Department of Mechanical Engineering

• Introduction
• Teaching
• Research
• Extension and outreach

Introduction

Since 1966, the Department of Mechanical Engineering (DIMEC, in Spanish) has dedicated itself to educating Civil Engineer Mechanics that demonstrate skills in basic and engineering sciences, analytical and experimental abilities, knowledge of the current national context and its economic makeup, creativity and ethics, in addition to oral and written communication skills and languages.

The DIMEC contributes to the creation of science and technology in the nation, connecting educational projects and research with the requirements of a changing industrial society.

Teaching

Since its beginning, the Department of Mechanical Engineering has invested significant efforts and resources in developing its academic domain so that its graduates possess a high level of engineering science fundamentals, allowing them to work as a projects and design engineer. Apart from the degree, the department issues a Masters for professional development in the area, providing initial training for new scholars, and within the framework of the school academic training program. In this framework, its academics are integrated into the faculty of the PhD program in Fluid Dynamics and Material Sciences.

• Bachelor of Civil and Mechanical Engineering: Graduates possess the pertinent professional skills necessary for conceiving, evaluating, designing, formulating, projecting, administering, operating and maintaining systems, equipment and processes within their respective fields of discipline, participating in multidisciplinary groups on large-scale projects in a variety of technological areas. He/she learns to apply modern techniques for modeling and simulation, calculation and design, performing management and supervisory activities in business environments, providing technical-economic assessment, diagnostics, project engineering, consulting and advising.

• Master of Civil Engineering Mechanics: The goal of the program is to train graduates at the highest level who themselves are able to teach at the university level and carry out research in the discipline. At the same time, they will be prepared to act as directors and producers of technologically innovative projects that require the creation or adaptation of technology in the area of Mechanical Engineering.

Research

In the DIMEC, research is developed in the following principal areas:

• Mechanics and Computational Methods: Here, a variety of disciplines converge that are developed within our department: Solids Mechanics, Fluid Mechanics, Structure Mechanics, Biomechanics, Mechanic Phenomenon Modeling and Computational Mechanics.

• Robotics, Control and Instrumentation: Develops theoretical and experimental research in design based models, Automation of Design, Robotics, Artificial Life, Rapid Prototyping, Digital Fabrication, Dynamic Systems, Control of Vibration mechanics.

• Energy and Thermosciences: Conducts theoretical and experimental research in Heat Transference, Energy Conversion, Fluid Mechanics, Turbulence, Control flow, Fluid-Structural interaction and Computational Modeling.

• Manufacture, Materials, Design: Study the microstructural property relationships of composite materials, with an emphasis on the effect of variables of the fabrication process over the mechanical behavior of materials at room temperature and high temperatures. The methodology includes both numeric and experimental techniques. Special attention is given to the understanding of the mechanisms that operate to reinforce materials, such as the probabilistic resistance of ductile and fragile materials. Within this realm there also studies developing on electro-erosive machining, electrochemical machining, plasma-hardening and rapid prototyping techniques supported by CAD/CAM.

Extension and outreach

The DIMEC conducts a multitude of educational, scientific and dissemination activities by means of seminars, outreach talks, etc. It also organizes the yearly "Mechanical Week", which features a number of activities, community talks and lectures.