Sudip Chakraborty, Author at Adamas University

Industry 4.0: Redefining manufacturing operations beyond factory’s four walls after COVID-19

The technologies associated to Industry 4.0 were transforming manufacturer’s operation before the pandemic. Now, adoption is diverging what we have and what we don’t have, be it technology or infrastructure. Mapping between these two is really a big task. Even in part of the World where the effects of COVID-19 have started to retrocede, executives are continuously facing new pressure day by day; they are adopting new strategies to combat the newer emerging problems. In a recent, according to the McKinsey’s survey in South-Asian countries, sudden material shortage was a common issue along with exponentially decrement of demands and worker unavailability but industry leaders have been implementing Industry 4.0 solutions for immediate responding to the crisis.

Few basic tools of Industry 4.0 to accelerate the transformation are connectivity, advanced analytics, automation and advanced manufacturing technologies which were there before the pandemic. These tools have helped manufacturing sectors to gain momentum before the pandemic by transforming their operations. Transformation is ranging from production efficiency to product customization, some newer strategies have been implemented that results faster market-movement, service effectiveness and new business model creation. These four foundational technologies have been applied as an integral part of Industry 4.0 technologies

Source: www.McKinsey.com

All the big players in the market are using digital platform based technologies for securing better position compared to their competitors. As companies think about resuming operations by building the muscle to fight with future crisis using digital technologies only, 91 percent heavy machinery companies have invested something for digitalization to follow the stiffer slope of growth in future. Industries need to develop resilience to deal with the temporary crisis at this moment. There are three possible technological transformations to be adopted by the industries to emerge from this low-land.

But there are many Industry 4.0 technologies which can be implemented without major investments.

Source: www.McKinsey.com

TATA NEXON Electric Vehicle in India: A Game-Changer?

Contributor : Sudip Chakraborty and Ranjan Kumar

Significant improvement in battery technology and concerns over supplies of hydrocarbons are creating a marketplace for battery powered passenger vehicles in India. Electric Vehicles have been the transportation mode for at least 190 years but it has failed to get the customers’ attention. For the last few decades many researches have been conducted on vehicle dynamics, battery management systems, charging capacity etc. and now EVs are gaining market appeal. There are some technical factors which have a great impact on adoption, these are:

EV Modelling.
EV Battery Technologies.
Recycling of EV Batteries.
Charge Carrying Capacity.

This subcompact crossover SUV named TATA NEXON was marketed in 2017 but from 2014, the prototype was displayed in Delhi. TATA has recast the model into a Hybrid Electric vehicle which has been named as TATA NEXON EV and it was launched in December, 2019 in India. This EV comes with three variants namely XM, XZ+, XZ+LUX.

The electric motor which is being used in this EV can produce 94.7039 KW power and 245 N-m torque. The battery pack of 30.7 KW-h allows the vehicle to run up to 312 km at a go at full charged condition. It is estimated that for an urban road, weekly commute is 250 km on an average for a particular car. So, full charge can help you to ride for a week. The powertrain hardware consists of a permanent magnet motor and a single speed gear box with liquid cooled battery pack. The EV has got two modes of driving namely Drive and Sport. Drive mode is suitable for city driving whereas Sport mode is used for highway driving. It can achieve 0-100 km/h in just 9.9 secs in Sport mode.

It offers owners to charge the car using both 15A socket and a DC fast charger. The EV battery can get 0% to 80% charge in 60 minutes using the fast charger where in regular charging, it takes 8.5 hours to get charged up to 90%.

Technical Specifications:

Motor & Transmission –

Electric Motor	3 Phase Permanent magnet synchronous Placed at Front Axle
Fuel Type	Electric
Max Motor Performance	127 BHP / 245 N-m
Power Consumption/Mileage	10.33 Km/kWh
Driving Range	312 Km
Drive Train	FWD
Transmission	Automatic
Emission Standard	BS6
Battery	30.2 kWh, Lithium Ion Polymer, 320 Volt. (Placed under floor pan)
Battery Charging	8.5 Hrs with AC Fast Charging
Others	Regenerative Braking, Pure Electric Driving mode

Suspension, Brake and Steering –

Suspension Front	Independent, Lower Wishbone, McPherson Strut with Coil Spring
Suspension Rear	Semi-Independent; closed profile Twist beam with Coil Spring and shock absorber
Front Brake Type	Disc
Rear Brake Type	Drum
Minimum Turning Radius	5.1 meters
Steering Type	Power assisted (Electric)
Wheels	Steel Rims
Spare Wheel	Steel
Front Tyres	195 / 60 R16
Rear Tyres	195 / 60 R16

Modelling of NEXON EV. [Image Courtesy: www.autodevot.com]

Other Specifications:

ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) with EBD (Electronic Brake Force Distribution) for perfect car control during braking.
Brake assist.
Corner Stability Control.
Reinforced body structure to protect during accidents.
Dual airbags.
Liquid-cooled IP67 battery pack to prevent overheating.
Iso-fix anchorage.
Hill Hold Control and Hill Descent Control for getting better grip on climbing hills.

NEXON EV: Exterior and Interior (Courtesy: autobics.com)

Technical comparison between TATA NEXON EV and TATA NEXON (Diesel and Petrol Variants):

Technical Specification	TATA NEXON EV	TATA NEXON (Diesel and Petrol Variants):
Engine Type	3 Phase Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor	1.2 Turbocharged Revotron Engine
Battery Type	30.2 KWh advanced Li-ion Polymer with Liquid Cooled Battery Pack	NA
Charging Time	8.5 Hrs	NA
Power	127 BHP	108 BHP with 5000 rpm
Torque	245 Nm	170 Nm with 1750-4000 rpm
Displacement (CC)	NA	1199
Number of Gear	NA	6
No. of Cylinders	NA	3

Dimensional Comparison:

	TATA NEXON EV	MG ZS EV	Hyundai Kona Electric
Length (mm)	3994	4314	4180
Width (mm)	1811	1809	1800
Height (mm)	1607	1644	1570
Wheelbase (mm)	2498	2579	2600

Security Features:

	TATA NEXON EV	MG ZS EV	Hyundai Kona Electric
Airbags	2	6	6
ABS with EBD	Yes	Yes	Yes
Parking Aids	Rear parking sensors with rear view camera	Rear parking sensors with rear view camera	Rear parking sensors with rear view camera
Isofix	Yes	Yes	Yes
Electronic Stability Control	No	Yes	Yes
Tyre Pressure Monitor	No	Yes	Yes

In Indian market, there are very few EVs which can run up to 300 km at one go, TATA NEXON EV is one of them. The cost of this car is comparatively lower and it starts from 13.99 lacs. Tata NEXON EV with a certified range of 312 km and battery warranty of 8 years/ 160000 km. Tata NEXON EV looks stunning because it has the flat grille and various blue accents which attracts the people. With a ground clearance of 205mm, it stands tall and takes a good space on the road. As it is based on the Tata NEXON facelift, it looks fresh. The interiors look nice too with a central touchscreen, semi-digital instrument cluster and flat-bottom steering wheel adds to the sporty feel. Tata Motors joins hands with Tata Power to set up charging stations. Supporting the Indian Government’s ‘National electric mobility mission’, Tata Power established the first set of Electric Vehicle charging stations in Mumbai. Now present the charging stations are already set up in Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad. Tata Power will set up more charging stations for a better adaptation of electric mobility.

Mechanical Engineering in Vedic Age!!!

“We owe a lot to the ancient Indians, teaching us how to count. Without which most modern scientific discoveries would have been impossible.” – Albert Einstein.

Indian tradition is one of the primeval traditions in the globe which explores science and technology from the very beginning of civilization. The habit of boring the natural things and trying to go into the root of the fact made them unique. The Vedic age lasted from around 1500 BCE through to 500 BCE. The age is known as ‘Heroic Age’ of Indian civilization as this period helped to reform the structure of basic foundation of India and rescued the tradition from suffering for the existence. Vedic age is called the age of researchers and scientists as well. Vedic texts are so much valuable that it can be applied to the modern technology and texts contain some moral stories; Veda means Knowledge and the texts must contain some relevant knowledge otherwise it would not have survived till now. There are many instances which prove that Mechanical Engineering was pursued during the Vedic period.

Numerical notations in Vedic text.

Chakravala method of solving indeterminate quadratic equations

In this era, many books were published in Sanskrit based on the science and technology like Yantra Sarvaswa, Samarangana Sutradhara, Silptantra Rahasya, Yukti Kalpataru etc. Here, key innovations are mentioned based on the application of Mechanical Engineering in that period.

Ceramic Technology:

First ever mechanical device that was invented in this era was wheel and potter was supposed to be the first engineer. The mechanism of the wheel is still used in lathes, in Veda, Kulla (Potter) was compared with the creator of the universe. We came to know about brunt pots and other forms of clay materials in Indus-Valley studies, generally the shapes were peer shaped, conical and cylindrical. Bricks were made by black and red clay, mica, sand and lime stones in this period. Even the pots were glazed and painted to make attractive by using Manganese for maroon shade, Copper oxide for blue shade and Iron oxide for bluish-green shade. The chemicals what they used for controlling the surface were 25.2% FeO, 46.55% SiO₂, 15.53% Al₂O₃, 4.74% CaCO₃, these have been confirmed by Dwarka Excavations which took place recently. According to Kasyapa Samhita, it can be said that wooden moulds are used to make the bricks. The dimensions of the bricks were 11.72″ x 5.25″x 7.5″; 11.55″ x 7.75″; 10.5″ x 5.5″ x 7.5″, the steadiness of dimensions shows the accuracy level of the masterminds.

Various finding in Keezhadi

Various finding in Dharampuri

Metallurgy & Metal Casting:

From Surmyam Suiramiva, we came to know that the metals like Fe, Cu, Ag, Au etc were know to the Vedic people. The technique of making alloys and preparation of mining were also known to them in the Atharvan period. Quintus Curtis appreciated the gold and other metal alloys which were given to Alexander by Pourava. Pliny and Herodotus talked about the superior quality of iron and steel products of India. Romans used to import Indian metal to make weapons, shield and other military equipments during Vedic period. Usage of irons has been confirmed by archaeological excavations in Delhi, Taxila, Odissa, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh where large numbers of bars, spikes, tongs, chisels, anvils etc were found. From early Vedic time, the developments of metal casting were traced. In Rigveda, some equipments used for castings are mentioned like Dhamatri (Cupola), Bhastri (Blower), Titau (Seives), Sh£rpa (Trays), Gharma Ayanmaya (Crucible) etc. In Rig-Vedic period copper, iron, gold and silver were used for metal casting purposes. Many idols of goddesses were found in South India those were made in Vedic period by metal casting process. The accuracy and precision of this process were controlled by the laws laid down by Viswa Karma, Maya, Viswaroopa etc.

Meal casted coins

Meal casted Idols

Material Science:

Many terms can be found in Panchabuta and Suddha like –

Gurutva (gravity)
Dravatva (fluidity)
Snigdhatva (viscosity)
Sthitisth¡pakatva (elasticity)
Samyoga – Viyoga (Conjunction and disjunction)
Pluakava(Springing capacity)
Vakrbhvanam (Refraction or bending)
Virpam (deformation)
Draghanam (tension)
Pranam (compression)

This indicates the knowledge about the material properties, they knew about the prevention technique of rusting and corrosion also. Forging was termed as Eyohata, the renowned blacksmith Tatwa was recognized as god of sacrifice. Agriculture and military equipments were made by forging as there was existence of anvil, hammer and tongs. Hot working and cold working techniques were there and it is confirmed by the metallographic testing done in Harappa. Plastic deformation, annealing and grain growth were observed in Indus metal pieces.

Aerodynamics:

Very few people know about Tritala, Jalayan, Karaa, Vayurathaa and Vidyutrathaa which are mentioned in Rigveda. This signifies about the knowledge of aerodynamics in that era which is way before the invention of the Wright brothers. CFD analysis is being on the designs which are in the Vimana Shastra and the abilities and structural rigidity are being investigated to see the depth of the knowledge in that period. After exploring the Vimana Shastra slokas, it has been analyzed that eco friendly manufacturing, defense system, propulsion and space travel theories were explained well in those slokas. ISRO and DRDO are working on making the prototypes of the designs of the aircrafts for testing which are there in Vimana Shastra by giving the importance in Reverse Engineering. It has been also observed that there was a clear indication of the metals by which Viyans(aircraft) were made, alloy of Soumaka, Soundalika and Mourtwika lohas was used to make the structure of an aircraft.. Few technical terms were there in Vimana Shastra which can be evidences regarding the pursuit of aerodynamics studies in Vedic age, like –

Dayana (coming down)
Uddayana (flying above)
Sundhna (hitting the target with high speed)
Kinda (raising suddenly)
Vyinda(coming down quickly)
Kirpostika (flying still)
Keelaka (Gear Mechanism and other handles of levers),
OuÀmaka Yantrika (Drying machine),
Vatanala ( air duct )
Jalavarana nala ( cooling water circulating circuit ),
Tailap¡tra ( oil tank )
V¡ta-p¡caka-tantre-nala ( air filter or air fuel mixer ),
Agnisthana (Engine)
Vidyut yantra ( Batteries)
Vata-codana-yantra(Propellers)
Disapracodakayantra ( steering wheel type direction changer )
Suryasaktya-Karsanadarpana and Souramani ( Solar mirror and solar cell )
Dhumanirgamanala ( Exhaust outlet )

Advanced Flying Machines are described in Vedic Age

Metrology:

Weight Scales:
Gunja
Suvarna Karsa.
KarÀa
Palam.
Rajata MiÀa.
Dharana
Tandula

Time Scale:
Truti
Lava
KiÀta
Kala
Nalika
Muhurta
Day or Night

Volume Scales:
Palam
Ëdaka
Prastha
Kudumba
Khare
Kumbha
Vaha

Distance Scales:
Paramanu
Kana
Yava
Angula
Dhanugraha,
Angula
DhanurmuÀti

Some measuring scales in Vedic period are mentioned here.

Samarbhatta, Parimani, Vyavaharike and Kautilya described the mechanism of calibration of weight and other metrological parameters to have accuracy in measuring.

The advancement of technologies in that era touched the summit and that helped the civilization to be recognized as the best across the globe.

“Desire links non-being to being.”- Quotes from Rigveda

Banana in Engineering!

It’s been just more than10 years, on 2009 UN announced that this year is the year of Natural Fiber because a million of people got employment in Europe in Natural Fiber industries. From that year, many researchers and scientists of Asian Countries like Japan, India, and Philippines etc devoted their skills to develop fibers from natural resources. Consequently, with the continuous research, Natural Fiber has become so popular in Engineering Materials sector; now, it is being used to make aircrafts, structures, containers, vehicle parts etc. The main USP of natural fiber is its weight, its way lighter compared to the other materials having same volume and it does not comprise to stress and stiffness which has made it to be accepted by the engineers dealing with larger structure with lesser weight. This very reason makes it a boon in aerospace industry.

Banana stem which is considered as a complete waste is used as a source. From this, one of the strongest fibers of the World is developed. Banana fiber aka Musa Fiber is used to make tea bags, sanitary napkins, Japanese Yen notes and car tyres etc around the globe. Banana was domesticated around 8000 BCE in the Kuk valley of New Guinea. Evidences are there that banana fiber was used in 13th century for making ropes in South East Asia and the South Pacific, Nepal and Japan. Now, the commercial value of the fiber is being increased over the years.

It has given an immense area to the researcher for carrying out the research works on composite materials as synthetic can be substituted by the banana fiber from in composite wall production.

Why Banana Fiber is so popular???

Soft, Supple and Shimmer
Bio degradable
Natural Sorbent : Fabric from theses fibers lets you breathe well and will keep you cool on hot days.
Resistance
Durability
Insulation
Tensile Strength

Physical and mechanical properties of banana fiber were examined and it is being used in the industries according to the properties. The fiber has got higher aspect ratio compared to other fibers and exhibits better tensile strength.

If we talk about the future of the Banana Fiber, is very promising as it is lighter, superior in properties and composition and cheaper compared to the other natural fibers. Here is the comparison with other natural fibers like jute, paper, hemp and sisal.

These properties have made this fiber useful for using in various fields of engineering like in high performance applications such as sports materials, aircraft industries and shipping industries etc.
The Department of Chemical Engineering, Concentration Textile Engineering, Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII) has been doing research on durability of banana fibers, it has been investigated that the durability can stay up to 3 months of storage, if the period is extended, the durability decreases significantly. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is done on the fiber to analyze the heat stability or thermal degradation. The figure describes the TGA analysis and it is shown that it can work under a handsome range of temperature and it is used as insulator as the thermal conductivity of the fiber is 0.0253 W/m2K.

Commercial value in 2020!!!
A significant number of Banana Fiber extraction plants are running successfully in various parts of South India., some plants are exporting products as well. Apart from the uses in heavy industries, the banana fiber has become very popular in boutique sectors also. Banana fiber is used for weaving attractive pieces of clothes, rugs, sarees etc. Besides, it is also being used to produce a variety of items such as hats, photo frames, trinket boxes, gift bags, picture frames, hand bags, belts, baskets and sandals etc. Dresses woven out of natural fibers are in great demand inside and outside India. Even in India, it is said that the total cost for opening a plant is only 1.6 lacs where the return on invest is 98 % in this business. According to the market researchers the annual production of Banana Fiber has become 100,000 tones around the globe in 2019. Here is a representation of production across the world in 2019. It shows the potential of India in adopting the natural gold as business.

“Why join the Navy if you can be a pirate?” – Steve Jobs

Mechanical Engineering Innovations to combat the Domino Effect due to COVID19

Introduction:

“The world is going through a period of crisis, but whether we look at it as a crisis or as an opportunity to reshape our thinking, depends on us. So use this period as a lesson on how to live life with a concern for all of humankind.”― Abhijit Naskar. He is neuroscientists, an international bestselling author and an advocate of psychological wellbeing and global unity. The world is looking for a breakthrough in the fight against corona virus, and we all have concerns for the welfare of the people surrounding us. To protect ourselves against the virus and to find a vaccine, require a free flow of information and ideas to be exchanged across the borders which is being disturbed as countries go into lockdown. All the engineering minds should come up with the new innovations which can unlock an alternative way to accelerate the fight at this moment. Here, Innovations associated to Mechanical Engineering in some specific areas will be discussed to combat the ‘Domino Effect’ of COVID 19.

Overcome supply chain shortage and temporary halts in production:

The corona virus pandemic forced lock down in Asia over February and March, paralyzing the economic activities across the continent as factories shut bringing manufacturing to a halt. The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) is an economic indicator which is calculated by doing the monthly surveys to private sectors. PMI for India has reached to 51.8 from 54.5 in March. This has been observed that the outbreak impacted the supply-side of the sector. The COVID 19 causes unexpected challenges to mechanical and plant engineering companies from shortage in supply chain to temporary halts in production. Mechanical innovations must be there to minimize the risk and develop strategies for emerging from this turmoil condition to be stronger and fitter for the future. Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA) is forecasting a 5% drop in production in 2020. In manufacturing industries, key challenges in the areas of cost structure, business models and performance culture. Business strategies differ depending on the type of company. Four parameters are there for identifying a company i.e. size, market, segment and technology focus. Giant industries must shatter the business units with high risk profile and invest in current growth areas and consider partnerships for automation solutions and digital services. The smallest player of the industries must tie up with large suppliers to scale up their businesses. This is the fact that in this scenario, mechanical engineering solutions won’t provide direct tools to combat the effect of COVID 19 but in the long run, solutions will help Industries to grow further to accelerate the fight.

To overcome the supply chain shortage and temporary halts in production, few points are identified from the point of view of Mechanical Engineering production and operation management.

Dismantle business units with high risk profile.
Invest in existing growth areas.
Aim for a drift overhead and indirect costs.
Drive digitalization and industrial automation in core market.
Sell off non-core units if they drive complexity.
Push for interchangeable parts and components.
Invest in future technology.
Build partnership for automation and digital services.
Ensure technological dominance to protect niche focus.
Tie up with large suppliers to scale up the business.

Surviving in this lock-down period must be the first priority but we should keep it in our mind that when the COVID19 crisis will pass, the challenges that the industries have faced in recent times will continue. Planning for long term, having a clear target and adopting future technologies will ensure that the industries lay a solid foundation for life after this lock down period.

Development of devices and protective gears using Mechanical Engineering innovations:

With the number of COVID19 cases rising in the world, the mechanical engineers, professors and researchers have extended their hands to develop newer technologies to fight against the domino effect of COVID19. Few are discussed here.

Face Shield: Emory and Georgia Tech developed face shields and supplied to the local medical communities which are made by 3D printed technology. These face shields help the medical workers from splashes and increase the usage time of soft respirators. To increase the production beyond the parent institute, the researchers have made a simple design to be shared and manufactured by others by using either 3D printed technology or Laser Beam Machining process.“The Georgia Tech mechanical engineering team is working to modify open source face shield designs so they can be manufactured in high volumes for the rapid response environment that COVID-19 requires,” said Christopher Saldana, an associate professor in the Woodruff School.

3D printed face shield

Portable Ventilators: IIT, Kanpur is developing portable ventilators to give support to medical infrastructure. The cost of those PVs is lesser than the market price. Professors are claiming that a commercial PV costs around 4 lakhs whereas they will be supplying at only 70,000 per piece. Nikhil Kurule and Harshit Rathore, two IIT Kanpur graduates started their entrepreneurship activities two years back, they run a start up called “Nocca Robotics”. They have developed a prototype for the portable ventilator with the help of few doctors from NICS, Bangalore which has got demand of 1000 pieces within a month. The ventilator will be permanently connected to a mobile phone for controlling the device and display critical information.

Portable ventilator connected to mobile

Anti-microbial coating on surface: Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research had developed an anti-microbial coating which is one-step curable. When it is applied on different surfaces such as textile, plastic, ceramic etc. and it can kill many viruses including COVID 19.Even, IIT, Guwahati developed an anti microbial spray which is to be sprayed on PPE under the guidance of Dr. Biman B. Mandal, basically it has been developed for health care employees and others who are directly into the battle

Antimicrobial coating of surfaces (source: Researchgate.net)

3D Printed Technology: All the scientists, researchers, engineers, companies which deal with 3D printed technology have begun to respond to the global crisis by extending their hands to decrease the pressure on supply chains and governments. The European Association for Additive Manufacturing (CECIMO) has taken the initiative to combine all the opportunist investment and advisory companies within Europe. So far, the response has been positive with, “many companies from the European 3Dprinting industry already volunteering to aid hospitals and health centers by proposing the use of their machines.” Materialise which is a global provider of 3D printing services, is producing 3D printed door handles which is hands free to minimize the of Corona virus transmission. Shanghai firm has made a 3D printed hospital having floor area of 10 square meter with a height of 2.8 meter for quarantined patients infected by coronavirus in Wuhan, Chaina. The structure has met all the standards for heat preservation and isolation for the patients.

3D printed medical valves

3D printed sanitizer stand

3D printed door handle

3D printed mask

Conclusion:

These grassroots innovations can make a big difference to people’s live. Now, it is the time for us to play our individual role to combat the effect of COVID19. The world has become more united and strong during this pandemic phase and it is ready to adopt any new technology for surviving.

Relevance of Mechanical Engineering Studies in Every Sector

Mechanical Engineering is one of the oldest engineering branches which produce graduates for leadership positions in core sectors like manufacturing, automobile, power plant etc. The studies associated with this branch are getting smarter day by day to be acceptable in every sector in engineering field. It has been come out form the orthodox shell and becoming essential for every technological innovation. Mechanical Engineering is a study combining physics and mathematics to design, analyze, manufacture and maintain mechanical systems. Here are some basic interconnections of this study with other engineering disciples.

Structures are made by the civil engineers may experience vibration, thermal stress and other stresses due to abrupt loading, naturally or synthetically. Those need to be monitored periodically using mechanical engineering studies. The famous Eiffel tower produces its own electrical energy using a wind turbine which can produce 7 GW energy per year roughly. Vibration causes for installing the turbine on the structure, 130 meters above the ground, a mechanical consulting company Getzner is looking after this, they have installed bearings for the turbine to minimize the frequency of the vibration and restrict it to reach to its resonance. Vibration simulation can be done using the knowledge of Computational Fluid Dynamics in ANSYS Workbench software using multi-physics. For any kind of large structures, two important phenomenons are there to be monitored. Temperature which expands the metals in a structure causes thermal stress generation and another one is wind, which provides large horizontal forces to the structure leads to bending as a structure is fixed at the base. Measurement methods for monitoring those natural impacts which can’t be controlled will be provided from the mechanical engineers using high end metrological devices and CFD study

A wind turbine is being installed on Eiffel Tower, Paris [Source: www.popularmechanics.com]

Rankin cycle is used in mechanical engineering study in a power plant to generate electricity from hydraulic energy. This is to be noted that we cannot get electrical energy directly from a power plant be it thermal or hydraulic. First, mechanical energy is to be produced using turbines and then using a generator or dynamo electrical energy can be produced for using through distribution. This is very clear that to produce electricity, knowledge of basic thermodynamics is required, so in UG study of Electrical Engineering, one paper based on Applied Thermal Engineering must be there for the aspiring electrical engineers. Structures and other parts of motor, generator and other electrical devices like rotor, stator, windings, rings and brushes are made of cast iron, mild steel, magnesium, copper etc. The one, who deals with the working principles of those electrical devices, must know the effect of those materials on their working. Now a days, smart materials are being used energy harvesters. These mechanical studies are important in electrical engineering field as well.

Rotor part is being manufactured

3 Phase Induction Moto with winding (Used Material: Copper and Mild Steel)

As Mechanical Engineering studies has adopted additive manufacturing, it has become popular in electronics engineering field as PCB boards are being designed and manufactured using 3D printed technology. Autodesk has provided another simulation tool named Fusion 360 where additive and generative manufacturing systems can be designed and simulated. Various sensors are being used and calibrated for measuring temperatures, pressures and other parameter for fluid flow, boilers, mines and other systems. A clear understanding of mechanical engineering studies are required to develop logic of those sensors using arduino.

PCB is being manufactured using 3D Printed Technology (Additive Manufacturing) [Source: www.robohub.com]

In Robotics, the arms and other hardware are manufactured using modern edge manufacturing processes using different materials depending upon the rigidity and weight of the robot. A robot is consist of links, joints and end effectors those can be designed and analyzed on the basis of degree of freedom which requires the basic knowledge of Kinematics and Dynamics in Fusion 360, CATIA, Solid works, NX by Siemens etc which are the pure design software based on mechanical engineering knowledge.

A robot is being designed in Autodesk’s Fusion 360 [Source: www.twitter.com]

Manufacturing sectors are adopting AI, ML for creating efficient operating model for their business. The computer science engineers who are current dealing with Artificial intelligence, Machine learning and data science in manufacturing sectors must have clear idea about machining time, failure theories, tool life, plant layout, operation research etc.

Bio-Medical studies also have two major subjects named bio-fluids and orthopedics. Both the areas demand the knowledge of fluid mechanics and mechanism of links and joints. Even the study of blood circulation through heart can be explained better using pump theory and conservation of mass theory.

The smarter mechanical engineering studies have been accepted and merged to other allied engineering studies as well. Those are Acoustical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Marine Engineering, Railway Engineering etc.

Mechanical Engineers need to tighten their BOLTS and continue contributing to every sector for a better and safer world.

“A vibration is a motion that cannot make up its mind which way it wants to go.”