Department of Mechanical Engineering

The Department of Mechanical Engineering is an academic unit dedicated to teaching, research, innovation, and community service in the fields of mechanical engineering and related technologies. The department aims to produce competent, innovative, and ethically responsible engineers capable of addressing industrial and societal challenges through the application of scientific principles, engineering design, and modern technologies.

Academic Focus: The department focuses on the fundamental and applied aspects of mechanical engineering, including machine design, manufacturing processes, industrial engineering, automotive engineering, thermal engineering, energy systems, materials engineering, and mechanical systems analysis.

Main Areas of Work:

Teaching and Learning: Delivering undergraduate and postgraduate programs and providing practical, laboratory-based engineering education.
Research and Innovation: Conducting research to solve industrial problems, improve manufacturing productivity, enhance vehicle performance and road safety, and develop sustainable energy technologies.
Laboratory and Workshop Activities: Providing hands-on training in machining, manufacturing, mechanical testing, automotive systems, and computer-aided engineering design.
Community and Industry Engagement: Providing technical consultancy, professional training, technology transfer, and engineering solutions to industries and local communities.
Professional Development: Developing graduates with strong technical, analytical, entrepreneurial, and problem-solving skills to contribute to national development.

The department is committed to advancing engineering knowledge, promoting technological innovation, and supporting sustainable industrial development through quality education, impactful research, and strong collaboration with industry.

Program Description

Mechanical Engineering is a profession that deals with the design, manufacturing, selection, installation, commissioning, operation, and maintenance of all forms of machinery, equipment, and industrial systems. The profession plays a vital role in the establishment and sustainable operation of a nation’s manufacturing industries, transport systems, power generation,construction, and mining industries.

Though the task which professional mechanical engineers are to undertake are inexhaustible for this list, some are listed here;

Product design, development and manufacturing;
Industrial plant design, equipment selection, plant erection, commissioning, operation and maintenance;
Industrial gas- and water-supply system/component design;
Automotive and construction equipment design and maintenance;
Energy conversion system/component design, installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance;
Heating, refrigeration, air-conditioning system/components design, installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance;
Industrial project design and evaluation;
Project management;
Factory and technical service management in the capacity of general manager, technical manager, operation manager, maintenance manager, and sales manager.

Rationale, Objectives, Outcome of the Program

Objectives

Responding to the need for rapid industrialization and the changing societal needs of the country for sustainable development.
Cultivating the full potential of students, and the advancement of all forms of knowledge keeping in pace with international standards of academic quality, including the high skilled employment needs presented by a growing economy operating in global environment.
To enable graduates to meet the challenges of the engineering profession in a rapidly changing environment that exists in a developing country like Ethiopia.

Program Outcome

Due to his/her strong background, a B.Sc. mechanical engineering graduate can accomplish
the following tasks after a brief period of on-job training:

Represent machine and parts drawing manually and/or with CAD software
Understand operating principles of machinery and systems and prepare specification
Design small machinery, piping and other systems
Conduct strength analysis of machine components
Plan production process and assembly of parts
Determine and optimize production costs
Determine lay-out of machinery and supervise machinery installation.
Manage maintenance of equipment
Control quality of products
Optimize energy utilization in plants
Manage operation of thermal power plants, renewable energy conversion systems and HVAC systems
Design, develop, operate, and maintain rolling stocks.