The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is an independent professional association and learned society headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that represents mechanical engineers and the engineering profession. With over 110,000 members in 140 countries, working across industries such as railways, automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, energy, biomedical and construction, the Institution is licensed by the Engineering Council to assess candidates for inclusion on its Register of Chartered Engineers, Incorporated Engineers and Engineering Technicians.
The Institution was founded at the Queen's Hotel, Birmingham, by George Stephenson in 1847. It received a Royal Charter in 1930. The Institution's headquarters, purpose-built for the Institution in 1899, is situated at No. 1 Birdcage Walk in central London.
Origins
thumb|right|George Stephenson
Informal meetings are said to have taken place in 1846, at locomotive designer Charles Beyer's house in Cecil Street, Manchester, or alternatively at Bromsgrove at the house of James McConnell, after viewing locomotive trials at the Lickey Incline. Beyer, Richard Peacock, George Selby, Archibald Slate and Edward Humphrys were present. Bromsgrove seems the more likely candidate for the initial discussion, not least because McConnell was the driving force in the early years. A meeting took place at the Queen's Hotel in Birmingham to consider the idea further on 7 October and a committee appointed with McDonnell at its head to see the idea to its inauguration.
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers was then founded on 27 January 1847, in the Queen's Hotel next to Curzon Street station in Birmingham by the railway pioneer George Stephenson and others. McConnnell became the first chairman. However, this account has been challenged as part of a pattern of exaggeration on Smiles' part aimed at glorifying the struggles that various Victorian mechanical engineers had to overcome in their personal efforts to attain greatness. Though there was certainly coolness between Stephenson and the Institution of Civil Engineers, it is more likely that the motivation behind the founding of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers was simply the need for a specific home for the growing number of mechanical engineers employed in the burgeoning railway and manufacturing industries. followed by his son, Robert Stephenson, in 1849. Beyer became vice-president and was one of the first to present papers to the Institution; Charles Geach was the first treasurer. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries some of Britain's most notable engineers held the position of president, including Joseph Whitworth, Carl Wilhelm Siemens and Harry Ricardo. It operated from premises in Birmingham until 1877 when it moved to London, taking up its present headquarters on Birdcage Walk in 1899.
Birdcage Walk
thumb|right|No. 1 Birdcage Walk
Upon its move to London in 1877 the Institution rented premises at No. 10 Victoria Chambers, where it remained for 20 years. In 1895 the Institution bought a plot of land at Storey's Gate, on the eastern end of Birdcage Walk, for £9,500. In 1943 it became the venue for the Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers' planning of Operation Overlord and the invasion of Normandy.
Membership grades and post-nominals
The following are membership grades with post-nominals :
- Affiliate: (no post-nominal) The grade for students, apprentices and those interested in or involved in mechanical engineering.
- AMIMechE: Associate Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers: this is the grade for graduates (of acceptable degrees or equivalents in engineering, mathematics or science)
- MIMechE: Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. For those who meet the educational and professional requirements for registration as a Chartered Mechanical Engineer (CEng, MIMechE) and also as a Chartered Engineer (CEng) or Incorporated Engineer (IEng) or Engineering Technician (EngTech) in mechanical engineering.
- FIMechE: Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. This is the highest class of elected membership, and is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to and innovation in mechanical engineering.
Awards
The James Watt International Medal is an award for excellence in engineering established in 1937 by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. It is named after Scottish engineer James Watt (1736-1819) who developed the Watt steam engine in 1781, which was fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world.
The Whitworth Scholarship is awarded to a few promising engineers of the main engineering disciplines for the length of a degree course. On successful completion, they become Whitworth Scholars, with a medal and are entitled to use post-nominals Wh.Sch.. It was founded by Joseph Whitworth.
The Engineering Heritage Awards were created in 1984 to help recognise and promote the value of artefacts, locations, collections and landmarks of significant engineering importance.
The Energy, Environment and Sustainability Group Prize was created in 2017 to celebrate people who have taken "significant steps to bridge the gap between an unsustainable present and a more sustainable future."
Along with The Manufacturer, the Institution also runs The Manufacturer MX Awards, and Formula Student, the world's largest student motorsport event.
The Tribology Gold Medal is awarded each year for outstanding and supreme achievement in the field of tribology. It is funded from The Tribology Trust Fund. It was established and first awarded in 1972. As of 2017, it has been awarded to 39 individuals from 12 different countries.
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed nowrap"
|+Tribology Gold Medal Laureates
|-
|79
|1964
|Frank Mason
|Engineer in chief, Royal Navy
|-
|80
|1965
|Harold Norman Gwynne Allen
|Power Transmission
|-
|81
|1966
|Lord Hinton of Bankside
|Pioneer of nuclear power
|-
|82
|1967
|Hugh Graham Conway
|Aero-engines and gas turbines
|-
|83
|1968
|Arnold Lewis George Lindley
|Chairman of General Electric Company
|-
|84
|1969
|Donald Frederick Galloway
|Manufacturing and machine tool engineer
|-
|85
|1970
|John Lamb Murray Morrison
|Prof. Mechanical engineering Bristol University
|-
|86
|1971
|Robert Lickley
|Aircraft engineer
|-
|87
|1972
|Lord Stokes
|Chief executive, British Leyland
|-
|88
|1973
|John William Atwell
|Steel industry and pump manufacture
|-
|89
|1974
|St. John de Holt Elstub
|Metals
|-
|90
|1975
|Paul Thomas Fletcher
|Process plan and nuclear power plant
|-
|91
|1976
|Ewen McEwen
|Chief engineer, Lucas
|-
|92
|1977
|Hugh Ford
|Professor of mechanical engineering, Imperial College London
|-
|93
|1978
|Diarmuid Downs
|Internal combustion engines
|-
|94
|1979
|James Gordon Dawson
|Chief Engineer, Shell
|-
|95
|1980
|Bryan Hildrew
|Managing Director, Lloyd's Register of Shipping
|-
|96
|1981
|Francis David Penny
|Director, National Engineering Laboratory
|-
|97
|1982
|Victor John Osola/Vaino Junani Osola
|Process engineer, safety glass
|-
|98
|1983
|George Fritz Werner Adler
|Research Director, British Hydromechanical Research Association
|-
|99
|1984
|Waheeb Rizk
|Gas turbines at General Electric Company
|-
|100
|1985
|Philip Foreman
|Aerospace engineer
|-
|101
|1986
|Bernard Crossland
|Prof. Mechanical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast
|-
|102
|1987
|Oscar Roith
|Chief Engineer, Department of Industry
|-
|103
|1988
|Cecil Charles John French
|Internal combustion engines
|-
|104
|1989
|Roy Ernest James Roberts
|Director, GKN
|-
|105
|1990
|Michael John Neale
|Tribology
|-
|106
|1991
|Duncan Dowson
|Prof of Fluid Mechanics, Leeds University, Tribology
|-
|107
|1992
|Thomas Diery Patten
|Offshore engineering
|-
|108
|1993
|Anthony Albert Denton
|Offshore engineering
|-
|109
|1994
|Brian Hamilton Kent
|Design and engineering management
|-
|110
|1995
|Frank Christopher Price
|Technical director
|-
|111
|1996
|Robert William Ernest Shannon
|Inspection engineering
|-
|112
|1997
|Pamela Liversidge
|Powder metallurgy
|-
|113
|1998
|John Spence
|Metallurgy
|-
|114
|1999
|James McKnight
|Automotive
|-
|115
|2000
|Denis E. Filer
|Automotive
|-
|116
|2001
|Tony Roche
|Railway
|-
|117
|2002
|John McDougall
|MD of WS Atkins
|-
|117
|2003
|Chris Taylor
|Tribology
|-
|119
|2004
|William Edgar
|Offshore engineering
|-
|120
|2005
|Andrew Ives
|Automobile engine electronics
|-
|121
|2006
|W. Alec Osborn
|Automotive
|-
|122
|2007
|John Baxter
|Nuclear engineer
|-
|123
|2008
|William M. Banks
|Composite materials. Professor, University of Strathclyde
|-
|124
|2009
|Keith Millard
|Marine
|-
|125
|2010
|John Wood
|Automotive
|-
|126
|2011
|Roderick Smith
|Rail engineer. Chief Scientific Adviser, Department for Transport 2012 - 2014.
|-
|127
|2012
|Isobel Pollock
|Engineering management
|-
|128
|2013
|Patrick Kniveton
|Nuclear Engineering - Rolls-Royce
|-
|129
|2014
|Group Captain Mark Hunt
|RAF Engineer Officer, Engineering Management, Engineering Education
|-
|130
|2015
|Professor Richard Folkson
|Chief Engineer of Ford of Europe, lecturer at University of Hertfordshire
|-
|131
|2016
|Jon Hilton
|Kinetic energy recovery system pioneer, Deputy Chairman of Torotrak PLC
|-
|132
|2017
|Carolyn Griffiths
|Head of Rail Accident Investigation Branch
|-
|133
|2018†
|Geoff Baker
|Oil and Gas
|-
|116
|2018†
|Tony Roche (Second term)
|Railway
|-
|134
|2019
|Joseph McGeough
|Manufacturing
|-
|135
|2020
|Terry Spall
|Automotive Engineer
|-
|136
|2021
|Peter Flinn
|Manufacturing
|-
|137
|2022
|Philip Peel
|Power Generation
|-
|138
|2023
|Giles Hartill
|Technology
|-
|139
|2024
|Clive Hickman OBE
|Manufacturing
|-
|140
|2025
|Matt Garside
|Defence
|}
† Baker resigned in June 2018. The Institution's by-laws state that a casual vacancy for President shall be filled by appointing a Past President to the role; Tony Roche was elected and duly took up office for a second term in August of that year.
Engineering Committees
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers has a number of committees that work to promote and develop thought leadership in different industry sectors. The Institution has 8 divisions: - Aerospace, Automobile, Biomedical Engineering Association, Construction & Building Services, Manufacturing Industries, Power Industries, Process Industries and Railway.
Biomedical Engineering Association (BmEA) aims to bring together key workers from both medicine and engineering to discuss the latest advances and issues, to enable networking among different industry leaders, and to promote the field of Medical Engineering, also known as Bioengineering or Biomedical Engineering, to government, healthcare professionals and the wider public. This committee offers:
- seminars, lectures and conferences every year;
- the Journal of Engineering in Medicine;
- the annual Student Project Competition.
The Railway Division was formed in 1969 when the Institution of Locomotive Engineers amalgamated with IMechE.
Arms
See also
- Engineering
- James Watt International Medal
- Chartered Engineer
- Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Footnotes
References
Sources
External links
- IMechE Official website
- Professional Engineering magazine website