Research in the Department

RESEARCH IN MECHANICAL AND MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING
Download the PDF The Schulich School's Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering supports multimillion dollar research programs and provides strong leadership to multidisciplinary research, innovative engineering education, and in professional societies and organizations. It is one of the most active research and innovation mechanical engineering departments in Canada with six research chairholders and advanced laboratories.

Primary Research Areas

• Applied Mechanics (PDF)
• Automation, Control, and Robotics (PDF)
• Biomedical Engineering (PDF)
• Design and Materials (PDF)
• Manufacturing Engineering (PDF)
• Nano-MEMS (PDF)
• Thermo-Fluids, Energy Systems and Environment (PDF)

Looking to the future, the department is planning to expand with several areas of focus:

Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical engineering and health-related research will continue to be a focus for growth within the department, the engineering school and university.

Renewable Energy
Mechanical and manufacturing engineering research both have a lot to contribute to the development of environmentally sensitive energy alternatives and the mitigation of environmental impact.

Nano- and Microtechnology Systems
Research in this area will be undertaken with researchers in bioengineering, energy and environmental engineering, and pipeline engineering to explore applications of new micro- and nanoscale materials, processes and devices.

Pipeline Engineering
Alberta's oil sands currently produce approximately one million barrels a day, with a second wave of expansion expected to raise production levels to 2.8 million bpd within the next decade. A third expansion wave is expected to take place between 2020 and 2030 with production levels increasing to five million barrels per day. Sustained growth of oil sands operations is dependent on a myriad of factors, with one of the most significant being methods to transport products both within Alberta and to a worldwide marketplace. The pipeline engineering center will expand its collaborative research initiatives in support of pipeline requirements.