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Mechanical Engineering

Also Known As ME Standard academic/industry abbreviation.
Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and operation of machines, dealing with forces, motion and the transfer of energy through mechanisms such as gears, levers, engines and turbines. It is one of the oldest engineering disciplines, tracing continuous practice from ancient siege engines and water mills through the steam engine and the internal combustion engine to the automobile, the machine tool and the industrial robot. The field took its modern, taught shape during the Industrial Revolution in eighteenth-century Europe, and mechanical engineers today extend its original core of gears, engines and machine tools into composites, mechatronics and nanotechnology.

Facts
Core Concern
Forces, motion and energy transfer through machines and mechanisms. Core areas span mechanics, dynamics, thermodynamics, structural analysis and electronics, applied to systems from motor vehicles and aircraft to robotics and medical devices. 1
Core Principle
Mechanical engineering combines engineering physics, mathematics and materials science to design, analyze, manufacture and maintain physical machines and mechanisms that involve force and movement. 2
Disputed
Origin Year
1880 1
Practices recognizable as mechanical engineering predate this by millennia; 1880 marks the founding of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the first dedicated professional body for the discipline in the United States.
Connections

Associated With

Described the four-stroke engine cycle later realized by Otto.

Built the mechanism that made the pianos dynamic hammer action possible.

Built the first commercially successful typewriter mechanism.

Chuck Hull, Engineers

Invented stereolithography, the founding additive-manufacturing process.

CNC Machining, Methods
Elevator, Inventions
Elisha Otis, Engineers

Invented the safety elevator brake that made tall buildings practical.

Firearm, Inventions

Developed an early high-speed internal combustion engine used in automobiles.

Invented the first automatic machine gun, a landmark of mechanical engineering design.

Field-to-technology association verified live; FROM end owned by fields section

James Watt, Engineers

Developed the movable-type printing press mechanism that mechanized text reproduction.

Pioneered interchangeable-parts manufacturing of firearms at Harpers Ferry Armory.

Karl Benz, Engineers

Built the first practical automobile powered by an internal combustion engine.

Marine Engineering, Fields

Marine engineering draws on mechanical engineering for propulsion plants and machinery.

Source Marine Engineering (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors

Built the first practical four-stroke internal combustion engine.

Nuclear Engineering, Fields

Reactor cooling systems, turbines and containment structures are mechanical engineering concerns.

Source American Nuclear Society, About (ans.org)American Nuclear Society
Petroleum Engineering, Fields

Drilling rigs and pumping equipment are principally mechanical engineering hardware.

Piano, Inventions
Robotics Engineering, Fields

A robot physical structure, actuators and manipulators are principally mechanical engineering design problems.

Screw, Inventions

Pioneered interchangeable-parts manufacturing of firearms under U.S. government contract.

Steam Turbine, Inventions

Field-to-technology association verified live; FROM end owned by fields section

Built the first practical steam engine used for pumping.

Patented an early steam-powered pump, a precursor of the practical steam engine.

Typewriter, Inventions

Built the first modern electrical air conditioning unit.

Includes

Aeolipile, Inventions
Source Aeolipile (Wikipedia)
Source Air Conditioning (Wikipedia)
Source Alarm clock (Wikipedia)
Source ALCO boxcab (Wikipedia)
Source Andrew Meikle (Wikipedia)
Source Antikythera mechanism (Wikipedia)
Source Anti-lock braking system (Wikipedia)
Archimedes, Engineers
Source A History of TechnologyCharles Singer, E. J. Holmyard, A. R. Hall and Trevor I. Williams, editors
Source Astronomical clock (Wikipedia)
Automobile, Inventions
Source Car (Wikipedia)
Source Ball Bearing (Wikipedia)
Biblio-Mat, Inventions
Source Biblio-Mat, Wikipedia
Camshaft, Inventions
Source Camshaft - Wikipedia
Can Opener, Inventions
Source Can opener (Wikipedia)
Carburetor, Inventions
Source Carburetor (Wikipedia)
Source Cash Register (Wikipedia)
Casting, Methods
Source Centrifugal governor (Wikipedia)
Source Centrifugal pump (Wikipedia)
Source Charles Babbage (Wikipedia)
Source Clothes dryer (Wikipedia)
Clutch, Inventions
Source Clutch (Wikipedia)
CNC Machining, Methods
Source Combine Harvester (Wikipedia)
Source Computer-aided design (Wikipedia)
Crankshaft, Inventions
Source Ismail al-Jazari - Wikipedia
Cryopump, Inventions
Source Cryopump (Wikipedia)
Source Diesel Engine (Wikipedia)
Source Eclipse windmill, Wikipedia
Elevator, Inventions
Source Elevator (Wikipedia)
Elias Howe, Engineers
Source Elias Howe (Wikipedia)
Source Elmer Ambrose Sperry (Wikipedia)
Source Engineering design process (Wikipedia)
Equatorium, Inventions
Source Equatorium (Wikipedia)
Escalator, Inventions
Source Escalator (Wikipedia)
Escapement, Inventions
Source Escapement (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Excavator, Inventions
Source Steam Shovel (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Finite element method (Wikipedia)
Flywheel, Inventions
Source Flywheel (Wikipedia)
FoldiMate, Inventions
Source FoldiMate (Wikipedia)
Forging, Methods
Source Fuel injection (Wikipedia)
Source Gas-turbine engine (Wikipedia)
Gear, Inventions
Source Gear (Wikipedia)
Gearbox, Inventions
Source Transmission (mechanical device) (Wikipedia)
Source George Stephenson (Wikipedia)
Gimbal, Inventions
Source Gimbal (Wikipedia)
Heat Pump, Inventions
Source Heat pump (Wikipedia)
Henry Gantt, Engineers
Source Henry Gantt - Wikipedia
Source Heron's fountain (Wikipedia)
Source Hierapolis sawmill (Wikipedia)
Horse Mill, Inventions
Source Horse mill (Wikipedia)
Hourglass, Inventions
Source Hourglass (Wikipedia)
Source Hydraulic Press (Wikipedia)
Hygrometer, Inventions
Source Hygrometer (Wikipedia)
Source Internal Combustion Engine (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Jackhammer, Inventions
Source Jackhammer (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
James Watt, Engineers
Source A History of TechnologyCharles Singer, E. J. Holmyard, A. R. Hall and Trevor I. Williams, editors
Source A History of TechnologyCharles Singer, E. J. Holmyard, A. R. Hall and Trevor I. Williams, editors
Source Joseph Whitworth (Wikipedia)
Karl Benz, Engineers
Source Carl Benz (Wikipedia)
Source Karl von Terzaghi (Wikipedia)
Source Kate Gleason (Wikipedia)
Lawn Mower, Inventions
Source Lawn mower (Wikipedia)
Lever, Inventions
Source Lever (Wikipedia)
Source Liang Lingzan (Wikipedia)
Source Machine Gun (Wikipedia)
Machining, Methods
Source Machining, Wikipedia
Source Encyclopaedia BritannicaEncyclopaedia Britannica editors
Source McKeen railmotor (Wikipedia)
Source Modular design (Wikipedia)
Source Movie camera (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Movie projector (Wikipedia)
Odometer, Inventions
Source Odometer (Wikipedia)
Paper mill, Inventions
Source Paper mill (Wikipedia)
Source Pendulum clock (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Phonograph, Inventions
Source Phonograph (Wikipedia)
Piano, Inventions
Source Piano (Wikipedia)
Source Pile Driver (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Piston, Inventions
Source Piston (Wikipedia)
Polybolos, Inventions
Source Polybolos (Wikipedia)
Source Power steering (Wikipedia)
Source Printing Press (Wikipedia)
Pulley, Inventions
Source Pulley (Wikipedia)
Pump, Inventions
Source Pump (Wikipedia)
Source Pyreolophore (Wikipedia)
Reaper, Inventions
Source Reaper (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Refrigerator (Wikipedia)
Source Reverse engineering (Wikipedia)
Source Steamroller, Wikipedia
Source Robert Kearns (Wikipedia)
Source Rudolf Diesel - Wikipedia
Safety Pin, Inventions
Source Safety Pin (Wikipedia)
Seed Drill, Inventions
Source Seed Drill (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Sharopoyezd (Wikipedia)
Source Shock absorber (Wikipedia)
Slide Rule, Inventions
Source Slide Rule (Wikipedia)
Slinky, Inventions
Source Slinky (Wikipedia)
Snowmobile, Inventions
Source Snowmobile (Wikipedia)
SolaWash, Inventions
Source SolaWash (Wikipedia)
Source South-pointing chariot - Wikipedia
Source Speedometer (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Stapler, Inventions
Source Stapler (Wikipedia)
Source Steam Shovel (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Steam Turbine (Wikipedia)
Steel, Materials
Source A History of TechnologyCharles Singer, E. J. Holmyard, A. R. Hall and Trevor I. Williams, editors
Stopwatch, Inventions
Source Stopwatch (Wikipedia)
Source Ismail al-Jazari - Wikipedia
Sundial, Inventions
Source Sundial (Wikipedia)
Source Supercharger (Wikipedia)
Tachometer, Inventions
Source Tachometer (Wikipedia)
Source Encyclopaedia BritannicaEncyclopaedia Britannica editors
Source Technology: A World HistoryDaniel R. Headrick
Source Encyclopaedia BritannicaEncyclopaedia Britannica editors
Source Encyclopaedia BritannicaEncyclopaedia Britannica editors
Source A History of TechnologyCharles Singer, E. J. Holmyard, A. R. Hall and Trevor I. Williams, editors
Source A History of TechnologyCharles Singer, E. J. Holmyard, A. R. Hall and Trevor I. Williams, editors
The Wheel, Inventions
Source A History of TechnologyCharles Singer, E. J. Holmyard, A. R. Hall and Trevor I. Williams, editors
Source A History of TechnologyCharles Singer, E. J. Holmyard, A. R. Hall and Trevor I. Williams, editors
Source Threshing Machine (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Time Clock, Inventions
Source Time Clock (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Trebuchet, Inventions
Source Trebuchet (Wikipedia)
Source Tunnel Boring Machine (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Turbocharger (Wikipedia)
Typewriter, Inventions
Source Typewriter (Wikipedia)
Umbrella, Inventions
Source Umbrella (Wikipedia)
Source Universal Joint (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Vending Machine (Wikipedia)
Source Vernier scale (Wikipedia)
Source Water Clock (Wikipedia)
Source Water organ (Wikipedia)
Source Water turbine, Wikipedia
Source Water wheel (Wikipedia)
Watermill, Inventions
Source Watermill (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Waterwheel, Inventions
Source Water wheel (Wikipedia)
Source Weitzer railmotor (Wikipedia)
Welding, Methods
Source Encyclopaedia BritannicaEncyclopaedia Britannica editors
Wheel, Inventions
Source Wheel (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Wheelbarrow (Wikipedia)
Source Willis Carrier (Wikipedia)
Winch, Inventions
Source Winch (Wikipedia)
Windmill, Inventions
Source Windmill (Wikipedia)
Source Windscreen wiper (Wikipedia)
Source Windscreen wiper (Wikipedia)
Wristwatch, Inventions
Source Watch (Wikipedia)
Zipper, Inventions
Source Zipper (Wikipedia)

Open Questions

In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.View the Source
2. Mechanical Engineering (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundation
  • Introductory paragraph
    It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and maintain mechanical systems.
  • Lead section, opening definition of mechanical engineering
    Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines and mechanisms that may involve force and movement.
  • Lead section, Industrial Revolution paragraph
    Mechanical engineering emerged as a field during the Industrial Revolution in Europe in the 18th century; however, its development can be traced back several thousand years around the world.
  • Lead section, core areas paragraph
    Mechanical engineering requires an understanding of core areas including mechanics, dynamics, thermodynamics, materials science, design, structural analysis, electronics, and electricity.
View the Source
A History of Technology
Charles Singer, E. J. Holmyard, A. R. Hall and Trevor I. Williams, editors, Oxford University Press, 1954
  • Includes: The Wheel
  • Includes: The Printing Press
  • Includes: The Steam Engine
  • Includes: Archimedes
  • Includes: Steel
  • Includes: Thomas Newcomen
  • Includes: James Watt
  • Includes: Johannes Gutenberg
View the Source
Technology: A World History
Daniel R. Headrick, Oxford University Press, 2009Includes: The Assembly LineView the Source
Marine Engineering (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Marine EngineeringView the Source
American Nuclear Society, About (ans.org)
American Nuclear Society, American Nuclear SocietyAssociated With: Nuclear EngineeringView the Source
Carl Benz (Wikipedia)
Includes: Karl Benz, Categories
Quote, Includes: Karl Benz, Categories
German mechanical engineers
View the Source
Charles Babbage (Wikipedia)
Includes: Charles Babbage, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Charles Babbage, Lead section
A mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer, Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer.
View the Source
Willis Carrier (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Willis Carrier, Categories
Quote, Includes: Willis Carrier, Categories
20th-century American mechanical engineers
View the Source
Kate Gleason (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Kate Gleason, Categories
Quote, Includes: Kate Gleason, Categories
19th-century American mechanical engineers
View the Source
Henry Gantt - Wikipedia
Includes: Henry Gantt, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Henry Gantt, Lead section
Henry Laurence Gantt (; May 20, 1861, November 23, 1919) was an American mechanical engineer and management consultant who worked in the development of scientific management.
View the Source
Rudolf Diesel - Wikipedia
Includes: Rudolf Diesel, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Rudolf Diesel, Lead section
Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel (English: , German: [ˈʁuːdɔlf ˈkʀɪsti̯an kaʁl ˈdiːzl̩] ; 18 March 1858-29 September 1913) was a German inventor and mechanical engineer.
View the Source
Elmer Ambrose Sperry (Wikipedia)
Includes: Elmer Sperry, Categories
Quote, Includes: Elmer Sperry, Categories
19th-century American mechanical engineers
View the Source
Robert Kearns (Wikipedia)
Includes: Robert Kearns, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Robert Kearns, Lead section
Robert William Kearns (March 10, 1927, February 9, 2005) was an American mechanical engineer, educator, and inventor who invented the most common intermittent windshield wiper systems used on most automobiles from 1969 to the present.
View the Source
Liang Lingzan (Wikipedia)
Includes: Liang Lingzan, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Liang Lingzan, Lead section
Liang Lingzan (simplified Chinese: 梁令瓒; traditional Chinese: 梁令瓚; pinyin: Liáng Lìngzàn; Wade-Giles: Liang Ling-Tsan) was a Chinese artist, astronomer, inventor, mechanical engineer and politician of the Kaiyuan era during the Tang dynasty.
View the Source
Elias Howe (Wikipedia)
Includes: Elias Howe, Categories
Quote, Includes: Elias Howe, Categories
19th-century American mechanical engineers
View the Source
Andrew Meikle (Wikipedia)
Includes: Andrew Meikle, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Andrew Meikle, Lead section
Andrew Meikle (5 May 1719-27 November 1811) was a Scottish mechanical engineer credited with inventing the threshing machine, a device used to remove the outer husks from grains of wheat.
View the Source
Joseph Whitworth (Wikipedia)
Includes: Joseph Whitworth, Categories
Quote, Includes: Joseph Whitworth, Categories
English mechanical engineers
View the Source
Zipper (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Zipper, Categories
Quote, Includes: Zipper, Categories
Fasteners
View the Source
Stapler (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Stapler, Categories
Quote, Includes: Stapler, Categories
Fasteners
View the Source
Universal Joint (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Universal Joint, Categories
Quote, Includes: Universal Joint, Categories
Mechanisms (engineering)
View the Source
South-pointing chariot - Wikipedia
Includes: South-Pointing Chariot, Categories
Quote, Includes: South-Pointing Chariot, Categories
Mechanical engineering
View the Source
Camshaft - Wikipedia
Includes: Camshaft, Categories
Quote, Includes: Camshaft, Categories
Engine components
View the Source
Pump (Wikipedia)
Includes: Pump, Categories
Quote, Includes: Pump, Categories
Pumps
View the Source
Lever (Wikipedia)
Includes: Lever, Categories
Quote, Includes: Lever, Categories
Mechanisms (engineering)
View the Source
Carburetor (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Carburetor, Categories
Quote, Includes: Carburetor, Categories
Engine components
View the Source
Turbocharger (Wikipedia)
Includes: Turbocharger, Categories
Quote, Includes: Turbocharger, Categories
Engine components
View the Source
Winch (Wikipedia)
Includes: Winch, Categories
Quote, Includes: Winch, Categories
Mechanisms (engineering)
View the Source
Gimbal (Wikipedia)
Includes: Gimbal, Categories
Quote, Includes: Gimbal, Categories
Mechanisms (engineering)
View the Source
Transmission (mechanical device) (Wikipedia)
Includes: Gearbox, Categories
Quote, Includes: Gearbox, Categories
Mechanisms (engineering)
View the Source
Fuel injection (Wikipedia)
Includes: Fuel Injection, Categories
Quote, Includes: Fuel Injection, Categories
Engine components
View the Source
Centrifugal pump (Wikipedia)
Includes: Centrifugal Pump, Categories
Quote, Includes: Centrifugal Pump, Categories
Pumps
View the Source
Engineering design process (Wikipedia)
Includes: Engineering design process, Categories
Quote, Includes: Engineering design process, Categories
Mechanical engineering
View the Source
Centrifugal governor (Wikipedia)
Includes: Centrifugal Governor, Categories
Quote, Includes: Centrifugal Governor, Categories
Mechanisms (engineering)
View the Source
Computer-aided design (Wikipedia)
Includes: Computer-Aided Design, Categories
Quote, Includes: Computer-Aided Design, Categories
Design engineering
View the Source
Finite element method (Wikipedia)
Includes: Finite Element Analysis, Categories
Quote, Includes: Finite Element Analysis, Categories
Continuum mechanics
View the Source
Reverse engineering (Wikipedia)
Includes: Reverse Engineering, Categories
Quote, Includes: Reverse Engineering, Categories
Cybersecurity engineering
View the Source
Refrigerator (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Refrigerator, Categories
Quote, Includes: Refrigerator, Categories
Heat pumps
View the Source
Machine Gun (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Machine Gun, Categories
Quote, Includes: Machine Gun, Categories
Machine guns
View the Source
Umbrella (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Umbrella, Categories
Quote, Includes: Umbrella, Categories
Protective gear
View the Source
Gear (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Gear, Categories
Quote, Includes: Gear, Categories
Gears
View the Source
Slide Rule (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Slide Rule, Categories
Quote, Includes: Slide Rule, Categories
Mechanical calculators
View the Source
Pulley (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Pulley, Categories
Quote, Includes: Pulley, Categories
Mechanical power transmission
View the Source
Ball Bearing (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Ball Bearing, Categories
Quote, Includes: Ball Bearing, Categories
Bearings (mechanical)
View the Source
Hydraulic Press (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Hydraulic Press, Categories
Quote, Includes: Hydraulic Press, Categories
Hydraulic machinery
View the Source
Watch (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Wristwatch, Categories
Quote, Includes: Wristwatch, Categories
Watches
View the Source
Water wheel (Wikipedia)
  • Includes: Waterwheel, Categories
    Water turbines
  • Includes: Water Wheel, Categories
    Water turbines
View the Source
Water Clock (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Water Clock, Categories
Quote, Includes: Water Clock, Categories
Water clocks
View the Source
Sundial (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Sundial, Categories
Quote, Includes: Sundial, Categories
Clocks
View the Source
Steam Turbine (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Steam Turbine, Categories
Quote, Includes: Steam Turbine, Categories
Steam engines
View the Source
Diesel Engine (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Diesel Engine, Categories
Quote, Includes: Diesel Engine, Categories
Diesel engines
View the Source
Pendulum clock (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Pendulum Clock, Categories
Quote, Includes: Pendulum Clock, Categories
Clocks
View the Source
Threshing Machine (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Threshing Machine, Categories
Quote, Includes: Threshing Machine, Categories
Agricultural machinery
View the Source
Seed Drill (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Seed Drill, Categories
Quote, Includes: Seed Drill, Categories
Agricultural machinery
View the Source
Reaper (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Reaper, Categories
Quote, Includes: Reaper, Categories
Agricultural machinery
View the Source
Tunnel Boring Machine (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Tunnel Boring Machine, Categories
Quote, Includes: Tunnel Boring Machine, Categories
Tunnel boring machines
View the Source
Pile Driver (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Pile Driver, Categories
Quote, Includes: Pile Driver, Categories
Building engineering
View the Source
Jackhammer (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Jackhammer, Categories
Quote, Includes: Jackhammer, Categories
Hydraulic tools
View the Source
Time Clock (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Time Clock, Categories
Quote, Includes: Time Clock, Categories
Clocks
View the Source
Combine Harvester (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Combine Harvester, Categories
Quote, Includes: Combine Harvester, Categories
Agricultural machinery
View the Source
Water turbine, Wikipedia
Includes: Water Turbine, Categories
Quote, Includes: Water Turbine, Categories
Water turbines
View the Source
Ismail al-Jazari - Wikipedia
  • Includes: Crankshaft, Categories
    Engineers of the medieval Islamic world
  • Includes: Suction Pump, Categories
    Engineers of the medieval Islamic world
View the Source
Watermill (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Watermill, Categories
Quote, Includes: Watermill, Categories
Hydraulic engineering
View the Source
Aeolipile (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Aeolipile, Categories
Quote, Includes: Aeolipile, Categories
Rocket engines
View the Source
Escapement (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Escapement, Categories
Quote, Includes: Escapement, Categories
Mechanical power control
View the Source
Heron's fountain (Wikipedia)
Includes: Heron's fountain, Categories
Quote, Includes: Heron's fountain, Categories
Hydraulics
View the Source
Antikythera mechanism (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Antikythera Mechanism, Categories
Quote, Includes: Antikythera Mechanism, Categories
Antikythera Mechanism
View the Source
Equatorium (Wikipedia)
Includes: Equatorium, Categories
Quote, Includes: Equatorium, Categories
Mechanical calculators
View the Source
Internal Combustion Engine (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Internal Combustion Engine, Categories
Quote, Includes: Internal Combustion Engine, Categories
Combustion engine
View the Source
Piston (Wikipedia)
Includes: Piston, Categories
Quote, Includes: Piston, Categories
Engine technology
View the Source
Anti-lock braking system (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Anti-lock Braking System, Categories
Quote, Includes: Anti-lock Braking System, Categories
Mechanical power control
View the Source
Shock absorber (Wikipedia)
Includes: Shock Absorber, Categories
Quote, Includes: Shock Absorber, Categories
Mechanical devices using viscosity
View the Source
Cryopump (Wikipedia)
Includes: Cryopump, Categories
Quote, Includes: Cryopump, Categories
Vacuum pumps
View the Source
Slinky (Wikipedia)
Includes: Slinky, Categories
Quote, Includes: Slinky, Categories
Springs (mechanical)
View the Source
Heat pump (Wikipedia)
Includes: Heat Pump, Categories
Quote, Includes: Heat Pump, Categories
Building engineering
View the Source
Supercharger (Wikipedia)
Includes: Supercharger, Categories
Quote, Includes: Supercharger, Categories
Aircraft engines
View the Source
Modular design (Wikipedia)
Includes: Modular design, Categories
Quote, Includes: Modular design, Categories
Engineering concepts
View the Source
Pyreolophore (Wikipedia)
Includes: Pyreolophore, Categories
Quote, Includes: Pyreolophore, Categories
Engine technology
View the Source
George Stephenson (Wikipedia)
Includes: George Stephenson, Lead section
Quote, Includes: George Stephenson, Lead section
George Stephenson (9 June 1781-12 August 1848) was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer.
View the Source
Karl von Terzaghi (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Karl von Terzaghi, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Karl von Terzaghi, Lead section
Karl von Terzaghi (2 October 1883-25 October 1963) was an Austrian mechanical engineer, geotechnical engineer, and geologist known as the "father of soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering".
View the Source
Air Conditioning (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Air Conditioning, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Air Conditioning, Lead section
Air conditioning can be achieved using a mechanical air conditioner or through other methods, such as passive cooling and ventilative cooling.
View the Source
Piano (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Piano, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Piano, Lead section
A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are pressed, activating an action mechanism where hammers strike strings.
View the Source
Elevator (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Elevator, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Elevator, Lead section
An elevator (North American English, Philippine English) or lift (Commonwealth English except Canada) is a machine that vertically transports people or freight between levels.
View the Source
Typewriter (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Typewriter, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Typewriter, Lead section
A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical machine for typing characters.
View the Source
Phonograph (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Phonograph, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Phonograph, Lead section
A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound.
View the Source
Escalator (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Escalator, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Escalator, Lead section
It consists of a motor-driven chain of individually linked steps on a track which cycle on a pair of tracks which keep the step tread horizontal.
View the Source
Vending Machine (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Vending Machine, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Vending Machine, Lead section
A vending machine is an automated machine that dispenses items such as snacks, beverages, cigarettes, and lottery tickets to consumers after cash, a credit card, or other forms of payment are inserted into the machine or payment is otherwise made.
View the Source
Wheelbarrow (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Wheelbarrow, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Wheelbarrow, Lead section
A wheelbarrow is a small hand-propelled load-bearing vehicle, usually with just one wheel, designed to be pushed and guided by a single person using two handles at the rear.
View the Source
Safety Pin (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Safety Pin, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Safety Pin, Lead section
A safety pin is a variation of the regular pin which includes a simple spring mechanism and a clasp.
View the Source
Cash Register (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Cash Register, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Cash Register, Lead section
A cash register, sometimes called a till or automated money handling system, is a mechanical or electronic device for registering and calculating transactions at a point of sale.
View the Source
Windmill (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Windmill, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Windmill, Lead section
A windmill is a machine operated by the force of wind acting on vanes or sails to mill grain (gristmills).
View the Source
Hygrometer (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Hygrometer, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Hygrometer, Lead section
Humidity measurement instruments usually rely on measurements of some other quantities, such as temperature, pressure, mass, and mechanical or electrical changes in a substance as moisture is absorbed.
View the Source
Odometer (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Odometer, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Odometer, Lead section
The device may be electronic, mechanical, or a combination of the two (electromechanical).
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Movie camera (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Motion Picture Camera, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Motion Picture Camera, Lead section
In contrast to the still camera, which captures a single image at a time, the movie camera takes a series of images by way of an intermittent mechanism or by electronic means; each image is a frame of film or video.
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Trebuchet (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Trebuchet, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Trebuchet, Lead section
It was a common powerful siege engine until the advent of gunpowder.
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Speedometer (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Speedometer, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Speedometer, Lead section
Now universally fitted to motor vehicles, they started to be available as options in the early 20th century, and as standard equipment from about 1910 onwards.
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Steam Shovel (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundation
  • Includes: Steam Shovel, Lead section
    A steam shovel is a large steam-powered excavating machine designed for lifting and moving material such as rock and soil.
  • Includes: Excavator, Lead section
    A steam shovel is a large steam-powered excavating machine designed for lifting and moving material such as rock and soil.
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Eclipse windmill, Wikipedia
Includes: Eclipse Windmill, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Eclipse Windmill, Lead section
The Eclipse windmill was one of the more successful designs of windmill used to pump water in the nineteenth century United States.
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Biblio-Mat, Wikipedia
Includes: Biblio-Mat, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Biblio-Mat, Lead section
The Biblio-Mat is a random antiquarian book vending machine located at The Monkey's Paw bookstore in Toronto, Canada designed by visual artist Craig Small.
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Machining, Wikipedia
Includes: Machining, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Machining, Lead section
Machining is a form of subtractive manufacturing, which utilizes machine tools, in contrast to additive manufacturing (e.g. 3D printing), which uses controlled addition of material.
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Steamroller, Wikipedia
Includes: Road Roller, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Road Roller, Lead section
A steamroller (or steam roller) is a form of road roller, a type of heavy construction machinery used for leveling surfaces, such as roads or airfields, that is powered by a steam engine.
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FoldiMate (Wikipedia)
Includes: FoldiMate, Lead section
Quote, Includes: FoldiMate, Lead section
FoldiMate, Inc. was a California-based company developing a robotic laundry-folding machine founded in 2012.
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SolaWash (Wikipedia)
Includes: SolaWash, Lead section
Quote, Includes: SolaWash, Lead section
SolaWash is an automated and mobile hand washing machine powered by solar panels.
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Wheel (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Wheel, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Wheel, Lead section
A wheel is a rotating component (typically circular in shape) intended to turn on an axle bearing.
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Water organ (Wikipedia)
Includes: Water organ, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Water organ, Lead section
The water organ or hydraulic organ (Greek: ὕδραυλις = ὕδωρ + αυλός / αυλη) (early types are sometimes called hydraulos, hydraulus or hydraula) is a type of pipe organ blown by air, where the power source pushing the air is derived by water from a natural source (e.g. by a waterfall) or by a manual pump.
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Horse mill (Wikipedia)
Includes: Horse Mill, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Horse Mill, Lead section
A horse mill (or in the UK commonly called a horse-gin - short for "engine") is a mill, sometimes used in conjunction with a watermill or windmill, that uses a horse engine as the power source.
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Hierapolis sawmill (Wikipedia)
Includes: Hierapolis Sawmill, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Hierapolis Sawmill, Lead section
Dating to the second half of the 3rd century AD, the sawmill is considered the earliest known machine to combine a crank with a connecting rod to form a crank-slider mechanism.
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Polybolos (Wikipedia)
Includes: Polybolos, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Polybolos, Lead section
The polybolos was not a crossbow since it used a torsion mechanism, drawing its power from twisted sinew-bundles.
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Astronomical clock (Wikipedia)
Includes: Astronomical clock, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Astronomical clock, Lead section
An astronomical clock, horologium, or orloj is a clock with special mechanisms and dials to display astronomical information, such as the relative positions of the Sun, Moon, zodiacal constellations, and major planets.
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Paper mill (Wikipedia)
Includes: Paper mill, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Paper mill, Lead section
Before the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt, all paper in a paper mill was made by hand, one sheet at a time, by specialized laborers.
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ALCO boxcab (Wikipedia)
Includes: ALCO Boxcab, Lead section
Quote, Includes: ALCO Boxcab, Lead section
Produced by a partnership of three companies, ALCO (American Locomotive Company) built the chassis and running gear, General Electric the generator, motors and controls, and Ingersoll Rand the diesel engine.
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Sharopoyezd (Wikipedia)
Includes: Sharopoyezd, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Sharopoyezd, Lead section
The Sharopoyezd (Russian: Шаропоезд; literally "ball-bearing train"), also known as ShELT (Russian: ШЭЛТ, acronym for шаро-электро-лотковый транспорт, "ball-bearing electric trough transport") was a Soviet attempt to develop a high-speed rail system in the 1930s.
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McKeen railmotor (Wikipedia)
Includes: McKeen Railmotor, Lead section
Quote, Includes: McKeen Railmotor, Lead section
When McKeen Company of Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A., first unveiled the car in 1905, the McKeen was among the first engines with a distillate-fueled motor.
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Weitzer railmotor (Wikipedia)
Includes: Weitzer Railmotor, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Weitzer Railmotor, Lead section
The railmotors of J. Weitzer Engine- & Waggon-Building & Iron Casting Joint-stock Company (Hu.: Weitzer János Gép,- Waggongyár és Vasöntöde Részvénytársaság) were Europe's first self-propelled railcars with internal combustion engine built in considerable numbers.
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Gas-turbine engine (Wikipedia)
Includes: Gas Turbine Engine, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Gas Turbine Engine, Lead section
A gas turbine is a complete continuous-flow internal combustion engine in which air is compressed, fuel is burned in the compressed air, and the resulting hot gas expands through a turbine.
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Flywheel (Wikipedia)
Includes: Flywheel, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Flywheel, Lead section
A flywheel is a mechanical device that uses the conservation of angular momentum to store rotational energy, a form of kinetic energy proportional to the product of its moment of inertia and the square of its rotational speed.
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Windscreen wiper (Wikipedia)
  • Includes: Windscreen Wiper, Lead section
    Almost all motor vehicles, including cars, trucks, buses, train locomotives, and watercraft with a cabin-and some aircraft-are equipped with one or more such wipers, which are usually a legal requirement.
  • Includes: Windshield Wiper, Lead section
    Almost all motor vehicles, including cars, trucks, buses, train locomotives, and watercraft with a cabin-and some aircraft-are equipped with one or more such wipers, which are usually a legal requirement.
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Clutch (Wikipedia)
Includes: Clutch, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Clutch, Lead section
A clutch is a mechanical device that allows an output shaft to be disconnected from a rotating input shaft.
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Car (Wikipedia)
Includes: Automobile, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Automobile, Lead section
A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels.
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Printing Press (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Printing Press, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Printing Press, Lead section
A printing press is a machine that applies pressure to transfer ink onto a surface made of paper, cloth, or a similar material.
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Can opener (Wikipedia)
Includes: Can Opener, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Can Opener, Lead section
A can opener (North American and Australian English) or tin opener (British English) is a mechanical device used to open metal tin cans.
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Stopwatch (Wikipedia)
Includes: Stopwatch, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Stopwatch, Lead section
A large digital version of a stopwatch designed for viewing at a distance, as in a sports stadium, is called a stop clock.
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Alarm clock (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Alarm Clock, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Alarm Clock, Lead section
An alarm clock or alarm is a clock that is designed to alert an individual or group of people at a specified time.
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Lawn mower (Wikipedia)
Includes: Lawn Mower, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Lawn Mower, Lead section
The height of the cut grass may be fixed by the mower's design but generally is adjustable by the operator, typically by a single master lever or by a mechanism on each of the machine's wheels.
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Vernier scale (Wikipedia)
Includes: Vernier Scale, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Vernier Scale, Lead section
A vernier scale ( VUR-nee-ər), named after Pierre Vernier, is a visual aid to take an accurate measurement reading between two graduation markings on a linear scale by using mechanical interpolation, which increases resolution and reduces measurement uncertainty by using vernier acuity.
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Clothes dryer (Wikipedia)
Includes: Clothes Dryer, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Clothes Dryer, Lead section
A clothes dryer (tumble dryer, drying machine, drying device, or simply dryer) is a powered household appliance that is used to remove moisture from a load of clothing, bedding and other textiles, usually after they are washed in the washing machine.
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Snowmobile (Wikipedia)
Includes: Snowmobile, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Snowmobile, Lead section
A snowmobile, also known as a snowmachine (chiefly Alaskan), motor sled (chiefly Canadian), ski-doo (Ontario and Quebec, dated proprietary eponym), motor sledge, skimobile, snow scooter, or simply a sled is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow.
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Hourglass (Wikipedia)
Includes: Hourglass, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Hourglass, Lead section
An hourglass (or sandglass, sand timer, or sand clock) is a device used to measure the passage of time.
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Movie projector (Wikipedia)
Includes: Movie Projector, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Movie Projector, Lead section
A movie projector (or film projector) is an opto-mechanical device for displaying motion picture film by projecting it onto a screen.
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Tachometer (Wikipedia)
Includes: Tachometer, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Tachometer, Lead section
A tachometer (revolution-counter, tach, rev-counter, RPM gauge) is an instrument measuring the rotation speed of a shaft or disk, as in a motor or other machine.
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Power steering (Wikipedia)
Includes: Power Steering, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Power Steering, Lead section
Power steering is a system for reducing a driver's effort to turn a steering wheel of a motor vehicle, by using a power source to assist steering.
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Open Questions (1 open question)
Who deserves credit for inventing the four-stroke internal combustion engine cycle: Alphonse Beau de Rochas, who patented the concept in 1862 without building an engine, or Nikolaus Otto, who built the first working four-stroke engine in 1876?

Alphonse Beau de Rochas, a French engineer, patented the theoretical concept of the four-stroke engine cycle in 1862 but never built a working engine. Nikolaus Otto built and commercialized the first successful four-stroke engine in 1876, unaware of the Rochas patent, and only lost part of his own German patent years later when Gottlieb Daimler's lawyer discovered Rochas's earlier description while searching for a way around royalty payments.

What would resolve this A settled historiographical consensus on whether conceiving and patenting an unbuilt idea, or independently engineering and commercializing the same idea, carries the primary credit for founding the discipline; historians of technology continue to credit both figures for different reasons.
History of TechnologyWikipedia contributors, Nikolaus Otto (Wikipedia)
Frequently Asked Questions

Why is mechanical engineering considered one of the oldest engineering disciplines?

Mechanical engineering formalized as its own profession in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries alongside the steam engine and the broader Industrial Revolution, when designing and building machines that convert energy into useful motion became a specialized trade distinct from general mechanics or civil works. Its core subjects, forces, motion, energy transfer and the machines that harness them, cover such a wide range of applications, from engines to manufacturing equipment to robotics, that many later engineering disciplines, including aerospace, automotive and industrial engineering, grew out of it or share its foundational coursework.
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