Necessary guideline before initate the project:

The object of Project Work I is to enable the student to take up investigative study in the broad field of Mechanical Engineering, either fully theoretical/practical or involving both theoretical and practical work to be assigned by the Department on an individual basis or two/three students in a group, under the guidance of a Supervisor. This is expected to provide a good initiattion for the student(s) in R&D work. The assignment to normally include:

• Survey and study of published literature on the assigned topic;
• Working out a preeliminary Approach to the Problem relating to the assigned topic;
• Conducting preliminary Analysis/Modelling/Simulation/Experiment/Design/Feasibility;
• Preparing a Written Report on the Study conducted for presentation to the Department;
• Final Seminar, as oral Presentation before a Departtmental Committtee

To solve the problems involving drawings, designs, manufacturing, installation, testing and maintenance of machines. In order to cultivate the systematic methodology for problem solving using acquired technical knowledge & skills, and to enhance the generic skills & professional skills.

The student will be able to-

1. Identify, analyze & define the problem.

2. Generate alternative solutions to the problem identified.

3. Compare & select feasible solutions from alternatives generated.

4. Design develops, manufacture & operate equipment/program.

5. Acquire higher-level technical knowledge by studying recent development in mechanical engineering field.

6. Compare machines/devices/apparatus for performance practices.

7. Work effectively in a team

A batch of maximum 4 students will select a problem and then plan, organize & execute the project work of solving the problem in a specified duration. Student is expected to apply the knowledge & skills acquired. Batch may select any one problem/project work from following categories.

a) Fabrication of small machine / devices/ test rigs/ material handling devices/ jig & fixtures/ demonstration models, etc. Report involving aspects of drawing, process sheets, costing, Installation, commissioning & testing should be prepared and submitted.

b) Design & fabrication of mechanisms, machines, Devices, etc. Report involving aspects of designing & fabricating should be prepared & submitted .

c) Development of computer program for designing and /or drawing of machine components, Simulation of movement & operation, 3D modelling, pick & place robots etc.

d) Industry sponsored projects- project related with solving the problems identified by industry should be selected. One person / engineer from industry is expected to work as co- guide along with guide from institution.

e) Literature survey based projects: Project related with collection tabulation, classification, analysis & presentation of the information. Topic selected must be related with latest  technological developments in mechanical or mechatronics field, and should not be a part of diploma curriculum. Report should be of min 60 pages.

f) Investigative projects- Project related with investigations of causes for change in performance or structure of machine or component under different constraints through experimentation and data analysis.

g) Maintenance based projects: The institute may have some machine/ equipment/ system which are lying idle due to lack of maintenance. Students may select the specific machines/equipment/system. Overhaul it, repair it and bring it to working condition. The systematic procedure for maintenance to be followed and the report of the activity are submitted.

h) Industrial engineering based project: Project based on work study, method study, methods improvement, leading to productivity improvement, data collection, data analysis and data interpretation be undertaken.

i) Low cost automation projects: Project based on hydraulic/pneumatic circuits resulting into low cost automated equipment useful in the identified areas.

j) Innovative/ Creative projects – Projects related with design, develop & implementation of new concept for some identified useful activity using PLC, robotics, non-conventional energy sources, CIM , mechatronics, etc.

k) Environmental management systems projects: Projects related with pollution control, Solid waste management, liquid waste management, Industrial hygiene, etc, Working model or case study should be undertaken.

l) Market research/ survey based projects: Projected related with identification of extent of demand, sales forecasting, Comparative study of marketing strategies, Comparative study of channels of distribution, Impact of variables on sales volume, etc. The project involves extensive survey & market research activities information to be collected through various  mechanisms/tools & report is prepared.

m) Project based on use of appropriate technology particularly benefiting rural society or economically weaker section.

n) Project can be selected other than the area specified above. Project should provide viable and feasible solution to the problem identified. Report should be of min 50 pages.

           

How to Prepare for General Awareness in SSC EXAM ?

Step 1:
First go though the syllabus of general awareness which is same for all Exams conducted by SSC.
Syllabus:
Questions in this component will be aimed at testing the candidates general awareness of the environment around him and its application to society. Questions will also be designed to test knowledge of current events and of such matters of every day observations and experience in their scientific aspect as may be expected of any educated person. The test will also include questions relating to India and its neighbouring countries especially pertaining
• History,
• Culture,
• Geography,
• Economic Scene,
• General Policy & Scientific Research,
• Current Affairs.
Step 2 :
The pattern of General Awareness asked in previous exam with individual topics are generally from three broad section :
•General Science : This section covers around 35-40% question mainly from Topics Biology, Physics, Computers, Chemistry, Daily Science etc. Out of these around 20-25% question are from Biology alone.
•Current Affairs : This section covers around 10% from areas like recent development in Sports, Awards, Politics, International happening etc. Few question from Finance and Banking also asked in previous exams.
•Miscellaneous : There are few question asked from this section. This section has around 8-10% weightage in the exam. This section covers areas like National schemes, Unusual GK question, Book Name and writer, question from logical analysis,important days etc.
•Static Way : Question in this section asked from static areas like Indian Politics, History and culture, Economy, Geography etc. This section have around 45-50% weightage in GS question.
Step 3:
Strategies to prepare for above sections :
•General Science : Best way to Prepare General science is to refer NCERT science books from class 7 to 10.you can also buy Lucent's General science.
•Current Affairs : For curent affairs you can read pratiyogita darpan, competition in focus etc(of your choice) of the last 12 months.
•Miscellaneous : For Miscellaneous section refer any general knowledge book(lucent,ari
hant) which is given in the last of the book.
•Static Way :
# Indian polity : For indian polity refer books like Indian Polity by M.Laxmikanth ,Pratiyogita darpan indian polity and NCERT books from class 7 to 12.
# Indian history and culture: For indian history and culture refer NCERT books from class 7 to 12,Indian history(Arihant),lucent G.k etc.
# Indian Economy: Refer NCERT class 11,PD(Pratiyogita Darpan) indian Economy.
# Indian geography: PD(pratiyogita darpan) indian Geography and NCERT books from class 7 to 12 etc.
Step 4:
Mainly question are asked from General Science, Current Affairs and Static Way, put your effort at these three section maximum.
NOTE : DONT DEPENDS ENTIRELY ON LUCENT'S GENERAL KNOWLEDGE. SO BETTER TO STUDY IN DETAIL AND STRATEGY WISE SO THAT YOU CAN GET EASILY AROUND 40 MARKS(MINIMUM).
Thanks guys.

How can one get good marks in engineering services exam's conventional paper?

For acquiring maximum possible marks ( 70-80% of indicated marks)  in a question you may follow some basic rules

• Write all the given data with unit indicated.
• Write all the assumptions related to The theory or concept on which the answer is based.
• While solving numerical always indicate the formula you ve applied.
• If possible give the line diagram for numerical.
• While writing theory questions draw the diagram without any criss crosses. Use proper scale . no rough. Its ESE not semester.
• Use black or green pens along with blue . it creates good impression.
• Underline important fact in the answer.
• Always write the unit of answer you get. Mandatory!! 
• Write the answers, step by step in tidy manner to give an impressive presentation and by doing this the candidate will not miss the essential points and formulae. If some diagram is required try to make well labelled and neat diagram with freehand sketch. You will get the credit for orderly, effective, and exact expression combined with due economy of words in the conventional papers of the examination.
• Write formulae in the numerical, S.I units of concerned quantities and answers as well. Steps to enhance your performance:-

Remember these steps can only be taken if you've practiced a hell lot of time. So that's most important to develop a habit in same manner while preparation.

ESE is all about choosing the best candidate among all. So make sure give your best.
Good luck !!

IES all I know; How to start!

By Aditi Saini

This is for people who are still in their colleges or even jobs and don't have time/money for coaching. IES is not only for coaching guys,i truly believe that!

1) Take a print of ESE your branch syllabus and paste it on your wall. Memorize it.  It is work half done. (Don't ignore or skip it! Please )

2) Buy a thin formula copy, color pens and a thicker ones for each subject.

3) Preferable pattern:

1. Read Notes: First reading,casually. It takes time to absorb the new words. In second reading,try to associate technical words with their meaning. In third refine, go deeper find the implications,applicability of the concept.
2. Read book. Notes only give simplified version.Books is where you build your knowledge.Follow the rule of repeated reading given in step 1.
3. Write concepts in your own words (Notes copy). This is the most crucial step,where you internalise the knowledge gained and put it into tangible form. Consider it your memory/thought tank from Harry potter.
4. Attack solved questions(with your own bare hands and calculators,no cheating) Got struck? Don't worry, Go to step 3,2,1,in same order. Update your own notes copy,if you find anything missing. Look at the solved question,compare.
5. Write formulas/units/tips down( Formula copy) Again a vital component of your preparation. Without formula copy,you are a soldier in foreign territory without a map. You might not use it or read it but you can explore it whenever you get lost.
6. Try to solve unsolved questions. We read,we forget,we write,we forget, but we do, we remember. Visualise the neural connections in your brain being made when you struggle with the application of the concepts you just read. These will help you fight questions in exam.
7. Mark the ones you find interesting These are your enemies which will destroy you in battlefield until conquered. Encounter them,before you go to battlefield. After all you want to save time for new enemies in exam.

At any point if time,don't get frustrated. Pick up yourself and hit again,this time real hard,harder than the last time.

Perseverance is the key.

 

Okay, one more quote I read which helped me in my preparation.

Support

Five Reasons Why Research Is Important

Learning to do research is an integral part of a person's education. Finding reasons why research is important may seem like a no-brainer. But not a few would want to avoid doing so. The lazy, if not mentallydrained, student could say, "Not again." And a disinterested academic could just be doing it for promotion purposes. Yet, for those who like to learn - whether or not they are members of a learning institution -doing research is not just an imperative, but a need. What reasons could drive one to appreciate research and engage in doing it?

 

 Even with the Internet, reading books is still important to doing research.

 1. A Tool for Building Knowledge

Research is required not just for students and academics, but for all professionals. It is also important for budding and veteran writers, both offline and online. For those looking for a job, research is likewise a necessity.

Among professionals and scribes, finding an interesting topic to discuss and/or to write about should go beyond personal experience. Determining either what the general public may want to know about or what researchers want them to realize can serve as a reason to do research.

 The Brain Research Trust acknowledges the importance of research. Undoubtedly, it is crucial to studying and finding possible cures for diseases, as well as how to prevent them. Thus, research becomes a must to ascertain if one’s ideas are supported by previous studies or if these ideas still need proof to be considered as knowledge

Furthermore, in developing new products and services, companies invest in research and development (R&D), as these play a critical role in innovation. R&D also helps secure a vantage point over competitors. Finding out how to make things happen and what could differentiate them from similar stuff can raise the company’s market value. Such improved commercial image can help

boost both its productivity and profitability

The unemployed could also benefit from doing research, for it could lead them not just to find potential employers, but if these are legitimate job offers. Without research, the gullible, yet hopeful jobseeker may fall prey to unscrupulous headhunters who could be involved in illegal recruitment and/or human trafficking.

 2. Means to Understand Various Issues

 Television shows and movies ooze with research - both on the part of the writer(s) and the actors. Though there are hosts who rely on their researchers, there are also those who exert effort to do their own research. This helps them get information that hired researchers missed, build a good rapport with the interviewee, and conduct a good interview in the process.

 For their part, some film and TV actors would take time to interview detectives, boxers, scientists, business people, criminals, and teachers, among others. Others would even immerse themselves in situations that would make them understand social and personal issues like living behind bars or in a drug rehabilitation center. Many would read literature, biographies, or journals to have a better view or context of the story.

 As what Terry Freedman says in "The Importance of Research for ICT Teachers (2011): "Research can shed light on issues we didn’t even know existed, and can raise questions we hadn’t realised even needed asking." Thus, almost all writers of imaginary and non-fictive tales also do research because doing so helps them create a good story and/or achieve strong credibility as an academic.  The Internet provides people a convenient way to do research.

3. A Way to Prove Lies and to Support Truths

 Ever experienced feeling that your mate is having an affair behind your back? Some people would overlook that and say that it's better not to know; others though would take discreet action, hiring detectives to do the work. What does research have to do with that situation? A lot.

Doing research to reveal lies or truths involving personal affairs contributes in either making a relationship work or in breaking away from a dysfunctional one. For the monogamous lot, doing research to disprove or prove infidelity is not simply a trust issue, but a right to find out the truth - unless one's intimate partner has already admitted being polyamorous even before the relationship started. When s/he dislikes answering relationship-related questions, including her/his whereabouts, it is better to see that as a red flag and take baby steps to save yourself from what could become a more serious emotional mess later.

 Scientists also deal with research to test the validity and reliability of their claims or those of other scientists'. Their integrity and competence depend on the quality - and not just quantity - of their research. Nonetheless, not everything scientists come up with get accepted or learned by everyone, especially when factors like religion, state suppression, and access to resources and social services like education and adequate health programs either feed the poor majority with lies or deter them from knowing truths to preserve the status quo.

4. A Seed to Love Reading, Writing, Analyzing, and Sharing Valuable     Information

 Research entails both reading and writing. These two literacy  functions help enable computation and comprehension. Without these skills, it is less likely for anyone to appreciate and get involved in research. Reading opens the mind to a vast horizon of knowledge, while writing helps a reader use her/his own perspective and transform this into a more concrete idea that s/he understands.

 Apart from reading and writing, listening and speaking are also integral in conducting research. Interviews, attending knowledge-generating events, and casual talks with anyone certainly aid in formulating research topics. They can also facilitate the critical thinking process. Listening to experts discuss the merits of their studies helps the listener to analyze a certain issue and write about such analysis.

 With the vast array of ideas available, scholars and non-scholars involved in research are able to share information with a larger audience. Some view this process as ego-boosting, while others see it as a means to stimulate interest and encourage further studies about certain issues or situations.

 As literacy is integral in improving a person's social and economic mobility and in increasing awareness, research then hones necessary basic life skills and makes learning a life-long endeavor

5. Nourishment and Exercise for the Mind

 Curiosity may kill not just the cat, but the human as well. Yet, it is the same curiosity that fuels the mind to seek for answers. The College Admissions Partners (n.d.) notes how scientific research in particular "helps students develop critical reasoning skills...helpful for any field of higher education..." Such search or the thinking process is food for the brain, allowing creativity and logic to remain active. It also helps prevent mental illnesses like Alzheimer's.

 Indeed, research and doing research encourage people to explore possibilities, to understand existing issues, and to disclose truths and fabricated ones. Without research, technological advancement and other developments could have remained a fantasy. Reading, writing, observing, analyzing, and interacting with others facilitate an inquisitive mind's quest for knowledge. Research serves as an instrument to achieve that goal.

    Ways to Improve Research Skills

 Are you interested in further developing your ability to do research? There are several steps to do it.

 One of the easiest ways to know more about research is to read hard copy and electronic books about it. If you do not have a computer with Internet connection, you can go to the library, a nearby bookstore, or ask a close friend or relative to lend you her/his smartphone or laptop so you could look for books or articles about research. 

If you have access to the Internet, you can watch online tutorial videos on this topic. High school students can learn from this presentation, for instance:

 

    Research Basics for High School Students by Journal Storage (JSTOR)

For those who intend to be full-fledged researchers, you might want to attend training-seminars, workshops, and conferences aimed at deepening your knowledge and honing your skills in doing research. These events are conducted by various organizations, particularly universities and "think tank" agencies. Use search engines to look for these opportunities, as well as for scholarships that could help you finance your participation in these activities.

 You might also consider searching for reputable researchers in your field of interest, especially if you plan to pursue postgraduate studies. You could email an academic, a scientist, or another professional to inquire about their opinion on your thesis or dissertation topic. Having a research mentor can help you gain a broader understanding of what research is all about.

 Another way is to watch films and read different kinds of books, fiction and otherwise. These sources can ignite your curiosity and drive you to seek more information. You might want to jot down notes about the topics discussed and/or what you've learned. You might wonder why this is part of the research process. Watching movies, reading books, and writing various stuff hone your comprehension and ability to analyze. These can improve your vocabulary and aid you in finding your voice as a researcher.

Things every Mechanical Engineer must know

1. NEVER loan out your copies of: Machinery’s Handbook Shigley’s Mechanical  Engineering Design Making Things Move: DIY Mechanisms for Inventors, Hobbyists, and Artists (okay this one is a shameless plug, but my friend told me it’s “destined to be be a classic of sorts” so you can blame him)

2. Project planning follows the rule of pi. Take how much time you think you can complete something in, multiply it by pi, and that will be the actual length of time it takes.

3. Parkinson’s Law: Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. Don’t give yourself too much time for a project or it will never get done. Speaking of done, check out The Cult of Done Manifesto. If it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would ever get done.

4. Everything is a spring.

5. If it moves and it shouldn’t, use duct tape. If it doesn’t move and it should, use WD-40.

6. Document everything you do. Someone will ask you to justify your design at some point, and “it kind of sort of looked right” is never a good answer. This is especially true on collaborative projects. The group will forget who did what and it will make going back and changing things that much harder.

7. Design is an iterative process. The necessary number of iterations is one more than the number you have currently done. This is true at any point in time.

8. Ask questions. If you don’t know something, say so. Your credibility as an engineer lies not in being infinitely intelligent, but in knowing how to get at the right resources to figure it out. If you cheat, people will die.

9. Designing for disassemble is just as important as design for assembly. It will never work the first time you put it together. Oh, and make sure that everywhere there is a screw, there is a place for a screwdriver to install it. And for a hand to fit around said screwdriver.

10. Business will always be a part of engineering. Don’t work for free (unless you really want to) and don’t work without a contract. Don’t design a better mousetrap THEN expect someone to want it. The products that sell the best are not necessarily the ones that are technologically superior.

11. Design is based on requirements. There’s no justification for designing something one bit “better” than the requirements dictate. Better is the enemy of good enough. Get it done then go play outside.

12. Engineering is done with numbers. Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

13. Be friendly and talk to your machinist and/or shop techs. You may have a fancier title or degree, but that does not make you better. A short conversation on how to make a part more easily machinable/moldable/etc. can save thousands of dollars and make you both look good. You may even learn something.

 

Classes every mechanical engineer should take.

The first class is machining, which should be fairly apparent from my title. I think all mechanical engineering students should learn how to machine something. Or, as MEs say, learn how to make chips. There are several reasons for this.

1. Mechanical engineers should be able to build things and know how things are built. In the real world, MEs probably aren’t going to be machining parts 24/7. However, they should know how something is machined and what processes they can use to machine stuff to better design parts/components/systems etc. It also will give MEs an appreciation for good designs that are easily machined.
2. Machining doesn’t require advanced math/physics skills. If students are coming in without AP credit and are following the course schedule, their first two to three semesters are Calc I, Calc II, Calc III, Physics I, Physics II, Chem, Writing, etc. For basic machining, you don’t need any of that. A machining course is perfect for a 1st year class because it has no prerequisites. And, it’s not a course that’s time consuming outside of class, relative to the Calcs, Physics, and Chems. So it’s not going to over-burden students.
3. It’s a good class to retain students or even draw students into ME programs. I know most of the first year classes are the so-called weed-out classes. At DrWife’s UG university, they called freshman engineers “pre-business” because so many drop out. While I don’t think fundamentally that everyone should be able to do engineering and people without the math skills even less so, a machining course is a good way to bridge that gap between theory and application. Yes, there’s this advanced calc and physics that can be difficult at times. But, you also get to build cool shit with your own hands. Someone who is on the fence may not hop over because of such a course.
4. Feedback from senior/grad students is that they want/need this in the curriculum to find competitive jobs. Several students I’ve spoken to say they have a competitive disadvantage over other students from other universities because they never had a machining course nor a project that they build with their own hands. They say that trying to describe to your potential future boss that you’re a really good mechanical engineer but you’ve never built anything during your undergraduate program is an oxymoron. If students can see that dilemma, why can’t we, as supposedly advanced educators with higher degrees, see that as well?

So, a machining course in a ME program, makes sense right? How about my second course that every ME should take? Wait for it…

There are some other courses that I think are useful as well. They are:

1. Computer Aided Drafting

(I don’t know how many time I’ve seen this skill listed on job posting. My suggestion is to learn Pro-E, AutoCAD, and SolidWorks. They are the three most widely use and if you can’t use any of these program well, it’ll be difficult to get any ME jobs)

2. Material Selection in Mechanical Design

(highly useful for any design work you’ll be doing in the future)

3. Strength of Materials

(I highly recommend keeping the textbook and notes for this course.)

4. Heat Transfer

(I highly recommend keeping the textbook and notes for this course.)

5. Technical Writing Course

(Very useful, not just for graduate school research papers, but for design or meeting reports for future work).

These courses apply most to design engineering. I might be missing a few courses, but definitely should make a note of these.

 

I will also  recommend the following in order of importance..

1. Experience with prototyping in lathe machine, at least the knowledge of the process flow. Most important because modeling in software is easy, not making it in real life.

2. Software for solid modeling - Solidworks (easy to learn, lots of tutorials available)

3. Good knowledge of basic mechanics, strength of materials or fluid mechanics and mechanism design.

4. Presentation skills - Microsoft Excel, Powerpoint, Word, LaTeX

5. FEM or CFD and software - Ansys/Abaqus/Comsol

6. Numerical methods with Programming - MATLAB/C++/Mathematica/Python

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ENGINEER AND ASCIENTIST FROM JAZIB SAEED KHAN'S BLOG

Engineer vs scientist - Difference between an engineer and a scientist - “I always wanted to be an engineer. And today as I see the magnificent artifacts that have been created by me I feel so lucky that I landed in a profession of my choice”. Well these are the words of a random person who happens to be an engineer by default. And believe  me if he were a scientist, he would have said the same thing. And so the hot point is: we really never know what makes an engineer different from a scientist.
Ironically people differentiate scientists from engineers by the level of personality they own. Engineers are often regarded as cool people with highly paid jobs who have nothing to do in the world but to make all the important decisions. Scientists on the other hand are regarded as the hapless
people who spend most of their lives with lab rats thinking over the issues that have nothing to do with a common man. This is the main reason most students want to take up engineering as the future
profession although they never realize that engineering is a multifaceted endeavor and they will have no exposure towards it until the end of the high school. And this happens to be the most important reason that most people never realize that a scientist and an engineer are indeed very different with different aims and indeed different priorities.
Differentiating engineering from science is a matter of how we look at the two professions in the real
world. An engineer’s priority should be to take up real world challenges and complete them in real time so that people may get the desired results and benefits. So in a way, we can regard that an engineer is closer to the common man than a scientist. It is just an opinion not a well established fact.
A scientist on the other hand should have the insight to perceive the upcoming future. And that is the fun part. A scientist mostly lives in a virtual world full of random and abstract thoughts that combine to form a solution. An engineer on the other hand lives in a real world that we all can see and feel. And that is the main reason that most of the work done by the scientist does not become inevitable at once.
Engineers often argue that their job is more innovative than the job of an average scientist who has to live with a bunch of lab rats all day long doing nothing. Well this perception is absolutely wrong. Inevitably engineering is a very versatile profession but innovation is just a part of it. A scientist on the other hand lives merely on innovation. Working in a virtual world is no easy task which requires loads of innovation in store.
Sometimes it is very difficult to draw a clear boundary between the two professions. Both have contributed immensely towards the development of this world. And it would be true to say that both are the wheels of the same car. Instead of discriminating them, we should try to bridge the two professions so that the world can really see what happens behind the scenes. I hope this article gives
you a good idea about difference between an engineer and a scientist.

10 Sites That Every Engineer Should Know About

Here's another post inspired by an office discussion. We were discussing our favourite engineering based websites and realised the results would make a great blog post. So after a rummage through our bookmarks and a little further debate we've come up with our top ten sites. We tried to keep the list balanced so you'll find a few resource sites, a little bit of fun and one or two sites that aren't purely engineering sites, but contain valuable knowledge for engineers. Do you have a favourite site that we haven't included? Why not add a comment below and give your favourites a plug.
1. Engineering.com
A wealth of engineering related news, videos, resources and jobs. Visit... Engineering.com
2. Engineering Formulas
A website packed full of formula for Fluid Mechanics, Failure Criteria, Finance and loads of things that don't begin with F too. A great site for lovers of Greek letters and other squiggles. Other parts of the site have information on materials, units, design and maths. Visit... eFunda: Engineering Formulas
3. The Engineering Toolbox
A great site, well structured into various engineering categories that lets you drill down to find the information you need. The flow of the site is a little spoiled by too many Google Ads links, but that is just a minor irritation.
Visit... The Engineering Toolbox
4. LinkedIn
Not strictly an engineering resource, but LinkedIn is a great place to network with fellow engineers (it's a bit like Facebook for grown-ups) and has some really useful special interest groups for sharing
knowledge, meeting like-minded professionals and exchanging job opportunities.
Visit... LinkedIn
5. GlobalSpec
Calling itself "The Engineering Search Engine", GlobalSpec is packed full of engineering products and suppliers. Has some great email newsletters and product alert emails. You can even find Prosig on GlobalSpec .
Visit... GlobalSpec
6. How Stuff Works
Whenever we need bit of extra background information for an office discussion this website is one of our first ports of call. Packed full of straightforward explanations
Visit... How Stuff Works
7. Eng-Tips Forums
A fine collection of discussion forums, blogs, whitepapers and more. Covers a wide range of engineering fields.
Visit... Eng-Tips Forum
8. Wikipedia
Again, not strictly an engineering site, but Wikipedia can't be ignored when seeking information. Much has been made of the possible innaccuracies of Wikipedia's articles, but genarally the scientific and engineering pages are well maintained.
Visit... Wikipedia
9. Discover Engineering
A fantastic site for students or anyone new to engineering. Or just about anyone who enjoys quirky science projects and engineering themed games and activities. We all need a little light relief, right?
Visit... Discover Engineering
10. Fun-Engineering
Another bit of fun to finish with. Fun-Engineering (maintained by Prof. Jim McGovern of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Dublin Institute of Technology) is a great little site, full of engineering gems. To my mind it is sites like this that make the WWW what it is.
Visit... Engineering-Fun