Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering is a major discipline at IIT Palakkad that offers various programs at the UG and PG level. With a right balance of experienced and new faculty members ably supported by qualified staff, the discipline has a host of specialisations among the areas of mechanical engineering. Courses are offered at various levels with teaching methods being adapted to the target audience and changing times. Laboratory facilities for both undergraduate, M.Tech and research students are equipped with the latest technologies. A few of the research facilities are Metal Additive Manufacturing Facility, Micro Machining facility, Rolling Contact Fatigue testing facility, Wire EDM facility, etc. Students and skilled staff operate the equipment and also support requests for tests from external users.
Our students have graduated with UG and PG degrees and have been placed well in industry and higher educational institutions. The faculty and staff strength is growing keeping in mind the ideal student-faculty ratio so that focus may be provided for all students to excel. The vision of the Mechanical Engineering stream is to train and graduate students who would be leaders in their chosen field.
The major areas of research in the Mechanical Engineering discipline are as follows.
Fluid-Thermal: Prof. T Sundararajan, Dr. Ganesh Natarajan, Dr. Anand TNC, Dr. Samarjeet Chanda, Dr. Pramod Kunitkana, Dr. Krishna Sesha Giri
Materials and Manufacturing: Dr. Chakradhar Dupadu, Dr. Kanmani Subbu S, Dr. Afzaal Ahmed, Dr. Buchibabu Vicharapu, Dr. Dinesh Setti, Dr. Kesavan D
Solid Mechanics and Design: Dr. Sovan Lal Das, Dr. Santhakumar Mohan, Dr. Surendra KVN, Dr. Anoop Akkoorath Mana, Dr. Kesavan D
Programs
B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering: The undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering is a comprehensive program which aims to impart knowledge to students on the fundamentals and applications of the discipline. The program is designed to prepare them for a career and also for higher studies. The core and elective subjects cover a wide range of topics that a mechanical engineer is expected to know and appreciate. The UG lab facilities boast of equipment that serve to expand the understanding gained from theoretical courses. The curriculum is also flexible enough to provide exposure to interdisciplinary areas and through open-ended lab and B.Tech projects, students are given the opportunity to bring their ideas to fruition.
MS (by Research): The MS in Mechanical Engineering is an entry-level program which is targeted at motivated engineering graduates who wish to pursue a research degree. A rigorous coursework is prescribed to complement the research focus. Students are provided with the scope to work on theoretical, practical or analytical problem statements under the guidance of faculty members in all major areas of mechanical engineering. Students are also encouraged to publish papers in journals and conferences in India and abroad. The attention to the aspirations of each student is a hallmark of the program which is achieved through a progress monitoring system.
M.Tech in Manufacturing and Materials Engineering: The M. Tech. program in Manufacturing and Materials Engineering was designed to meet the growing demand for engineers, scientists, and academicians in manufacturing and materials engineering. This program focuses on current manufacturing processes and advanced engineering materials. This combination of manufacturing and materials engineering specializations in an M. Tech. program is offered only in a few reputed institutes in India and abroad. Electives offered in this program provide specialized knowledge to individual student interests in manufacturing and materials engineering. Industry internship is a part of the program where students can spend up to six weeks in industries.
PhD: The flagship research program in Mechanical Engineering is the Doctorate in Philosophy (Ph.D). Highly skilled students are recruited into the PhD program which is focused on major research activities supported by robust infrastructure. Excellent laboratory facilities with research equipment, high performance computing cluster etc. are available for students to carry out cutting edge research in an area of their choice. Funded projects secured by various faculty members provide relevant research problems for students to work on. A vibrant research atmosphere is available in the institute to encourage research students to realise their dreams to pursue careers in research, academia and industry. The research student community is very active and is motivated to engage with peers at various levels in order to widen their understanding.
Teaching Labs
Fluid mechanics laboratory, Solid mechanics laboratory, Heat transfer laboratory, IC Engines and fuels laboratory, Kinematics and Dynamics laboratory, Precision Engineering laboratory, Materials processing laboratory, Materials testing and characterization laboratory, Metrology laboratory, Automation and Digital manufacturing laboratory.
