Department of Mechanical Engineering

The Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Malta offers a number of taught modules, which together with modules administered by other engineering departments, contributes to the B.Eng.(Hons.) degree. The Bachelor of Engineering Honours course in Mechanical Engineering is developed to equip students with analytical and design skills which are applicable to jobs in virtually the whole range of mechanical engineering industries. It also provides students with the basic knowledge required for specialisation through further post graduate degrees in Engineering and Management.

Prospective students

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Academic staff

NAME	POSITION	E-MAIL ADDRESS
Prof. R. Ghirlando	Associate priofessor	robert.ghirlando@um.edu.mt
Prof. P.P. Farrugia	Head of Department	ppfarr@eng.um.edu.mt
Mr A.L. Sacco	Senior Lecturer	alsacc@eng.um.edu.mt
Dr Ing. M. Muscat	Lecturer (Incoming/outgoing Erasmus student co-ordinator)	mmmusc@eng.um.edu.mt
Dr Ing. M. Farrugia	Lecturer	mario.a.farrugia@um.edu.mt
Ing. C. Micallef	Assistant Lecturer	christopher.micallef@um.edu.mt
Mr T. Sant	Assistant Lecturer	tsant@eng.um.edu.mt
Ms Z. Sant	Assistant Lecturer	zdsant@eng.um.edu.mt

Non-Academic staff

NAME	POSITION	E-MAIL ADDRESS	PHONE
Ms. D. Bugeja	Secretary	dmbuge@eng.um.edu.mt	2340 2360
Mr C. Psaila	Lab Officer III		2340 2082
Mr A. Briffa	Lab Officer II		2340 2082
Mr K. Farrugia	Lab Officer II	kffarr@eng.um.edu.mt	2340 2082

Facilities

Instron material testing machine
Fatigue testing machine
Finite element analysis educational software - ANSYS 8.1 computer lab
   - Mainly used by 3rd & 4th year students and for research
Mechanics 1st year lab
   - First year students can perform basic testing on a worm & wheel mechanism, a square threaded screw jack, a differential wheel & axle, a         geared winch, a centrifugal force apparatus & a loaded Porter speed governor
    - Second and third year students use the lab to perform basic experiments involving strut testing, resistance strain gauges, elastic failure tests,
       bending of beams tests & tests involving torsion of bars.
Thermodynamics lab
    - Internal combustion engine testbeds
Fluid mechanics lab
    - Wind tunnel

Research

CCOPPS - Certification of competences for the Power and Pressure systems Industry

Currently academic staff are carrying out research in collaboration with the University of Strathclyde, the University of Nottingham, the University of Oakland (Michigan), the University of Brno and the University of Delft. The main research areas are in stress analysis, pressure vessel design, wind turbine design, biomechanics, heat engines and cooling of electric motors.

B.Eng(Hons.) Syllabus
Study units offered by the Department:

Year 1

Semester 1:	ENR 1108 Engineering Science - Mechanical	6 credits
	MEC 1202 Engineering Drawing	4 credits
Semester 2:	MEC 1301 Engineering Mechanics - Statics	4 credits
	MEC 1205 Thermodynamics I	2 credits

Year 2

Semester 1:	MEC 2401 Mechanics of Materials I	4 credits
	MEC 2002 Fuid Dynamics I	4 credits
	MEC 2006 Engineering Mechanics - Kinematics	4 credits
Semester 2:	MEC 2007 Thermodynamics II	4 credits
	MEC 2008 Engineering Mechanics - Dynamics	4 credits

Year 3

Semester 1:	MEC 3104 Fluid Dynamics II	4 credits
	MEC 3403 Mechanics of Materials II	4 credits
	MEC 3002 Analyses of Thermal Cycles	4 credits
Semester 2:	MEC 3105 Introduction to Heat Transfer	4 credits
	MEC 3500 Finite Element Analysis I	4 credits

Year 4

Semester 1:	MEC 4306 Vibration Analysis I	4 credits
	MEC 4105 Fluid Dynamics III	4 credits
	MEC 4405 Finite Element Analsis II	4 credits
	MEC 4406 Thermal Environmental Engineering	4 credits
Semester 2:	MEC 4005 Principles of Thermo machinery	4 credits
	MEC 4305 Vibration Analysis II	4 credits

Erasmus Student Exchange Program :
Outgoing students
The department has an Erasmus student exchange program with the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow UK, and the Universita' degli studi di Salerno, Italy amongst others. The placings can start in September / October 2004 over the whole academic year (Semester 1 or Semester 2). Placings are limited to 4 students. Contact Erasmus / Socrates office for applications and more information.
Incoming students
Students can normally select modules from Year 3 and Year 4. More credits can be chosen from within the programmes of other engineering departments http://www.eng.um.edu.mt/students/beng_curriculum%202003_.htm. Our credits are ECTS credits.

For courses application contact Ms Yvette James (email: yyatta@eng.um.edu.mt).

Contact Erasmus / Socrates office for accomodation applications and more information.

Contact Dr M.Muscat (email: mmmusc@eng.um.edu.mt) for guidance on choosing modules, etc.

Remember that all students including Erasmus incoming students must register for exam sessions.

Leonardo da Vinci II Placements :
During May 2004 two of our lab officers Mr Shaun Grixti and Mr Kevin Farrugia have visited the University of Strathclyde and the University of Clausthal respectively on a Leonardo da Vinci work placement. Funding was provided by the European Union programme 'Leonardo da Vinci' whose aims are to provide the opportunity to a short work experience in a different European country other then the country of origin.

At the University of Strathclyde Mr Shaun Grixti learnt about the PRS system and how it is implemented in a lecture room. The PRS system is quite a novel and effective way of lecturing to a large number of students. The system provides lecturers with immediate feedback to how much students have understood the new topics delivered. In this way the lecturer knows whether a topic needs to be re-explained perhaps in a slightly different way or whether most students have fully understood the subject. Shaun was also exposed to how computer labs are managed within the department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde. Shaun's experience was a positive one and something which 'gives you a picture of how others work in a similar academic department in a different country, the problems they meet with .... something which is quite familiar to us here'.

At the University of Clausthal Mr Kevin Farrugia visited various engineering departments and got some training in experimental stress analyses. Kevin attended demos involving tensile testing machines, creep testing machines, laser equipment and hardness testing machines. During his placement Kevin visited companies involved in material testing, stress analysis and in the development of test rigs. Kevin also had a very positive experience from his placement and since in our labs he is involved in experimental stress analysis he has come back with useful ideas on the subject which will help him in his work with undergraduate students studying within our Faculty.

Events:

The 1st structural testing challenge

Faculty of Engineering exhibition 2003

Undergraduate B.Eng. (Hons) final year students' projects:

List project titles since 1983 - Contact Mr K. Farrugia kffarr@eng.um.edu.mt for viewing the bound copies

This page is maintained by Martin Muscat.
If you have any comments please send e-mail to: mmmusc@eng.um.edu.mt

Last updated 1st July 2004.

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Introduction