Mechanical Engineering Project Reports ^HOT^
The Mechanical Engineering Department is the largest department at Cal Poly with more than 1,250 undergraduates and is ranked as the second-best undergraduate focused mechanical engineering program in the country by U.S. News and World Reports.
mechanical engineering project reports
Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) is the profession in which knowledge of applied mathematical and natural sciences, coupled with principles of technology gained by study and laboratory activity, is used to implement technological advances. The MET student is involved with the following three broad categories of study: energy, structures and motion in mechanical systems and manufacturing. The energy field involves the production and transfer of energy and the conversion of one form of energy to another. Specific areas include energy generating power plants, gas turbine and rocket engines, auto and diesel cycle power plants, refrigeration and air conditioning, solar and wind energy production and laser applications. Professionals involved with structures and motion in mechanical systems are often designers of mechanical systems, work in metallurgical laboratories, space vehicles, as well as the more common devices and products. Professionals working in the manufacturing sector are involved with production planning, tool design, numerically controlled machine programming, quality assurance, and the development of new high volume production systems. In addition, some MET professionals are involved with quality control, project management, purchasing and field service. Mechanical engineering technology is the broadest of all of the engineering technology fields.
Conversion castings are used in manufacturing to reduce time and costs of the production of machined parts. This project incorporated a machined production component from a local manufacturer and designed and produced an equivalent component using the casting process. The casting material chosen needed to be able to withstand all tension and compression forces when the component is used in service along with locations and dimensions of holes needed to be in accordance with all specified tolerances. The casting design process had to account for draft issues, shrinkage during material solidification, porosity and internal cavities formed during solidification, and overall optimization of material used for the casting process. The use of computer simulated solidification software aided in the design of runner and gating dimensions as well as predetermining significant problem areas for porosity and internal cavities within the castings. The manufacture of the mold pattern and core boxes was completed using the additive manufacturing process of three dimensional printing. Using this process eliminates the use of any machining processes for the manufacture of the casting along with significantly reducing the amount of man hours for fabrication. The patterns were made as well as the castings poured at Central Washington University using the 3-D printers and the foundry located in the engineering building. Success of this project will be determined through comparison of all dimensions to the current machined components and performance testing when put into service.
Whether you select a thesis option or the project option, there are three basic requirements for the contents of a project: (a) The project should involve higher math and physics, (b) application of advanced mechanical engineering concepts, and (c) A comprehensive final report that satisfies the Culminating Experience requirement as stipulated by the GAPE.
The thesis is research-oriented work and requires completion of an original research on a mechanical engineering topic. The final report must satisfy the guidelines stipulated by the university, and must be submitted in a timely manner by the deadlines set by the university for review.
Three study plans are available. The thesis option requires a total of 30 credit hours including writing a medium-length technical report. This thesis is generally a contribution to original engineering research on a topic of great relevance to current state-of-art in Mechanical Engineering. The alternative project option requires a total of 33 credit hours including writing a shorter technical project report, usually heavily oriented toward Mechanical Engineering applications. Finally, the Course option includes no project work but requires a total of 33 credit hours of coursework. More information is available here.
A technical report is a document written by a researcher detailing the results of a project and submitted to the sponsor of that project. Technical reports describe the results of technical or scientific research conducted internally for a governmental agency or private organization. Technical reports are not usually peer-reviewed and can be difficult to find.
Mechanical engineers make a difference. That's because mechanical engineering careers center on creating technologies to meet human needs. Virtually every product or service in modern life has probably been touched in some way by a mechanical engineer to help humankind.
Technology itself has also shaped how mechanical engineers work and the suite of tools has grown quite powerful in recent decades. Computer-aided engineering (CAE) is an umbrella term that covers everything from typical CAD techniques to computer-aided manufacturing to computer-aided engineering, involving finite element analysis (FEA) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). These tools and others have further broadened the horizons of mechanical engineering.
Society depends on mechanical engineering. The need for this expertise is great in so many fields, and as such, there is no real limit for the freshly minted mechanical engineer. Jobs are always in demand, particularly in the automotive, aerospace, electronics, biotechnology, and energy industries.
Manufacturing is an important step in mechanical engineering. Within the field, researchers investigate the best processes to make manufacturing more efficient. Laboratory methods focus on improving how to measure both thermal and mechanical engineering products and processes. Likewise, machine design develops equipment-scale processes while electrical engineering focuses on circuitry. All this equipment produces vibrations, another field of mechanical engineering, in which researchers study how to predict and control vibrations.
Like careers in many other engineering fields, mechanical engineers are well paid. Compared to other fields, mechanical engineers earn well above average throughout each stage of their careers. According to the United States Department of Labor, the mean salary for a mechanical engineer is $97,000, with the top ten percent earning close to $136,210.
Breakthroughs in materials and analytical tools have opened new frontiers for mechanical engineers. Nanotechnology, biotechnology, composites, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and acoustical engineering have all expanded the mechanical engineering toolbox.
Nanotechnology allows for the engineering of materials on the smallest of scales. With the ability to design and manufacture down to the elemental level, the possibilities for objects grows immensely. Composites are another area where the manipulation of materials allows for new manufacturing opportunities. By combining materials with different characteristics in innovative ways, the best of each material can be employed and new solutions found. CFD gives mechanical engineers the opportunity to study complex fluid flows analyzed with algorithms. This allows for the modeling of situations that would previously have been impossible. Acoustical engineering examines vibration and sound, providing the opportunity to reduce noise in devices and increase efficiency in everything from biotechnology to architecture.
Our undergraduate program in mechanical engineering prepares you for advanced study in the field. Earn your MS and/or PhD degrees in mechanical engineering, engineering mechanics, or a related field either at Michigan Tech or at another university.
Despite limited employment growth, about 17,900 openings for mechanical engineers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Mechanical engineers typically need a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or mechanical engineering technologies. Mechanical engineering programs usually include courses in mathematics and life and physical sciences, as well as engineering and design. Mechanical engineering technology programs focus less on theory and more on the practical application of engineering principles. They may emphasize internships and co-ops to prepare students for work in industry.
A Ph.D. is essential for engineering faculty positions in higher education, as well as for some research and development programs. Mechanical engineers may earn graduate degrees in engineering or business administration to learn new technology, broaden their education, and enhance their project management skills. Mechanical engineers may become administrators or managers after gaining work experience.
Senior Design is an engineering capstone design experience organized by Design Center Colorado (DCC) and completed by all mechanical engineering undergraduate students in their final year of study. The purpose of this course is to simulate an entry-level engineering project in industry, allowing students to apply the knowledge they have acquired in fundamental mechanical engineering courses to a real-world, open-ended design challenge. At the end of the academic year, actual hardware and/or software will be produced and presented to sponsors. 041b061a72