MATLAB – The ultimate skill for Mechanical Engineers
MATLAB is a popular tool in our engineering life. It is a user-friendly matrix-based programming platform for engineers and scientist. Its easy to analyse feature help develop algorithms to create unlimited applications. SIMULINK platform is a block diagram environment for multi-domain simulations and Model-based design. Today, the focus is on how a mechanical engineer can make use of MATLAB to build a career.
In mechanical engineering, strength of materials and the failures occurring in the materials is an importance concept. Comparing this to education, if you keep learning your theory subjects in 4 years of engineering, it is your strength. But you will know your failures only when you sit for placements or appear competitive exams like GATE. Lack of skill is a major concern amongst today’s youth. Skill cannot merely be gained through concepts. Therefore, it needs practice and effort to gain a specific skill.
Mechanical engineers and MATLAB
Mechanical Engineers require MATLAB to analyse problems in basic engineering mechanics, vibrations, control system, statistics and dynamics of different circuits. MATLAB is probably the all-rounder tool for simulations, programming, graphs, measurement & automation and statistics for an engineer. Here are some areas where MATLAB and SIMULINK plays a vital role: –
- Kinetics, Kinematics and complete dynamic system of Automotive suspensions: – The toolbox consists of functions that deal primarily with homogeneous transforms and their Lie algebra. It has a set of functions for interacting with serial link kinematic structures.
- Thermal systems: – Thermodynamics based applications in automotive, aerospace and industrial control. Thermolib is the thermodynamic and thermo-chemical tool that seamlessly integrate into the MATLAB and Simulink environment. One of the feature is to calculate real gas behavior based on the Peng-Robinson EOS.
- Finite Element Analysis: – FEA deals with the stiffness matrix. Manually assembling the matrix might be hectic and time-consuming. MATLAB makes it easier to assemble the stiffness matrix, giving you time to concentrate on other domains.
- Robotics: – MATLAB helps to solve rotational and translational matrices with ease which forms the major part in robotics. MATLAB is used to design and tune algorithms in robotics and model AI based real-time system.
- Graphical User Interface: – GUIs provide a point-and-click control of software applications. This eliminates the need for others to learn a language or type commands to run the application. We can create a simple app interactively and programically.
MATLAB provides SIMULINK platform
SIMULINK provides various models such as mechanical, hydraulic, thermal and isothermal liquid models, two phase fluid models, gas models, moist air model etc. One can model the entire control of mechanical system using MATLAB and SIMULINK. With MATLAB 2D, 3D and surface plots can also be created faster. Whether you are a thermal engineer performing auto cycle simulations or an automobile engineer doing vehicle dynamic simulation, MATLAB is easy and can be used to do computational project for every subject you learn. Hence, Mechanical engineers of Design and manufacturing field use MATLAB and Simulink heavily. You would be surprised to know that MATLAB also forms the based for different CAD software as well as designing software just like SOLIDWORKS. As, it is easier to learn and use MATLAB, it is widely accessible to the students in the form of free and paid versions.
The above image is taken from the Mathworks File Exchange which represents a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tool developed using MATLAB CFD Simulation GUI tool. Using this one can determine incompressible viscous fluid flows, simulate laminar and turbulent flows, determine heat transfer as well as perform time-dependent analysis. So, this was one such example of how MATLAB is important for mechanical engineers. File Exchange provides numerous domain of MATLAB projects in all fields of engineering and interdisciplinary fields.
Requirement in the Industry
As we are moving towards automation, core companies are looking for mechanical engineers who can integrate their technical knowledge with an automation tool. Numerous job opportunities are available for a mechanical engineer specialised in MATLAB. Also, Software companies like Google and Facebook hire Mechanical/Thermal engineers to ensure efficient and safe thermal management of their database and cluster computers in their respective companies.
- Apple Inc. is looking for a User-Interface (UI) and User-Interaction (UX) focused Mechanical Engineer to design new input device products, subsystems, and modules to support the Mac and iOS product lines specialised in MATLAB. Here is the link to apply: –
https://jobs.apple.com/en-us/details/200161280/product-design-engineer-input-devices?team=HRDWR
- Narayana Nethralaya is hiring talented individuals for image processing. Key skills required are MATLAB and basic coding skills.
- Lam Research is hiring individuals’ expertise in conceptualization, modelling, analysis, development, documentation, and test/validation of hardware associated with new semiconductor equipment.
- Mathworks is looking for mechanical engineers for application support and collaborative project work with other departments. https://www.mathworks.com/company/jobs/opportunities/12188-engineer-in-engineering-development-group-mechanical-engr
- Mercedes Benz is hiring trucks and bus engineer for model-based validation and development. https://in.linkedin.com/jobs/search?keywords=Simulink&location=India&trk=public_jobs_jobs-search-bar_search-submit¤tJobId=1796818379&position=3&pageNum=0
- Quest Global is looking for controls engineer in modelling and simulation with expertise in MATLAB and Simulink with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical or automation engineering. https://in.linkedin.com/jobs/search?keywords=Simulink&location=India&trk=public_jobs_jobs-search-bar_search-submit¤tJobId=1761250153&position=4&pageNum=0
Payscale.com survey confirms that the basic mechanical engineer salary with MATLAB skills may vary from INR 5,00,000 – 5,80,000 per annum in India while internationally it begins from $40,000 per annum. The typical MathWorks Software Engineer salary is ₹10,33,333. Hence, a B-tech degree with a specific MATLAB skill would fetch a lot of job opportunities as well as higher studies opportunitie