EasyLearn: Design Softwares (Mechanical Engineering)

Today, designing is the backbone of any production system. The 3D modelling softwares in the market today (for instance: SolidWorks, Catia, Pro/E, AutoCAD etc) are so advanced that it is now possible to make anything you want. You can stimulate the working of the design too and see, how it goes. One good thing about the available softwares, used in industries, is that they are identical in more than many ways. So, if you learn one, you can operate any with some hands-on that software.

How to learn a Designing Software?

This, in fact, has an obvious answer: Join a Training Institute. But, this is actually not that obvious, though! You learn it today and you don’t practice it tomorrow, don’t go through the capabilities of the software; it will not take long for your training to go in vain. Actually, designing is not a cup of tea. If you have that zeal of learning a designing software, you have that thought process, imaginative power to think about models, then you should go for learning a software. But, if you want to learn a software just for the sake of learning and to elongate your resume, don’t go for it; simple as that! Lots of students ask me which software should he/her go for? This is, in fact, a very good question. Yes, I said at the start that all softwares are nearly the same, but, the user interface is a lot different. The capabilities of few softwares are better than the rest. And this is the reason why industries give preference to a few softwares only. SolidWorks and Pro/Engineering (Pro/E) are the most popular. Both softwares are capable of doing anything for you and are amazingly capable of doing almost anything.

For learning any design software, you need guidance: from a tutor or from a book.

• Sham Tickoo’s is the best book in the market.
• Tutorials are available on YouTube
• Documents related to design are readily available on Scribd
• Practice is really very important. Engineering Design books like: ND Bhatt have a lot of assemblies up for grabs.
• Just clicking here and there in the software is really handy. It tells you the capabilities of the software and the features.
• Help tab in the software is underrated all the time. But, in actuality, it explains all the features offered by the software and the directions regarding its use.

Learning a designing software needs your time, interest and practice. If you have that zeal in you to learn, you will succeed for sure. And believe me, it is the best dimension of Mechanical Engineering course. You will relish the time you spend learning it.

EasyIdea: Project Ideas for Mechanical Engineers

One of the most important dimension of a 4 year degree course is the Project. In the final year of degree, students are required to work on Projects for which they are going to be evaluated too. Most of the students don’t take this seriously and many who does, don’t find an idea to work on. So, in this post, I will explain ‘How to get an Idea?’ & ‘How to work on that Idea?’

How to get an idea?

This is the most important step of a project: ‘the beginning!’ If you get a good idea to start with, it will boost your confidence and your interest in the project will be sky-high. But, the inverse here is also true. If you work on an idea you are not interested in, then you won’t be able to apply your mind and soul into the work at all.

The question is unanswered still: How to get idea? Remember, you are going to become a mechanical engineer and the industrial training you have done at the end of second & third year are most critical for you to discover your interest. In my case, I did my first training from a Thermal Power Plant and the second one in a Manufacturing Plant. Both the fields fascinated me and thereby, I ended up doing two projects in my final year: One a Six Sigma improvement in a Thermal Power Plant, and other, a system design in manufacturing plant. Students thing that they should make the innovative project. Yes, of course this is the best you can do. But, innovation is not the only option you have. Innovations are not planned, remember! Most of the innovations are accidental rather than a planned recipe. Modification, Improvement and Design are three things which are of importance too. Making changes in the already existing systems and making a working model is a very good option actually.

Some Project Ideas

There are a few project ideas which you can think about and work on:

1. Improvements using Six-Sigma (It is your choice what system for improvement you take)
2. System Design Project (In the company where you completed summer training)
3. Capacity Utilization of thermal power plants
4. Hydraulic Ram (Using water as the working fluid)
5. Fabrication of mini Steam Turbine (Using a Pressure Cooker as boiler)
6. Fabrication of Solar Air Cooler
7. Fabrication of Four-wheel Steering system
8. Fabrication of Automotive Thermo-Electric Generator (ATEG)

In all of the above projects, I had involvement. First five I did myself. All the project ideas above are going to be a learning to you in one way or the other.

I will highly recommend you to choose a project related to your Industrial Training. Because you seen by yourself how the stuff was working there. You saw the apparatus in that industry and if you do a project on that Industry, it is going to help you a great deal and the company people can help you out in any difficulty. So, think about it!