They work closely with materials engineers to insure that correct materials are chosen. Mechanical engineers must also ensure that the parts fit together by specifying detailed dimensions. Another aspect of the design function is the design process itself. Mechanical engineers develop computational tools to aid the design engineer in optimizing a design. These tools speed the design process by automating time-intensive analyses.
Mechanical engineers are also interested in controlling the mechanical devices they design.
Control of mechanical devices can involve mechanical or hydraulic controls. However, most modern control systems incorporate digital control schemes. The mechanical engineer models controls for the system and programs or designs the control algorithm. The noise generated from mechanical devices is often a concern so mechanical engineers are often involved in acoustics-the study of noise. The mechanical engineer works to minimize unwanted noise by identifying the source and designing ways to minimize it without sacrificing a machine's performance.