Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineers research, develop, design, manufacture, and test tools, engines, machines, and other mechanical devices. They work on power-producing machines such as electric generators, internal combustion engines, and steam and gas turbines. They also develop power-using machines such as refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, machine tools, material handling systems, elevators and escalators, industrial production equipment, and robots used in manufacturing. Mechanical engineers also design tools that other engineers need for their work. The field of nanotechnology, which involves the creation of high-performance materials and components by integrating atoms and molecules, is introducing entirely new principles to the design process.

Understanding and using computers is essential for today's engineer. Computers assist mechanical engineers by accurately and efficiently performing computations, and by permitting the modeling and simulation of new designs as well as facilitating changes to existing designs. Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) are used for design data processing and for turning the design into a product. The Mechanical Engineering program at New Mexico Tech teaches and requires students to use state-of-the-art commercial software packages such as MATLAB, AutoCAD, ANSYS, NASTRAN, Solidworks?, and Microsoft Office.

Undergraduate students majoring in mechanical engineering are required to take a comprehensive engineering design course in their third and fourth years of study. In this capstone design experience, the students work as team members on a project supported by industry or New Mexico Tech.

Mechanical engineers work in many industries, and their work varies by industry and function. Some specialize in energy systems; applied mechanics; automotive design; manufacturing; materials; plant engineering and maintenance; pressure vessels and piping; and heating, refrigeration, and air-conditioning systems. Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers may work in production operations in manufacturing or agriculture, maintenance, or technical sales; many are administrators or managers.

Mechanical engineers held about 215,000 jobs throughout the United States in 2002. More than half of the jobs were in manufacturing — mostly in machinery, transportation equipment, computer and electronic products, and fabricated metal products manufacturing industries. Architectural, engineering, and related services, and the federal government provided many of the remaining jobs. New Mexico Tech mechanical engineering majors often find summer jobs, internships, and co-op jobs at facilities in the area, such as Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratories, and Tech’s Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center (EMRTC). Tech mechanical engineering graduates often start with salaries in the $41,000 to $45,000 range, with some salaries up to the $50,000 range.