Introduction

Mechanical engineers have roles in Nation Building. Today, we are living on an

advanced world. A Highly developed societies run by highly influential people. As time

goes on, the needs of improvement on the society is a necessity for the many. For them

our nation should continue building its blocks towards success and development. Nation

building for them is a commodity that should sustain its needs in order to obtain their

ultimate goal.[ Nation-building refers to the process of constructing or structuring a

national identity using the power of the state. This process aims at the unification of the

people within the state so that it remains politically stable and viable in the long run.

Nation-building can involve the use of propaganda or major infrastructure development

to foster social harmony and economic growth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nation-

building)]. Although our nation is improving , it is much better to have companions in

this goal towards success.

Mechanical Engineers is one of the perfect partner toward this aim. Mechanical

Engineers are modern professionals trained by highly competitive instructors with world

class institutions. They are modern individuals trained to help the nation on building it’s

block towards success and development. They have skills and abilities required fir the

Nation Development. The presence of Mechanical Engineers towards this ultimate goal

is highly appreciated and should always demand for their presence because their skills

are very useful.

Statement of the Problem

The problem is all about the roles of Mechanical Engineers in Nation building. Do

they have concrete roles played during this process? It also covers what are the

possible abilities and skills covered by Mechanical Engineers that can be useful towards

Nation Building. We are also to find out if Mechanical Engineers is useful or not

regarding it’s presence in Nation Development.

Significance of the Study

This study is to find out the significant roles of Mechanical Engineers towards Nation

Building. This study aims to know if Mechanical Engineers have contributions based on

their covered field of specialization that can contribute in Nation Building. It is for us to

know their importance with our ultimate goal of success in our nation.

Scope and Limitation

The study about the significant roles of Mechanical Engineers in Nation Building

covers a time frame of three (3) calendar months, starting December of 2011 until the

first week of March 2012. The internet databases, Licensed Mechanical Engineers and

academic Libraries within the city proper of Cagayan de Oro are the main sources in

data gathering. The research is conducted within the city of Cagayan de Oro.

Nation building is the drive of the nation to change and improve their quality of life,

Technologies, Politics, Environment and more. It is where everyone unites and together

work for reforms and certain improvements. This study about the roles of Mechanical

Engineers in Nation Building only covers the Economic and Technological aspects in

Nation Building. The part where the Technologies, Industries, Transportation, Energy

and Machinery were found and talked about.

Sentence Outline

I Mechanical engineering, a broad profession

A. Mechanical Engineering covers Heat and energy

B. Mechanical Engineering covers Transportation/Automotive

C. Mechanical Engineering covers Machines

D. Mechanical Engineering covers Mechanical Designing

E. Mechanical Engineering covers Main Industrial Plant/Manufacturing

II Mechanical Engineers are useful

A. Mechanical Engineers provide state of the art Machines

B. Mechanical Engineers secure the safeness of Industries

C. Mechanical Engineers maintains the stability in the Mechanical World

III. Does Mechanical Engineers have roles in Nation Building

A. Yes, because they have many field of specializations that covers the

development of the Nation.

B. No, because their capability and skills are not enough in Nation Building

Mechanical Engineering: a Broad Profession

. Mechanical Engineers are professionals who graduated a degree of Bachelor of

Science in Mechanical Engineering and passed the Licensure Examination organized

by the Professionals Regulation Commission of a certain Nation. [Mechanical Engineers

are professionals that design and develop Machines. They also influence the design of

other products like shoes, light bulbs and even doors. Few of it’s specializations are

Manufacturing, Robotics, Automotive/Transportation and Air Conditioning. They also

engaged with nanotechnology that is very efficient today in this Modern World. They

also create a system and analyze their designs using the principles of motion, energy

and force to ensure the product functions safely, effectively, reliable and can be

manufactured at a competitive cost (http://www.me.mtu.edu/admin/whatme.html)].

Mechanical Engineering is a five (5) year course offered by accredited institutions of a

certain Nation. It is [ the branch of engineering that encompasses the generation and

application of heat and mechanical power and the design, production, and use of

machines and tools” (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mechanical+engineering) ] .

The Field

Mechanical engineering is one of the largest, broadest, and oldest engineering

disciplines. Mechanical engineers use the principles of energy, materials, and

mechanics to design and manufacture machines and devices of all types. They create

the processes and systems that drive technology and industry. The technical interests

and contours of the mechanical engineering profession are reflected in the professional

groups and technical divisions that make up the American Society of Mechanical

Engineers (ASME).The key characteristics of the profession are its breadth, flexibility,

and individuality. The career paths of mechanical engineers are largely determined by

individual choices, a decided advantage in a changing world. Mechanics, energy and

heat, mathematics, engineering sciences, design and manufacturing form the

foundation of mechanical engineering. Mechanics includes fluids, ranging from still

water to hypersonic gases flowing around a space vehicle; it involves the motion of

anything from a particle to a machine or complex structure. Analysis, design, and

synthesis are the key functions of mechanical engineers. The question is often how

devices and processes actually work. The first step is to visualize what is happening

and clearly state the problem. A mechanical engineer will then use computer-based

modeling, simulation, and visualization techniques to test different solutions.

Design is one of the most satisfying jobs for a mechanical engineer. To design and build

a new car, you must reckon with power, weight, size and shape, materials, reliability,

and safety. "Synthesis" is when you pull all the factors together in a design that can be

successfully manufactured. Design problems are challenging because most are open-

ended, without a single or best answer. There is no best mousetrap -- just better ones.

The field is notable for emphasizing versatility. A mechanical engineering education is

an excellent foundation for work in other fields. Some mechanical engineers work on

medical problems, such as the mechanics of bones and joints, or the fluid dynamics of

the circulatory system. Mechanical engineers deal with economic issues, from the cost

of a single component, to the economic impact of a manufacturing plant. M.E.'s can be

found in sales, engineering management, and corporate management. Versatility is a

decided asset in a world that is undergoing constant economic, political, industrial, and

social change. Mechanical engineers are educated and positioned, not only to adapt,

but to define and direct change

(http://www.careercornerstone.org/pdf/me/meoverview.pdf)].

In order for a nation to grow and develop, it should first improve the quality of life

and technologies that it cover in order to fully enforce its improvement. There are many

aspects and fields in Nation development, and few of it is covered by the field of

specialization of Mechanical Engineers. Some of it is very useful and necessary in

improving the level of development on a certain nation. Some of the factors that is

covered by Mechanical Engineers are Heat and Energy, Transportation/Automotives,

Machines, Mechanical Designs and Industrial plants. These are only few of the fields

covered by Mechanical Engineers that can possibly help in Nation building. As you

continue reading, you will be reading the different fields of Mechanical Engineers that is

required in Nation building.

Heat and Energy

[Matter has the capacity to do work under certain conditions even though it may not

be accomplished at a particular moment. A moving of water or water stored behind a

dam, for example can be made of work in a variety of at a particular .Gas or air

compressed in a tank can also do work when it is released at a particular time. The

capacity of matter to do work is generally called energy. All life on earth depends in

some way upon energy. Most of the earth energy comes from the sun. It travels to the

earth in rays or waves. Energy in this form is used by plants to make food. Plant food is

needed to sustain life by providing nourishment for our bodies and muscles. The sun's

energy is also stored in coal, wood and oil which is also used to produce food and

modify matter. It has been estimate that the amount of energy falling on the earth

surface annually is equal to the energy of 250 million tons of coal. Energy is known to

exist in a variety of different forms; among these are heat, light, chemical, electrical,

sound, mechanical and nuclear. As a general rule, energy changes rather easily from

on form to another. The steam driven turbine generator of power plant is designed to

convert heat energy into electrical energy. The heating system of a building operates by

converting the chemical energy of gas or fuel into a usable form of heat. Electrical

energy may also be converted into light, heat or mechanical energy though the use of

different equipment. The capacity of energy to do work makes all of this possible

(http://ninjacraze.hubpages.com/hub/What-is-energy-and-importance-of-energy)].

Heat and Energy also are the primary sources of life in the Industrial world. Without

it, major Industries would be paralyzed. Thus, bringing much pain in the country for

major industries will close and many people will be jobless. The importance of Heat and

Energy in the nation is very necessary even though it doesn’t directly sustain the life of

the Nation. So, it is really important that someone would manage and maintain the

stability of Heat and Energy. The presence of Heat and Energy is surely be very useful,

so Mechanical Engineers does the job in maintaining and improving the quality of Heat

and Energy systems in the Country. Mechanical Engineers are professionally trained to

design and produce Machines regarding the production and different ways of producing

Energies. The presence of Mechanical Engineers in energy stability is really important,

that is why many Mechanical Engineers are in demand in the different Energy-

Production companies.

Transportation

 [Transportation is any device used to move an item from one location to

another. Common forms of transportation include planes, trains, automobiles, and other

two-wheel devices such as bikes or motorcycles. It is the process of shipping or moving

an item from point A to point B.

(http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/transportation.html)] The world that we

live in now will most likely be impossible had it not been for innovations in

transportation. There would not have been any great infrastructure, industrialisation, or

massive production, if transportation was incompetent. Life would not have kept up with

the fast changing times if there were no huge trucks, bulldozers, trailers, cargo ships, or

large aircrafts to carry them to different places. In other words, the global society would

not have experienced comfort and convenience had it not been for advancements in the

transportation sector. Today, humanity has technology to thank for all the wonderful

things that it currently enjoys now. (http://www.moving-strategy.com/importance-of-

transportation-to-society.html)

[The ability to move people and goods from one location to another is perhaps the

key to survival. That fact cannot be hammered home hard enough. This may sound

alarmist or over-the-top, but the simple act of moving someone or something from one

point to another is absolutely vital. The ease of transportation—in all of its forms—is the

hallmark of industrialized civilization. This ease of course has been made possible by

cheap fossil-fuel inputs and is best exemplified by the modern American commuter

driving from one suburb to work in another suburb or by the trucker hauling a collection

of inexpensively made Chinese products to the local Wal-Mart. 

.

Being able to move from one point to another is of course important. People seldom

live, work, shop and relax in the same place. In order to maintain a functioning

economy, people must be able to circulate between the various points that are

important to them and do so with ease. In pre-Industrial times, most people got around

by foot, horse or boat. Distances were small and trips were few in number. Today in

many locations, fossil fuel availability has dramatically increased the distances one can

travel and lifted the overall number of trips made.

But transportation is really much more than the movement of people. The truly vital

function that it plays is the movement of goods. Goods movement is often overlooked

by transportation planners but it includes the shipment of raw materials, finished

products and even wastes. Raw materials such as minerals, energy, food and other

resources are obvious candidates for transportation as most occur in limited

concentrations away from their eventual points of consumption. Movement of finished

goods from manufacturers to their eventual end users also requires a well established

transport network. Finally, transportation plays a vital role in removing wastes and

preventing their accumulation to dangerous levels.

.

Likewise, most visualizations of the transportation network commonly are focused

on road, rail, marine and air-based systems. While this is accurate, it neglects two other

important forms of transport: electrical and pipeline. Both topics are commonly

discussed as “infrastructure” in planning documents but really need to be seen as

another form of transportation. The electrical transmission system makes it possible to

instantaneously move large amounts of energy from one location where it is in

overabundance to another where it is in demand. Pipelines play the equally important

role of transporting liquids and gasses from one point to another in great, uninterruptible

volumes. (http://unplanning.blogspot.com/2005/06/importance-of-transportation.html)].

Transportation is truly helpful in our everyday lives for it’s one of the basic

requirements in order to attain our individual goals. Transportation also made our lives

easier; it can also save our energy and time for it can instantly transfer certain things to

a certain place without applying too much effort and time. Transportation plays also an

important role in Nation Building. It can be seen in different angles. It can speed up and

hasten up the speed of the industries. It can deliver goods to a certain place in just a

short period of time. With the advantages of transportation, we can really say that it is

very important in our ultimate goal of success in our country.

Transportation is run by Heat and energy, it uses heat transfer to make cars, planes,

trains and trucks move. It uses Physics to explain how a car moves and how a plane

flies. This field is one of the fields of specialization of Mechanical Engineers , thus

saying that Mechanical Engineers play an important role in sustaining and improving the

quality of Transportation.

Machines

[A machine is any combination of bodies so connected that their relative motions are

constrained, and by means of which force and motion may be transmitted and modified,

as a screw and its nut, or a lever arranged to turn about a fulcrum or a pulley about its

pivot, etc.; especially, a construction, more or less complex, consisting of a combination

of moving parts, or simple mechanical elements, as wheels, levers, cams, etc., with

their supports and connecting framework, calculated to constitute a prime mover, or to

receive force and motion from a prime mover or from another machine, and transmit,

modify, and apply them to the production of some desired mechanical effect or work, as

weaving by a loom, or the excitation of electricity by an electrical machine

(http://www.brainyquote.com/words/ma/machine186892.html ) ].

[ It manages power to accomplish a task. Examples include, a mechanical system,

a computing system, an electronic system, and a molecular machine. In common

usage, the meaning is that of a device having parts that perform or assist in performing

any type of work. A simple machine is a device that transforms the direction or

magnitude of a force(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine)}.

Machines, so called “the life saver”. For its main function is to make our lives easier.

With machines, we can make a certain job on less time. Machines also are efficient

because it doesn’t require too much effort to make it functional. It just need a little of

Science like Physics to make it move and does its job. Machines is really important in

helping the nation. With this, people can make more things and make them more useful

to the society. With this, people can be more effective in helping the society in building

more blocks to attain success. Lastly, machines also is one of the field of specialization

of Mechanical Engineers. It is one of their specialty as an Engineer to design Machines

and develop and discover more useful machine that can possibly help the people in

obtaining success.

Mechanical Designing

[Most mechanical engineers work in the design and control of mechanical,

electromechanical and fluid power systems. As a mechanical engineer functioning as a

design engineer it is likely that you would be involved with one or more technical

specialties, for example: Robotic System Design; Computer Coordinated Mechanisms;

Expert Systems in Design; Computer Aided Engineering; Geometric Design; Design

Optimization; Kinematics and Dynamics of Mechanisms; Cam Design/Gear Design;

Power Transmission; or Design of Machine Elements. Design engineers take into

account a truly wide number of factors in the course of their work, such as: product

performance, cost, safety, manufacturability, serviceability, human factors, aesthetic

appearance, durability, reliability, environmental impact and recyclability.

Design Engineering: M.E.'s design components, entire machines, complex

structures, systems and processes. This work requires a knowledge of the basic

sciences, engineering principles, materials, computer techniques, manufacturing

methods, and even economics. New and challenging problems come along with

regularity. If you are working for an aircraft company, today's problem may be vibration

in an engine; tomorrow it may be wind noise, stress on the landing gear, or a need to

increase lift at low speeds (http://www.careercornerstone.org/pdf/me/meoverview.pdf)].

Main Industrial Plants/Manufacturing

[Manufacturing In contemporary manufacturing companies, mechanical engineers

play a key role in the "realization" of products, working closely with other engineers and

specialists in corporate management, finance, marketing, and packaging. ME's design

products, select materials and processes, and convert them to finished products. They

design and manufacture machine tools -- literally the machines that make machines and

design entire manufacturing processes, aided by the latest technologies in automation

and robotics. Finally, the finished products are transported in equipment designed by

mechanical engineers. This is the largest area of employment for mechanical engineers,

especially when the process and textile industries are included. A finished product

requires the right materials, a viable plant and equipment, and a manufacturing system.

This all comes within the purview of mechanical, manufacturing and industrial

engineers.

Manufacturing Engineering: About half of all M.E.'s work in companies that

manufacture "something," such as consumer goods, transportation, or industrial

equipment. Another 16% work in the process industries, like petrochemical or

pharmaceutical. The challenges are as diverse as the products -- from miniature

devices used by surgeons, to disk drives, or massive pieces of industrial equipment.

This work calls for a knowledge of materials, manufacturing processes, thermal

processes, controls, electronics, and, as in all of engineering --- teamwork skills.

Materials Handling Engineering: Materials must be delivered at the right time,

place, and in the right form -- a challenge with the costly, exotic, and sometimes

hazardous materials used in some industries. Some M.E.'s specialized in materials

transportation, handling equipment and procedures, hazard control technologies, and in

the training of employees who will work with these materials.

Plant Engineering & Maintenance: Competitive industries must often update their

plants, manufacturing equipment, and operating procedures. This must be done quickly

and with the least possible disruption. M.E.'s in plant engineering focus on systems,

equipment, processes, and facilities. They provide creative solutions that allow

companies to meet their goals for quality, safety, and cost.

Process Industries: The M.E. `process engineer' changes materials from one form

to another or gives them new properties. They can then be used in manufacturing

components and finished products. The M.E. `process engineer' designs and builds the

systems and machines that heat, cool, soften, harden, or liquefy substances -- anything

from industrial fluids and gases, to metals, or even food products and pharmaceuticals.

Textile Engineering: Textile manufacturing is a global industry that depends on

automated equipment to prepare and handle fibers, weave or knit fabrics, manufacture

finished apparel, and handle finished products. Multinational textile industries turn to

M.E.'s for expertise in plant design and construction, equipment installation,

programming and control techniques, operations, and maintenance

(http://www.careercornerstone.org/pdf/me/meoverview.pdf)].

Mechanical Engineers are Useful

[Mechanical engineering is a diverse subject that derives its breadth from the need

to design and manufacture everything from small individual parts and devices (e.g.,

microscale sensors and inkjet printer nozzles) to large systems (e.g., spacecraft and

machine tools). The role of a mechanical engineer is to take a product from an idea to

the marketplace. In order to accomplish this, a broad range of skills are needed. The

mechanical engineer needs to acquire particular skills and knowledge. He/she needs to

understand the forces and the thermal environment that a product, its parts, or its

subsystems will encounter; to design them for functionality, aesthetics, and the ability to

withstand the forces and the thermal environment they will be subjected to; and to

determine the best way to manufacture them and ensure they will operate without

failure. Perhaps the one skill that is the mechanical engineer’s exclusive domain is the

ability to analyze and design objects and systems with motion.

Since these skills are required for virtually everything that is made, mechanical

engineering is perhaps the broadest and most diverse of engineering disciplines.

Mechanical engineers play a central role in such industries as automotive (from the car

chassis to its every subsystem—engine, transmission, sensors); aerospace (airplanes,

aircraft engines, control systems for airplanes and spacecraft); biotechnology (implants,

prosthetic devices, fluidic systems for pharmaceutical industries); computers and

electronics (disk drives, printers, cooling systems, semiconductor tools);

microelectromechanical systems, or MEMS (sensors, actuators, micropower

generation); energy conversion (gas turbines, wind turbines, solar energy, fuel cells);

environmental control (HVAC, air-conditioning, refrigeration, compressors); automation

(robots, data and image acquisition, recognition, control); manufacturing (machining,

machine tools, prototyping, microfabrication).

To put it simply, mechanical engineering deals with anything that moves, including the

human body, a very complex machine. Mechanical engineers learn about materials,

solid and fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, control, instrumentation,

design, and manufacturing to understand mechanical systems. Specialized mechanical

engineering subjects include biomechanics, cartilage-tissue engineering, energy

conversion, laser-assisted materials processing, combustion, MEMS, microfluidic

devices, fracture mechanics, nanomechanics, mechanisms, micropower generation,

tribology (friction and wear), and vibrations. The American Society of Mechanical

Engineers (ASME) currently lists 36 technical divisions, from advanced energy systems

and aerospace engineering to solid-waste engineering and textile engineering.

The breadth of the mechanical engineering discipline allows students a variety of career

options beyond some of the industries listed above. Regardless of the particular path

they envision for themselves after they graduate, their education will have provided

them with the creative thinking that allows them to design an exciting product or system,

the analytical tools to achieve their design goals, the ability to overcome all constraints,

and the teamwork needed to design, market, and produce a system. These valuable

skills could also launch a career in medicine, law, consulting, management, banking,

finance, and so on (http://me.columbia.edu/pages/dptoverview/whatisme/index.html)].

[Four functions of the mechanical engineer, common to all branches of mechanical

engineering, can be cited. The first is the understanding of and dealing with the bases of

mechanical science. These include dynamics, concerning the relation between forces

and motion, such as in vibration; automatic control; thermodynamics, dealing with the

relations among the various forms of heat, energy, and power; fluid flow; heat transfer;

lubrication; and properties of materials

(http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/371845/mechanical-engineering/64672/

Mechanical-engineering-functions ) ].

[Mechanical engineers research, develop, design, manufacture, and test tools,

engines, machines, and other mechanical devices. 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

(http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_some_duties_of_a_mechanical_engineer ) ].

Mechanical engineering is a really broad profession because it has lots of uses and

advantages. The fields that it covers are really useful in Nation building. Thus, we can

really say that Mechanical Engineering is Very useful.