You may have already considered your preferred topic of study if you intend to pursue an engineering career. The various types of mechanical engineering specialties that are available to you should be known about if you are thinking about pursuing a career in the industry. It’s had a significant influence on how the world we live in today has developed. From designing cutting-edge technologies to even solving various complex issues, mechanical engineering is a field that provides great solutions. Let’s delve into a world full of various mechanical engineering specializations where you can choose your own interests and likings.
Overview of Mechanical Engineering Specializations
A specialization in mechanical engineering means that you get to devote your focus to a specific area within the vast syllabus of mechanical engineering studies. Not to mention when you go ahead with specializations you also get to tailor your academic concentration based on only the part you want to learn. What’s more, when you understand the various forms of mechanical engineering you are not just broadening your perspectives but you are also helping yourself to choose the best career path with the specialization you choose.
Types of Mechanical Engineering Specializations
Do you wish to explore a few of the types of mechanical engineering specializations? Then there are a few of the various types that would interest you.
Thermal engineering
If you wondering what is thermal engineering sub-field in the mechanical engineering field, then here is a gist about it. Thermal engineering is nothing but a field where you deal with the science and technology of design, building, and use of engines, structures, and machines. This sub-category of mechanical engineering is a very important one since it handles how you can transfer heat energy between two systems and how you can also transform this heat energy into another energy.
Manufacturing engineering
Manufacturing engineering is one of the mechanical engineering specializations you get when you choose to learn all about machine tools, material science, and quality control. Here when you become an engineer, you will be mainly responsible for all the aspects such as development, implementation, operation, and even management of various manufacturing systems. Not to mention, manufacturing as you already know is a very important part of any process. So the opportunities are never low when you go for this specialization.
Aerospace engineering
If you are more focused on designing spacecrafts, aeroplanes, or such systems then you can go ahead with aerospace engineering. In this specialization, you get to learn everything about aerodynamics, propulsion, and structural design. This will also eventually get you a lot of jobs in the space and aviation industries.
Automotive engineering
Automotive engineering is anything that centers around vehicle designing, development, and manufacturing. When you go to learn automotive engineering you also learn more about systems such as engines, vehicle dynamics, and even drivetrains. While these may be words that you have heard of first time, this field covers it all. This is also one of the future fields since it will also be focusing on electric cars which are cars of the future.
Robotics and automation engineering
Robotics is such a field where you will be focusing on designing and developing robots along with other automated systems. This will also help you explore more about computer vision, machine learning, and even sensor technologies. Such fields when you go for it, provide you with a vast scope, especially in terms of various types of mechanical engineering jobs, and can place you in impactful fields such as healthcare, research, and manufacturing.
Career Paths in Mechanical Engineering
Well, if you are choosing a specialization you might also want to know what career path options you get when you go for a specific specialization. Well luckily for you, no matter what your specialization is you will definitely get a broad spectrum of career paths which will include roles in research, design, manufacturing, and project management. Here are a few of the career options you get for each of the specialization
Career Options in Automotive
- Components research lab operation engineer
- Automotive service manager
- Autobody technician
- Car sales executive
- Industrial designer
Career Options in Aerospace
- Aerospace design checker
- Thermal design engineer
- Mechanical design engineer
- Aircraft production managers
- Assistant technical officers
Career Options in Robotics
- Robotics engineer
- Robotics technician
- Robotics application engineer
- Project engineer
- Research engineer
Apart from all of the above options, you also get a multitude of research and academia-based options where you can also get into colleges as a professor or even as an assistant professor to teach the students further about these topics.
Educational Requirements and Skills
Before you get a specialization you might need to attain a mechanical engineer degree. This can be done only if you fulfill basic educational qualifications. To become eligible for a mechanical engineering degree you might need to meet the following criteria:
- Passed class 12 with Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics as mandatory subjects.
- Minimum mark requirements range from 50 to 60%.
- Pass at least one of the entrance exams from JEE Main, TS EAMCET, WBJEE, and MHT CET.
Once you meet the above criteria you will be eligible for a mechanical engineering fields. Also once you complete your degree you can go ahead for specialization.
Certain key skills will be required of you to be able to work in the mechanical engineering field. Here is a list of a few such skills that are required:
Technical and Scientific skills
You might be required to have a solid knowledge of the theory and principles that are important as a mechanical engineer. You also need to be able to solve real-world problems and have a firm grasp of the fundamental principles.
Proficiency in CAD software
If you are an engineer who has done a course on 3D CAD software training then there are chances that you’ll acquire a lot of opportunities. Apart from CAD, as a mechanical engineer, you might also have to be proficient in using Excel and MATLAB along with Mathcad.
Attention to detail and organizational skills
If you are working in an organization, it is obvious that you need to have certain organizational skills such as teamwork which helps finish a task easily. Apart from this attention to detail is also a valued skill that most employers look at.
Industry Trends and Innovations
Well now that the world is changing, you might see that new trends keep on adding on. To understand a few such trends here is a list with a brief account of the same.
Artificial Intelligence
It’s not a lie that AI is everywhere and most of the functions nowadays have become easier due to the entrance of AI in our lives. For example, AI-powered computer vision lets self-driving cars see traffic lights and pedestrians. Apart from this AI guides in factories have also started automating the processes.
3D printing
The next trend that is evolving in the field of mechanical engineering is 3D printing. Where you can easily create layer-by-layer digital models. This opens up a lot of possibilities for rapid prototyping and manufacturing. It also makes designing faster and cheaper.
Sustainable design
Sustainability has also become one of the major concerns. Since there are major problems, mechanical engineers have been taking an active part in reducing problems, especially by bringing in innovative solutions in terms of the usage of renewable energy and improving solar panels.
Choosing the Right Specialization
Choosing the right specialization, especially with the multiple types of mechanical engineering subfields can be a bit overwhelming. However, if you feel stuck at any point, don’t worry since these easy 5 steps could lead you to your desired specialization.
Explore your interests
You initially need to see where your interests ides. What are some of the topics that excite you the most and what topics do you enjoy learning the most? You can also start by reviewing the coursework for each of the specializations and choose one that you think is the most rewarding.
Learn about the current market
Next, you need to learn about the trends that are occurring in the market. Look out for what the employers are keeping a check on. This mainly includes the skills and qualifications that employers wish to see. You can also reach out to your mentors for better advice on this matter.
Experiment and try to learn from it
Well, not everything can be decided by just taking a look at it. You might want to attend small workshops or seminars that help you decide which one is the best. You can also try interdisciplinary clubs and check whether it is working for you or not.
Be open-minded and flexible
Do not be fixated on a single specialization. You might feel like this is the one, but at times the market might not be accommodating this specialization. You hence need to be open and learn more about other fields and keep on growing your horizons.
Follow your intuition
Lastly, you just need to follow your intuition. Ultimately you are the best judge of your happiness and you know what works best for you. While every decision has its own pros and cons, you might also find that at some point you are happy about the decision that you made.
Conclusion
Lastly, the amount of mechanical engineering specializations is never less. Also, each one of them plays its own important role in this society. It’s only a matter of what works with you and what does not. Each specialization is not just about cool tech, sometimes it’s also about bringing about a difference in the world.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
- What are mechanical engineering specializations?
Mechanical engineering specializations are a specific field of study that focuses mainly on one topic. The specializations include Thermal engineering, Materials engineering, and Fluid Mechanics.
- How do I choose the right specialization in mechanical engineering?
Mainly you need to look at your interests and apart from this, you might also want to assess your strengths and weaknesses. By taking a look at these you can choose the right specialization.
- What are the different types of career paths available in mechanical engineering?
There are a multitude of options when it comes to career paths for a mechanical engineer. Here are a few of them listed below:
- Maintenance Engineer
- Biomedical Engineer
- Manufacturing Engineer
- Aerospace Engineer
- Robotics Engineer
- What skills are required for success in different mechanical engineering fields?
You need the following skills to be successful in mechanical engineering fields:
- Knowledge of mathematics and analytical skills
- Programming skills
- Materials knowledge
- Thermodynamics and fluid dynamics
- Proficiency in Physics and Mechanics.
- What are some emerging trends and technologies in mechanical engineering?
Here are a few of the trends and technologies that are upcoming in mechanical engineering:
- IoT
- Nanotechnology
- Human-machine collaboration
- Energy Harvesting
- Robotics