Design Terminology
Architectural Engineering: The integration of architecture, engineering, research and design for the purpose of creating high-functioning, cost effective and aesthetically pleasing structures for society.
Civil Engineering: The design, construction, and maintenance of public works such as bridges, roads, dams, airports, and railways, as well as the protection of the environment through urban and rural planning.
Material Science: The study of the atomic and molecular structures of materials such as metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites and how their properties can be manipulated to create new materials with improved characteristics.
Manufacturing Engineering: The application of engineering principles to the manufacture and assembly of industrial components, equipment and systems.
Mechatronics: An interdisciplinary field of engineering which combines elements of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, telecommunications, control engineering and artificial intelligence.
Statics: The branch of mechanics that deals with the equilibrium of bodies and systems under the action of forces.
Dynamics: The branch of mechanics which studies the motion of bodies subjected to forces.
Kinematics: The branch of mechanics that studies the motion of bodies without reference to the forces that cause them.
Thermodynamics: The branch of physics which studies the relationships between energy, work and heat.
Elementary Mechanics: The physical laws governing the motion of bodies, from which deduce various practical problems such as density, pressure, fatigue, and force.
Fluid Mechanics: The branch of science which studies the behavior of fluids and their interactions with solid objects.
Strength of Materials: The study of how materials withstand loads, stresses, and deformations.
Heat Transfer: The study of movements of heat between two systems.
Energy Conversion: The branch of physics which studies the conversion of work, heat and other forms of energy into each other.
Acoustics: The scientific study of sound and its wavelength, frequency, intensity, velocity and other properties.
Aerodynamics: The study of the behavior of the interaction of air and solid objects moving through it.
Optics: The study of the behavior of light, including its reflection and refraction.
Automation: The use of computers, robots, and other machinery to reduce human labor in manufacturing processes.
Nanotechnology: The manipulation of matter at the atomic and molecular level to create devices and materials with new and improved properties.
Computer Aided Design (CAD): The use of computers to create, analyze, and modify designs.
Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM): The use of computers to automate and optimize the manufacturing process.
Robotics: The application of computers and automated machinery to manipulate and control materials, machines, and processes.
Rapid Prototyping: The use of digital data and 3D printing technology to quickly fabricate a physical model of a part or assembly.
Finite Element Analysis (FEA): A computer aided engineering software used to analyze the behavior of structures and materials under various conditions.
Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM): The use of computers to integrate the various aspects of the manufacturing process, such as design, production, and quality control.
User Interface Design (UID): The use of graphical elements, menus, interfaces, and other visual elements to guide the user through a system or program.
