Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a general discipline present in all the main industrial sectors: transport, consumer goods, biomechanics, etc. Mechanical engineers are involved throughout the life cycle of industrial products and in all the different phases of a project: research and development, preliminary design, development, industrialization, operation, recycling.
They have a solid basic training in mechanics and must demonstrate creativity and the ability to apply both scientific skills (computational simulation), technological skills (construction, production) and management skills.
Industry is changing fast and needs managers and engineers who are flexible, mobile and responsive and aware of the current issues in society: globalization, environment, sustainable development and so on.
Training
The basic training combines scientific subjects, technology, business awareness and management.
Students complete seven projects between Year 2 and Year 5: product optimization and characterization, design and realization of a mechanical system, design of an automated system, in-depth technical study and finally, a technological research project (PRT) in semester 9. The PRT is a preliminary to the final course project (PFE).
In Years 4 and 5, a choice of four different tracks enables mechanical engineering students to complete their profile:
- metals and polymers
- advanced multiphysics and multiscale modeling
- analysis of production systems
- mechanics for robotics
Added bonuses of the course
Access to training platforms (workshops with industrial machinery, computer rooms with professional and industrial software, etc.) outside of classes and at times intended to facilitate group work and the use of professional equipment.
A Franco-German course (DeutschINSA) that can lead to a double degree with the Hochschule Karlsruhe or Offenburg.
The possibility from Year 1 of following a sandwich course preparation course (Perspective Alternance) which enables students to choose this type of training in Year 3 or to continue on the initial course.
In Year 3: differentiated training depending on where students have come from (a Grande École preparatory class (CPGE), 2-year technical qualification (DUT/BTS), INSA Year 2)
A diploma awarded by the establishment at bachelor’s degree level at the end of Year 3.
Teaching resources
The mechanical engineering platform and the materials and surface engineering resource center are shared by the mechanical engineering department’s three specializations: mechanical engineering, mechatronics and plastics engineering
60% of the modules are also common to the three specializations.
In addition to the resources necessary to the development of a project (computer-assisted design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) and manufacturing equipment), the students in each specialization have access to the equipment specific to their future profession.
These facilities are also available for use by students outside of class hours with the support of teaching staff or technicians, providing a valuable complement to their training.
Apprenticeship scheme
This specialization can be taken as a sandwich course.
Internships and final course project (PFE)
- At the end of Year 1: a mandatory “discovery” placement in a company (4 weeks minimum)
- two mandatory internships: a “shopfloor” and a technician placement (the first for a minimum of 4 weeks and the second for a minimum of 8 weeks) at the end of Years 3 and 4.
- a technological research project in semester 9. Most often carried out in pairs, this project concerns an industrial need and takes the form of a technical and economic feasibility study.
- a final course project in semester 10 (22 weeks).
Research
During the final year of the engineering course, students can gain an insight into the research world by preparing a simultaneous research master’s.
During their training, mechanical engineering students can also study for:
- a master’s in materials science and engineering
- a master’s in imaging, robotics and biomedical engineering
- a master’s in applied and engineering physics
Students following the “mechanics for robotics” strand have the possibility of preparing in parallel a master’s imaging, robotics and biomedical engineering (IRIV) for which INSA Strasbourg is a partner of University of Strasbourg (Télécom Physique Strasbourg)
Students can also do their internship in one of the laboratories of the Matériaux et Nanosciences d’Alsace research federation (FR 3627), in particular at Institut Charles Sadron (CNRS UMR 22 ) or with the ICube laboratory teams, which are all partners of INSA Strasbourg.
double degree
Double degrees exist with institutions in the United States, Germany, Canada and there is the possibility of a master’s in the United Kingdom.
Openings
Sectors: manufacturing industry in the wider sense, and in particular the automotive, steel, aeronautics, machine tool, consumer goods, agrifood industries.
Graduate jobs: In R&D, preliminary design, development, industrialization, operations, recycling, as a design engineer, project or production unit manager or project engineer.
Graduate employment: the number of graduates who find jobs is regularly close to 100% (100% in the 2017 first job survey of students who graduated in 2016). Over 3/4 of these have permanent contracts and the average time taken to find a job is around 1 month.
Contacts
Sébastien Poli, head of the mechanical engineering specialization
Odile Wolff, secretary of the mechanical engineering department
03 88 14 47 06