The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Career in engineering

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 29, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Career in engineering

Automobile Engineering

This involves the activities of design, development, manufacture, and maintenance of automobiles. The enormous rise in the number of vehicles necessitates the services of qualified professionals in large numbers. Modern technology including electronics and computer application in automobiles makes automobile engineering a highly specialized area. Even though this branch is often considered as a specialization in mechanical engineering, the content and texture of the auto discipline makes it distinctive.

The curriculum covers varied areas such as classification of vehicles (on the basis of body, load, wheels, final drive, fuel used, axles, position of engine and steering transmission), thermodynamics, two stroke and four stroke petrol and diesel engineers, auto lubrications, strength of materials, auto electrical engineering, vehicle dynamics, automotive chassis and suspension, instrumentation and control systems, tribology, product design and assembly, automation, auto air-conditioning, alternative energy sources for automobiles, heat transfer and instrumentation, vehicle transport management, automotive pollution & control, vehicle body engineering & safety, automation in manufacturing, micro processors & micro controllers, and computer graphics.

Job opportunities are in automobile manufacturing plants, auto workshops, design offices, defense services, and marketing organizations.

Biomedical Engineering

It involves the application of electronics and other engineering subjects in medicine. Techniques like ECG, EEG, ultrasound test, scanning, MRI, ultraviolet radiation, laser, etc., represent the useful application of this interesting interface.

Clinical physiology, biomedical fluid dynamics, transport operations in living systems, linear systems modeling in physiology, digital techniques in analysis and modeling, circuits and instrumentation, computers in medicine, medical physics, medical instrumentation, biorheology, biomedical materials, lasers in biomedical sciences, and bio-statistics are some of the subjects.

There are only a limited number of colleges that handle this subjects, even at the national level.

Biomedical engineers usually work in research laboratories, medical centers and manufacturing plants. Those with an innovative mind have opportunities in evolving new styles in instruments. Maintenance of equipment supplied to medical institutions in another important area.

Biotechnology

Biotechnology is defined variously. It may involve any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use.

The impact of biotechnology will be felt in every sphere of human activity including agriculture, industry, medical treatment, and environment. New species of plants, new dimensions in preventive medicine and medical treatment, pharmaceutics, insecticides, hormones, manure, animal husbandry, cloning, transplantation of embryos, pisiculture, immunology, genetics, and many other areas will be influenced by this interdisciplinary field of study and research.

The growth in biotechnology is closely linked to the development in genetic engineering that involves the directed alteration of genetic material. Substances like human insulin, growth hormone and human interferon ( a natural virus-fighting substance) have been produced this way.

Before jumping into a programme of biotechnology, we should realize that this is primarily an area of research work and innovation. It does not suit those who always want to keep themselves to the beaten track.

R & D departments in universities, and Research units under CSIR, ICMR, ICAR Department of Science and Technoloyg, Department of Atomic energy and large private industrial groups offer opportunities for the right persons.

The possible emergence of KPO (Knowledge Process Outsourcing) in a big way would open new opportunities.

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