Introduction
The Department of Mechanical Engineering was established in 1990 as one of the fundamental majors the university has focused on in the early years of ISU (formerly known as Kaohsiung Polytechnic Institute) to meet the government policy and the need of the industry. The department was renamed the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering in 2003 to better reflect the courses and training we offered. Currently, the department enrolls 10 graduate students, and 100 undergraduate students (in two classes) every year. Our dynamic faculty is composed of 3 professors, 8 associate professors and 1 assistant professor with doctoral degrees, and 1 lecturer with a master's degree; all of whom serve as advisors to our undergraduate and graduate students. All faculty members are engaged in research projects, usually externally funded, that produce leading contributions to engineering and science.
Overview of Mechanical and Automation Engineering
Mechanical and automation engineering is a broad discipline with applications in most industries. A mechanical engineer applies principles of mechanics, mathematics, dynamics, and energy technologies to the design, analysis, testing, and manufacturing of consumer and industrial products. He or she usually has specialized knowledge in areas such as design, materials, fluid dynamics, solid mechanics, heat transfer, thermodynamics, dynamics, control systems, manufacturing methods, and human factors. Applications of mechanical engineering include the design of machines used in manufacturing and processing industries, mechanical components of electronic and data processing equipment, engines and power-generating equipment, components and vehicles for land, sea, air, and space, and artificial components for the human body. Mechanical engineers are employed throughout the engineering community as individual consultants in small firms providing specialized products or services, and as designers and managers in large corporations.
Mechanical engineers with a specialization in Power Systems and Thermal Design are concerned with energy utilization and thermal environment control. The design of power and propulsion systems (power plants, engines) and their components is a major activity. Thermal environment control requires the design of thermal control systems having heat pumps, heat pipes, heat exchangers, thermal insulation, and ablation heat shields. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), vacuum technology, cryogenics and solar thermal energy are other areas to which the mechanical engineer contributes.
Mechanical engineers with a specialization in Automation Engineering Systems-Design and Control and in Manufacturing are the backbone of any industry. They participate in the conception, design, and manufacture of a commercial product as is found in the automotive, aerospace, chemical or electronics industries, etc. With a specialization in System Design and Automatic Control, mechanical engineers become ideal candidates for employment in automation engineering and other related industries.
The B.S. program in Mechanical and Automation Engineering at ISU provides excellent preparation for a career in mechanical engineering and a foundation for advanced graduate studies. Graduate studies in one of the specialized fields of mechanical engineering prepare students for a career at the forefront of technology.
Research and Teaching
The department concentrates its research on the areas of automatic control technologies, manufacturing technologies, and energy engineering, and emphasizes the area of mechanical-electrical integration.
The teaching philosophy of this Department is to cultivate future mechanical engineers with both theoretical and practical backgrounds as well as researchers for future advanced study. Along with the goal of teaching, the courses offered by the Department concentrate on theoretical knowledge and are further enhanced by hands-on practices while the emphasis on teaching philosophy is somehow different for the students of the division of continuing education in which practical knowledge is emphasized to fulfill students’needs. Therefore, the department has been working heavily on a goal to stimulate students’ potential in terms of practical capabilities as well as academic research in mechanical engineering. As a result, students are constantly encouraged to participate in various research activities supervised by the faculty members of the department. Due to our joint faculty/student efforts, the graduates of this department have shown professional proficiency at work and gained high recognition from the industry.
The mechanical engineering courses are taught based on both conventional theories and experimental training, also assisted with some practical courses such as automatic control and applications of computer technologies. Other than teaching, the faculty members of the department are also heavily engaged in collaborative research with the industry, government, and educational institutes, such as the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education, the Kaohsiung City Government as well as other civil sectors, and fruitful results have been realized. The research areas in progress include cogeneration, energy engineering, IC packaging, precision manufacture for the aerospace industry, electromechanical integration, automobile electronics nanotechnology, fuel cells and fuel-saving car technologies. Future collaborative research in preparation includes an international technology-exchange enhancement program and a mutual visiting/research program with some of the prestigious universities in China such as Sichuan University and Xi'an Jiaotong University.
Curriculum and Facilities
The elective courses of the Department are grouped into four different specific areas: (1)Solid Mechanics: Advanced Material Mechanics, Vibrations, Composite Materials, and Advanced Machine Design. (2)Thermal-Fluid Engineering: Microfluid Machinery, Combustion, Advanced Fluid Mechanics, Thermal-hydraulics, Cooling Technology for Electronic System, Fuel Cells, Aerodynamics, Gas Dynamics, Jet Propulsion, and Computational Fluid Dynamics. (3)Design and Manufacture: CAD/CAM/CAE, RE/RP, Machine Design Practice, Finite Element Methods, IC Packaging, and Cutting Technologies. (4)Control: Dynamic System Analysis, Electrical-Machinery, Robotics, Pneumatic and Hydraulic Engineering, Micro-Process Technologies, Instrumentation and Measurements, and Digital Control.
Other than the courses listed above, students can also take courses in Applied Electronics, Japanese, Industrial Management, C Language Programs, Advanced Engineering Mathematics (III), and Special Topic Seminars. The department also provides an industrial-oriented Semiconductor Packaging career program for senior students.
The University library has a fine collection of books and periodicals on mechanical and automation engineering. Students also have easy access to various administrative assistance such as computer graphics and other software. Currently, the research facilities of the Department include one machine shop and eleven laboratories designed for Parallel computer and Machine Design, Multifunction computer, Advanced Material Science, Solid Mechanics, Electronic Assembly, IC Packaging, Precision Manufacturing, Fuel Cell and Wind Tunnel, Microfluid Machinery, Thermal-Fluid Mechanics, CFD, Energy Management, Control, Pneumatic Hydraulics, and Automation Design.
Career Development
Based on the professional knowledge through theoretical and practical training, the graduates of this department are well capable of performing professional activities in the employment of mechanical engineers, researchers, and managerial staff as described below: (1) Production Department: Planning of Production Process, Production Control, Quality Control, Factory Management, and Facility Maintenance. (2) Design Department: Designing of Machinery Production, and Factory Facilities. (3) R & D Department: Performance Test/Analysis/Assessment/ Improvement of Products, Development of Product Innovation, and Market Investigation. (4) Integrated Logistic Support Department: Storage, Packing &Transportation, Facility Construction, Technical Information, Maintainability, Reliability and Safety. Other than a professional career, the graduates of this Department are also engaged in pursuing advanced (master's and doctoral) degrees in related fields domestically or overseas.