A pathway which favours individuals who exhibit strong management and innovation skills, yet also like to get their hands dirty by working to design, develop and improve machinery and equipment.
What Mechanical Engineers Do
Mechanical engineering professionals design, develop, manufacture and install mechanical components or systems.
Mechanical engineers are concerned with designing, developing and maintaining power-producing machines, such as electric generators, internal combustion engines, and steam and gas turbines, as well as power-using machines, such as refrigeration, air-conditioning systems, and elevators.
Mechanical engineers are involved in a wide range of industries, including aviation, power generation, manufacturing, refrigeration and air conditioning, transportation and mechanical handling. They may specialise in areas such as research and development, engineering design, production, or maintenance.
Relevant Jobs
Aerospace engineering is an exciting field that involves the design, development, analysis, manufacture and maintenance of flight vehicles. It involves aerodynamics, aerostructures, avionics, propulsion, material science and computational simulation.
Aerospace Engineers also design propulsion engines, create structural component systems, improve crew and passenger accommodations, and invent better life support systems.
Automotive Engineers are concerned with designing, developing and manufacturing vehicles such as cars, bikes, buses and trucks. Their work may range from designing vehicles for commercial car manufacturers, to investigating mechanical failures and unexpected problems for tyre manufacturers or motorsport teams.
Control and Instrumentation (C&I) Engineers are concerned with the design, development, installation and maintenance of equipment used to monitor/control engineering systems, machinery and processes. Control systems are the series of inputs and outputs produced by a piece of equipment which creates a loop.
Simply put, C&I Engineers work to optimize the input and output processes within a system. Typical tasks include analyzing and researching designs, verifying and implementing code and fixing malfunctions in control systems.
Forensic Engineers in a Mechanical setting are concerned with investigation machines and systems that fail to function as intended, and consequently caused injury, damage or even death. Their findings are typically used in civil law cases, and occasionally criminal investigations.
Technologists assist engineers in designing, developing and manufacturing mechanical parts, equipment and systems. They typically focus their efforts on building and testing, while engineers spend more time on design and management. For example, Technologists might develop the blueprints and specifications of an engineer’s design.
Maintenance Engineers are concerned with optimizing equipment, procedures and budgets. They are in charge of preventing and resolving any technical issues that arise with Mechanical equipment. Typically, a Maintenance Engineer’s job entails data collection and analysis, training their peers to prevent malfunctions, and physical maintenance of equipment.
Marine Engineers in a Mechanical setting are concerned with installing, operating and maintaining machinery and equipment on ships and vessels. Their duties typically involve collecting and analysing data and using it to maintain or repair machinery while at sea or in port. Some Marine Engineers work in ports or oil rigs, while others work on ships during their voyages at sea.
Transport Engineers are concerned with designing and improving transportation systems and infrastructure, including highways, busses, airports, trains, etc. They typically collect and analyse data such as traffic flow and accidents. Transport Engineers typically work in office environments in the government sector or for private contractors, however they may be called to construction sites of transport infrastructure to advise and oversee the progress. The role is in massive demand at the present, due to a growing need for sustainable transport systems.