In fact, the mechanical engineer has a role to play in the development of most of the manufactured items used in today's society. The mechanical engineer uses knowledge of scientific principles, particularly applied mathematics, physics and chemistry, to design complex machinery and equipment.
Mechanical engineering is one of the most diverse fields of engineering.
Mechanical engineers are not limited in their employment to only one or two industrial sectors, and job openings for mechanical engineering graduates comprise an unusually wide range of opportunities. The education of a mechanical engineer covers a broad range of topics including the mechanics of materials, machine dynamics, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, automatic controls and computer-aided design. In addition to the traditional role of mechanical engineers in the design of machinery, graduates are increasingly taking a role in the development of robots for advanced manufacturing systems, in automation of industrial processes, in naval architecture and in bioengineering. In the case of bioengineering, mechanical engineers are involved in the development of artificial hearts and heart valves, and in the design of all kinds of prosthetic devices as well as biomedical monitoring equipment. Naval architecture is the study of the physical laws governing the performance of marine vehicles such as sailboats, tugs and ocean-going ships.