The Department of Mechanical Engineering (MEC) is located in Garching.
History 19th century Mechanical engineering was one of the original departments of the newly founded
Polytechnische Schule München in 1868, then called the
Mechanical-Technical Department.
Johann Bauschinger was professor for Technical Mechanics and Graphical Statics. In 1871, he founded the
Mechanical-Technical Laboratory. He was succeeded by
August Föppl in 1894.
Carl von Linde, who held the Chair of Theoretical Machine Science, established the
Laboratory of Machine Science in 1875.
Moritz Schröter, a distinguished expert in the field of technical
thermodynamics, succeeded him in 1879. In 1902, von Linde returned as associate professor of Applied Thermodynamics. On his initiative, the
Laboratory for Technical Physics was established. In 1880,
Rudolf Diesel graduated with the best marks since the university was established. His invention of the
Diesel engine was a groundbreaking innovation, despite his initial calculations about the degree of
efficiency being far too optimistic.
20th century In 1901, the first chair of
electrical engineering was established at the department. Though initially viewed as a part of mechanical engineering, it grew increasingly more independent. In the 1940s, the department's name was changed to
Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, and by 1974,
electrical engineering was separated into a
new department.
Willy Messerschmitt graduated from the department in 1923. He established the
Messerschmitt Flugzeugbau GmbH while still a student, which would later become the
Messerschmitt AG in 1938. In 1930, he was granted a lectureship on the construction and design of aircraft, and in 1937, he was appointed honorary professor. In
Nazi Germany, the university was
brought into line, partly by force, partly by conviction, and partly out of anticipatory obedience. Jewish members and those with politically undesirable views were expelled. During
World War II, the department conducted large-scale research in support of the war effort, for example in the fields of
aircraft design, torpedo propulsion, petrol injection and substitute fuels for car and aircraft engines. After the war, teaching resumed in 1946, though
denazification expelled 13 of 24 lecturers, four of whom which were reinstated by 1953. The chairs for aviation research were shut down and did not operate again until the
Paris Agreements ended
Allied occupation of Germany. In 1951,
Gustav Niemann established the Chair of
Machine Elements. In 1967, the founding of the Institute of
Machine Tools and
Industrial Engineering instigated a shift to research to
information technology and
production engineering. By 1990, almost 5,000 students were enrolled at the Department of Mechanical Engineering. In 1997, the department relocated to a new 60,000 m2 building on the
Garching campus.
21st century In 2018, aerospace and
geodesy at TUM became a separate
Department of Aerospace and Geodesy.
Chairs As of 2020, there are 39 chairs at the Department: •
Aerodynamics and
Fluid Mechanics •
Applied Mechanics •
Automatic Control • Automation and
Information Systems •
Automotive Technology •
Biochemical Engineering •
Biomechanics • Bioseparation Engineering •
Computational Mechanics •
Continuum Mechanics •
Cyber-Physical Systems in
Production Engineering •
Energy Systems •
Ergonomics • Flow Control and
Aeroacoustics •
Industrial Management and Assembly Technologies •
Internal Combustion Engines • Laser Based
Additive Manufacturing •
Machine Elements •
Machine Tools and Manufacturing Technology • Materials Engineering of Additive Manufacturing • Materials Handling, Material Flow, Logistics •
Materials Science and Mechanics of Materials • Mechanics and
High Performance Computing • Medical Materials and
Implants •
Metal Forming and
Casting •
Micro Technology and Medical Device Technology •
Multiscale Modeling of Fluid Materials •
Non-Destructive Testing •
Nuclear Technology • Plant and Process Technology •
Plasma Material Interaction •
Product Development and Lightweight Design • Production and Technology in Media •
Sport Equipment and Materials • Systems Biotechnology •
Thermodynamics •
Thermo-Fluid Dynamics • Vibroacoustics of Vehicles and Machines •
Wind Energy Rankings In
Engineering – Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing, the
QS World University Rankings rank TUM as No. 21 in the world and No. 2 in Germany. The
Academic Ranking of World Universities ranks the department within No. 101–150 in the world and No. 4–6 in Germany. The
Times Higher Education World University Rankings does not rank individual subjects, though in
engineering in general, TUM is ranked 20th globally and 1st nationally.
Notable people , Chair of
Theoretical Machine Science from 1875, discovered the
refrigeration cycle that led to the development of the modern
refrigerator. Notable people include: •
Rudolf Diesel, inventor of the
Diesel engine •
Claude Dornier, airplane designer •
Carl von Linde, discoverer of the
refrigeration cycle •
Willy Messerschmitt, aircraft designer, known for the
Messerschmitt fighters •
Oskar von Miller, engineer, founder of the
Deutsches Museum == References ==