perspective


Is Mechanical Engineering Obsolete?

Mechanical engineering, as it is portrayed and practiced today, appears to many as a stodgy, outdated field with limited exciting career opportunities. As a result, dynamic young people are not selecting mechanical engineering as a field to pursue.

While mechanical engineering knows no national boundaries, little has been done to focus on the relevance of globalization or the international arena. ASME International, with all good intentions to change our image, remains far too steeped in bureaucratic philosophies and processes to cause real change. We are all at fault for letting our discipline languish and become outdated, and we need to act — not form committees or hire consultants to study the issues — to revitalize the mechanical engineering discipline.

The quest for new horizons is what will make mechanical engineering exciting. While there are new fields emerging that are related to mechanical engineering and involve the fundamentals of mechanical engineering, our discipline and our profession have been slow to embrace these fields.

Interaction between different engineering disciplines will lead to new opportunities and new technologies. New biotechnology concepts and devices that benefit humankind, new biomechanical energy conversion techniques that reduce our dependence on hydrocarbons, and various aspects of space exploration are but a few of the new directions that can re-ignite the excitement for the next generation of mechanical engineers.

Mechanical engineering education has also changed, but not necessarily for the better. We have moved from the slide rule to the calculator to the laptop computer with an increased focus on the analytical/numerical aspects of mechanical engineering. While the general course requirements for a mechanical engineering degree have changed little, the content has been modified to accommodate changes in technology. The composition of mechanical engineering faculty has also changed, to have a wide array of backgrounds and credentials. The increase in international faculty has strengthened the abilities of the staff in the analytical and numerical areas.

However, the coursework related to practical or experimental applications demanding innovation appears to have decreased. Many of us grew up with a tractor and baling wire, and found it necessary to use ingenuity to solve problems, leading to our choice of mechanical engineering as our profession. In today's high-tech society, there are few, if any, opportunities for our young people to become involved in innovative exciting activities or develop an innovative spirit. The mechanical engineering profession and ASME International should rise to the challenge.

In terms of career opportunities, both industry and government are changing, with an increasing focus on interdisciplinary projects and activities.

Many mechanical engineering graduates are not adequately prepared for the future and, as a consequence, are often relegated to more mundane responsibilities. Such an image is not what the profession aspires to, and it diminishes the opportunities for the next generation of mechanical engineers. Clearly, the image of mechanical engineers and the opportunities for them need to be changed, or dynamic young people will select other areas for the pursuit of education and employment in the future.

While mechanical engineering is an international discipline, very little has been done to acquaint students with the international arena. The growth of multinational companies, the outsourcing of manufacturing around the globe, and the importance of participation in global markets necessitates that we address such issues in mechanical engineering.

Working in the international arena requires mechanical engineers to acquire an understanding of different cultures, perceptions, expectations, ethics and professional practices. Although we have become ASME International, chartered task force studies of globalization, espoused our interest in the international arena and established student sections in other countries, very little has been done to move ASME International into the international arena. We should play a key role in setting the standards and providing the path for young professionals to become familiar with the international aspects of engineering and play a key role in the profession over the next decade.

The vision of ASME International is appropriate, timely and forward-looking. However, the attendant philosophies and processes for implementation of the vision have become increasingly cumbersome. As with all large organizations, ASME International has become an increasingly bureaucratic organization, with attendant volunteer concerns as well as budget issues. As a consequence, the organization and structure preclude rapid response to changing technologies and changing needs.

The time has come to streamline ASME International, to provide an organization that is more in tune with the times and more responsive to the needs of a changing technological world. The Board of Governors and Council structure may continue to be appropriate. However, it appears that some of the subcomponents of the Councils are outdated and should be eliminated or combined to accommodate new technologies and new areas that will excite the current membership and attract young professionals.

While mechanical engineering may be perceived as a dead or dying profession, an opportunity and responsibility exists to revitalize our discipline and our profession. Unless we take action, unless we rekindle the excitement needed to attract young professionals, unless we recognize the importance of active involvement in the international arena, unless we restructure ASME International to be responsive to the changes in technology, the profession to which we have devoted our careers and the organization that we have supported over the years could fade into oblivion.

— L.S. "Skip" Fletcher
Past President, ASME

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