Abstract
Starting from a list of topics which were suggested by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers this paper surveys the situation at German technical universities in the field of mechanical engineering. The details of teaching and research activities described here refer to the Institute for Machine Elements, Technical University of Munich, but the principles of the organization and the structure are mostly comparable with corresponding institutes at other universities in the Federal Republic of Germany. The following subjects will be discussed:
The organization of German technical universities, in particular the Institute's structure of a Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Undergraduate courses in engineering based on ‘vocational’ education; the means to ensure an education of approximately equal academic standard at different universities. Machine element teaching at undergraduate level; efforts to ensure an equal level of knowledge in this field. The structure and funding of postgraduate engineering research centres and institutes. For example the relationship between the Gear Research Centre (FZG) and the gearing and transmission industry in Germany will be discussed. A summary of the research carried out at the FZG (gears, clutches, tribology)
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