Engineering is one of the most popular fields of professions. It encompasses mathematical, scientific, social, economic, and functional fields that make the world a better place for people. Engineering is an area of technical activity that includes several specialized fields and disciplines. It is aimed at the practical application and application of scientific, economic, social, and practical knowledge to turn natural resources to human benefit. The goals of engineering activity are the invention, development, creation, implementation, repair, maintenance, and improvement of equipment, materials, or processes. The two main branches of engineering are mechanical engineering and electrical engineering. The differences between these two areas are substantial, even though these areas and industries may work together or overlap from time to time. Nevertheless, these spheres are significantly related to each other and greatly benefit the development of humanity.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering is the largest complex industry that determines the level of scientific and technological progress in the entire national economy. It provides all industries with machines, equipment, appliances, and the population with consumer goods. It also includes metalworking, repair of machinery and equipment. It is mainly characterized by the deepening of the specialization of production and the expansion of its scale (Dixit et al., 2017). “Small” metallurgy should be added to the listed divisions of mechanical engineering. It includes the production of steel and rolled products, castings, forgings, stampings, and welded structures for mechanical engineering. In this structure of the industry, the most complex is mechanical engineering, which includes such essential sub-sectors as:
- Mechanical engineering for intersectoral industries: electronic and radio industry, instrument making, machine tool, and tool making, bearing sector.
- Production of equipment for branches of the national economy: road construction, transport, tractor, and agricultural machinery.
- For industries: power engineering, metallurgical, mining and mining engineering, chemical engineering, production of technological equipment for the textile industry.
- For the non-industrial sphere: municipal engineering, household appliances and machines, military equipment (Herrigel, 2018).
In addition to the industry classification, mechanical engineering can be divided according to the stages of the technological process into a billet, machining, and assembly. In terms of metal consumption and labor and energy intensity, it is customary to distinguish heavy, general, and medium engineering (Dixit et al., 2017). Heavy engineering is characterized by high metal consumption, relatively low labor intensity, and energy intensity. It includes the production of metal-intensive and large-sized products. General mechanical engineering is characterized by average consumption rates of metal, energy, low labor intensity. It is mainly the production of equipment for individual industries.
General and secondary mechanical engineering are similar and do not have clearly defined patterns in geography. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the machine-building complex. Its most important tasks are implementing scientific and technological progress, the provision of complex mechanization and automation of production, and the supply of national economic sectors with new equipment (Herrigel, 2018). Thus, mechanical engineering gives a considerable impetus to developing other industrial complexes.
Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of science and technology that uses electrical and magnetic phenomena for practical purposes. The history of the development of this science takes two centuries and began after the invention of the first electrochemical source of electrical energy in 1799 (Rogers & Bares, 2021). Then the study of the properties of electric current began, the fundamental laws of electrical circuits were established, electrical and magnetic phenomena started to be used for practical purposes. In addition, the first designs of electric machines and devices were developed. The increasing demand for electric energy has led to the problem of its centralized production, long-distance transmission, distribution, and economic use. The solution to the situation led to the development and creation of three-phase electrical circuits.
Today, electric energy is used in communication technology, automation, measurement technology, navigation. It is applied to mechanical work, heating, lighting, is used in technological processes, medicine, biology, astronomy, and geology. Such an extensive penetration of electrical engineering into human life has led to the need to include it in the general technical disciplines in training specialists of all technical specialties. In electrical engineering, a person should steal the industrial convenience of using electrical energy to automate production processes due to the accuracy and sensuality of electrical control and management methods (Ushakov, 2018). The use of electric power has made it possible to increase labor productivity in all areas of human activity.
Electrical engineering has automated almost all technological processes in the industry, transport, agriculture, and everyday life and has also created comfort in industrial and residential premises. In addition, electrical engineering widely uses electrical energy in technological installations for heating products, melting metals, welding, electrolysis, plasma production, obtaining new materials using electrochemistry, cleaning materials, and gases (Rogers & Bares, 2021). The advantages of electrical energy explain the great importance of electrical engineering in all areas of human activity over other types of energy, namely:
- Electrical energy is easily converted into other types of energy (mechanical, thermal, light, chemical), and vice versa; any different kinds of energy are easily converted into electrical energy.
- Electrical energy can be transmitted to almost any distance (Ushakov, 2018).
The only drawback of electrical energy is the inability to store it in large quantities and keep these reserves long. Electrical power resources in batteries, galvanic cells, and capacitors are sufficient only for the operation of relatively low-power devices, and the terms of its preservation are limited.
The Relationship between Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical and electrical engineering are the leading branches of engineering and play an essential role in further technological progress. The importance of these industries is determined primarily by their massive contribution to the development of the material basis of scientific and technological advancement. Having a direct impact on the improvement of tools and means of production, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering actively contribute to the intensive growth of labor productivity in a wide variety of sectors of the economy. Thus, they noticeably accelerate the pace of scientific and technological progress in general. These two areas are equally important for small households and large enterprises and corporations.
The constant development of mechanical engineering and electrical engineering launches the process of introducing new technologies, which ensures the growth of production potential in competitive products. The dynamic development of states’ economies is directly dependent on promoting the latest innovations in technological processes and the creation of high-tech equipment in all industries. Both electrical engineering and mechanical engineering contribute to the economy of different countries and the level of their defense capability. The degree of development of the defense engineering and electrical industries is of crucial importance in guaranteeing the state’s security and establishing the technical re-equipment of the main areas of the economy.
The machine-building and electrical engineering industries are crucial in forming the space industry and providing research institutes with innovative technical innovations. For a more accurate analysis of the two sectors under discussion, it is necessary to compare some mechanical engineering and electrical engineering parameters that distinguish them from each other. Mechanical engineering is a part of the engineering field related to the use of energy. On the other hand, Electrical engineering studies energy and electric fields and systems. In mechanical engineering, a specialist should be engaged in the design of production processes of technical tools. In electrical engineering, a specialist studies the installation and production of electrical systems.
Mechanical engineering focuses on developing physical systems, including, but not limited to, conveyor belts, pulleys, and automobiles. Electrical engineering concentrates on creating complex designs, such as computer chips. Mechanical engineering is an area in which a person uses his ideas to develop and maintain more effective products for improving people’s living standards. Electrical engineering is a field where a person should use their creativity and methods to make existing systems safer and better and offer the best.
Thus, despite the existing differences, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering are closely related, as they are important branches of engineering and significantly affect the modern world. Contemporary life can hardly be imagined without using products from the engineering and electrical industries, which are very diverse in their content. Mechanical engineering and electrical engineering are developing rapidly and already affect almost all spheres of human economic and industrial activity, deeply rooted in everyday life. Mechanical engineering can rightfully be considered the engine of progress since the achievements of this particular industry, particularly electronics, largely contribute to humanity’s entry into the era of the information society. All this proves the enormous importance of modern machine-building and electrical complexes in the structure of the world economy and confirms the need for further study, development, and modernization.
References
Dixit, U. S., Hazarika, M., & Davim, J. P. (2017). A brief history of mechanical engineering. Switzerland: Springer.
Herrigel, G. B. (2018). 7. Industrial order and the politics of industrial change: Mechanical engineering. In Industry and politics in West Germany (pp. 185-220). Cornell University Press.
Rogers, D. A., & Bares, W. A. (2021). The Evolution of an Electrical Engineering Orientation Course. In 1981 North Midwest Section.
Ushakov, V. Y. (2018). From the history of electrical power engineering. In Electrical Power Engineering (pp. 13-21). Springer, Cham.