
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Xiangyang (Chris)’s Answer

Mechanical engineers are behind almost everything we use every day, for example, our cell phones. Sure, electrical and software engineers make cell phones smart, but it’s the mechanical engineers who make them tough enough to survive our daily drops.

Ever dropped your phone and held your breath hoping it still works? That’s mechanical engineering in action — using clever design, computer simulations, and real-world tests to make sure your phone stays in one piece.

Here’s a wild story: an iPhone got sucked out of an airplane and fell 16,000 feet to the ground… and it still worked when someone found it!
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iphone-sucked-out-alaska-airlines-plane-fell-16000-feet-found-still-works/

It is the mechanical engineers who keep our gadgets in one piece!
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