2. Mechanical engineering today. The role of components

Today, Mechanical Engineering is concerned with processes and products that make up a significant part of our environment. Designing, producing, testing, validating, operating, maintaining and recycling are all stages in which Mechanical Engineering engineers must apply their skills to achieve excellence.

Whatever the sector, mechanical processes are used to shape and assemble products: machining, sheet metal working, forging, casting, welding, fastening, gluing. These products are components that perform elementary mechanical functions such as immobilization, elastic connections, guidance, sealing, braking, motion or power transmission. Beyond these elementary functions, mechanical components are integrated into mechanical systems, and assembled in interaction to form a homogeneous whole in order to produce more complex products such as equipment, machines, means...