Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Career in Mechanical Engineering,As a traditional favourite among students and academia for several decades, mechanical engineering has practically traversed the length and breadth of the field of engineering.





http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/01089/21TVEP-Q_1089661g.jpg

Thousands of students apply to colleges year after year, on passing class XII. Wanting to take up mechanical engineering though, seems to be the aspiration doing the rounds for those who wish to pursue engineering. Even as the ten-year long IT boom has begun to stabilise, core engineering courses are making a solid comeback. This is especially true in the case of mechanical engineering. “Mechanical engineering happens to be one of the most generalised courses in engineering, after civil engineering. Students are exposed to various domains or areas of expertise such as refrigeration and air conditioning (thermal engineering), design Eengineering, manufacturing engineering,” says Dr RS Kumar, principal, Velammal Engineering College. “The emerging areas in this field are computer-aided design (CAD), design software, computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM), product data management (PDM), and collaborative product commerce (CPC) or collaborative product data management (cPDM). These areas are collectively labelled as product development since they deal with everything from the drawing board to the consumer,” he adds.
Elaborating further on the course is Dr Sarit Kumar Das, professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras. “Twenty years ago, mechanical engineering was one of the most preferred courses,” he says, “From the nineties onwards, there was a preference for information technology and during the last ten years, practically every branch of engineering has been in demand. However, the last three years have witnessed a demand for mechanical engineering again.”

Das continues, “Being a versatile core engineering course, students who pursue it (mechanical engineering) fit in any field. The varied backgrounds that students are exposed to, enables them to adapt easily to several industries and this makes them invaluable assets to organisations.”

M Gopal, mechanical engineering professor, SRM University, agrees, “Students who complete the course have sound fundamental knowledge and can perform better.” He says, “They find jobs in the automobile industry where they work on engine design and the manufacture of automobile components.” Other areas of employment include heavy industries such as iron and steel, engineering development and public sector industries like Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), Indian Engineering Services (IES), Indian Railways, and the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).

“When it comes to management, students specialise in areas like logistics and supply chain management, inventory management,” says Kumar, “While the technical side of the programme exposes them to interdisciplinary studies.” For those who want to pursue higher studies after graduation, students have the option of doing an ME (Master of Engineering) in engineering design, CAD/ CAM, product development and commerce, thermal engineering and refrigeration and air conditioning.”

“Mechanical engineering means dealing with machines. Apart from the design and manufacturing aspects, even the provision of fuel and energy comes under the umbrella of this field,” says Dr T Sundararajan, department head, Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, “Applications find place in the aerospace industry, ship and naval architecture, robotics, and so on. Students even find employment in power plants, turbines, heavy vehicle and light vehicle industries, and in the manufacture of defence equipment and vehicles.”
Dr Das adds, “These days, there are more Master’s and PhD students graduating from IIT than students pursuing Bachelor’s degrees. Many PhD students are moving on to pursue corporate research or corporate R&D, as a lot of companies like General Motors and Intel are shifting their research centres to India owing to increased costs in the West. The current scope in this field is immense.”

 Mechanical Engineering graduates, especially those who score high in the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), have many higher study options. To score a high percentile in GATE, go deep into the subject, which will help you get good marks in the B.Tech. examinations as well. 

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the National Institutes of Technology (NITs) are among the top premier institutes that offer the M.Tech. course in Mechanical engineering. After taking a postgraduate degree, a student can join a research programme leading to a Ph.D. The All India Council for Technical Education offers fellowships for research scholars. 

The IITs, Madras (www.iitm.ac.in), Kanpur (www.iitk.ac.in), Kharagpur (www.iitkgp.ernet.in) and Guwahati (www.iitg.ernet.in), offer the M.Tech. course. An M.Tech. course in Aerospace or Aeronautical Engineering is a higher study option for Mechanical Engineering graduates with a GATE score. The IIT, Kanpur, offers M.Tech. and Ph.D. programmes in Aerospace Engineering. 

The NIT, Calicut, offers an M.Tech. course in Mechanical Engineering with specialisation in Industrial Engineering and Management; Thermal Science; Manufacturing Technology; Energy Management; and Material Science and Technology. A GATE score is required for admission (www.nitc.ac.in). 

The NIT, Tiruchirapalli, offers an M.Tech. course in design and production of thermal power equipment with specialisation in industrial safety engineering; manufacturing technology; welding engineering; material science; industrial engineering; energy engineering; and so on. A B.Tech. degree in Mechanical Engineering with minimum 60 per cent marks is required for admission. Selection will be through an entrance test (www.nitt.edu). 

Delhi Technological University, Delhi, conducts M.Tech. programmes in Thermal Engineering and Production Engineering (www.dce.edu).
The Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) offers an ME course in Mechanical Engineering on its Pilani campus and another with specialisation in Thermal Engineering on its Hyderabad campus (www.bitsadmission.com).

In Kerala

The College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, run by the State government, offers an M.Tech. course in Mechanical Engineering with specialisation in Thermal Science, Machine Design, Propulsion Engineering and Industrial Engineering.
The TKM College of Engineering, Kollam, offers the course with specialisation in Industrial Refrigeration and Cryogenic Engineering.
The Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology, Kottayam, offers it with specialisation in Industrial Engineering and Management
At the Government Engineering College, Thrissur, the specialisations are in Production Engineering and Internal Combustion Engines and Turbo Machinery.
Mechanical Engineering graduates with minimum 60 per cent marks and a GATE score are eligible for admission to these colleges. Only those from Kerala without a GATE score will be considered for admission if a sufficient number of applicants with the score are unavailable to fill the seats.
The College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, handles the joint admission process to government and government-aided engineering colleges under the supervision of the Director of Technical Education. The admission notification can be expected in May or June. The selection list will be published on www.dtekerala.gov.in or www.cet.ac.in. Students with a GATE score get a scholarship of Rs. 8,000 a month.
The Mar Athanasius College of Engineering, Kothamangalam (www.mace.ac.in), offers a self-financing M.Tech. course with specialisation in production and industrial engineering. A Mechanical Engineering degree with 60 per cent marks and a GATE score are required for admission.
The SCMS School of Engineering Technology, Aluva, offers the M.Tech. course, admitting candidates with 60 per cent marks and above in the B.Tech. course (www.scmsgroup.org).
The Amal Jyothi College of Engineering, Kanjirappally, offers an M.Tech. course in machine design (www.amaljyothi.ac.in).
The Viswajyothi College of Engineering and Technology, Vazhakulam, Muvattupuzha, offers an M.Tech. course in Industrial Engineering and Management (www.vjcet.ac.in).
The MES College of Engineering, Kuttipuram, offers an M.Tech. programme in Thermal Systems for Mechanical or Automobile Engineering graduates (www.mesce.ac.in).
The Amrita School of Engineering, Ettimadai, Coimbatore, conducts an M.Tech. course in Engineering Design and Manufacturing Engineering. Those with at least 60 per cent marks in the B.Tech. course in Mechanical Engineering are eligible to apply. Applicants with a GATE score get preference in admission and if selected, in scholarships (www.amrita.edu).

At IISc

The Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, offers a direct five-year Ph.D. course for Mechanical Engineering graduates with a good academic record and aptitude in research. Admission is based on the GATE score and an interview. Students get monthly scholarships. The department also offers an M.Sc. engineering course for engineering graduates interested in research. Students should do course work followed by research. Admission is based on the GATE score and an interview.
The IISc offers an ME programme covering a broad area of Mechanical Engineering. The students can convert their registration to that of a Ph.D. before taking the postgraduate degree. Admission is on the basis of a GATE score. All students get monthly financial assistance. Those with an ME or M.Tech. degree can opt for the Ph.D. programme. Admission is based on an interview. The course duration is four-and-a-half years. Students get monthly scholarships or fellowships.
Engineering graduates and final-year B.Tech. students may take GATE conducted by the IITs. The Common Entrance Examination for Design (CEED), also for engineering graduates and final-year engineering degree students, is conducted for admission to the Master of Design (M.Des) programme at the IITs, Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati and Kanpur, and the IISc.

Robotics

Another suitable higher study option for Mechanical Engineering graduates is Robotics. Robotics is the scientific study of the design and making of robots. Jadavpur University, Kolkata (ME Robotics); the University of Hyderabad (M.Tech. Artificial Intelligence and Robotics); the University College of Engineering, Osmania University, Hyderabad (M.Tech. Automation and Robotics); Thapar Institute of Engineering Technology (Thapar University), Patiala (ME Robotics); PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore (M.Tech. Mechanical Engineering with Robotics as an elective subject); and SRM University, Kattamkulathur, Chennai (M.Tech. Robotics); are some of the institutions offering higher study facilities in Robotics.
Mechatronics combines Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, incorporating the ideas of Mechanical and Electronics Engineering into a whole and in particular covers those areas of engineering concerned with the increasing integration of Mechanical, Electronics and Software engineering into a production process. M.Tech. programmes in Mechatronics are rare in India. VIT University, Vellore; Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Thandalam, Chennai; and Karpagam College of Engineering, Coimbatore, offer them.

Nanotechnology

It is another option for higher study for Mechanical Engineering graduates. This engineering technology has high potential and involves several disciplines. Its major applications lie in the manufacturing sector. M.Tech. programmes in the discipline are offered in very few institutions in India. They include Jadavpur University, Kolkata; the NIT, Calicut; Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham; the Amity Institute of Nanotechnology; and the Birla Institution of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi.

Tool design

ME Mechanical Engineering (CAD/CAM) and tool design programmes are suitable higher study options for graduates in Mechanical Engineering. The Central Institute of Tool Design, Hyderabad, is a premier institute offering these courses.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Love 4 Bihar on Facebook