A History of Mechanical Engineering

This book explores the history of mechanical engineering since the Bronze Age. Focusing on machinery inventions and the development of mechanical technology, it also discusses the machinery industry and modern mechanical education. The evolution of machinery is divided into three stages: Ancient (before the European Renaissance), Modern (mainly including the two Industrial Revolutions) and Contemporary (since the Revolution in Physics, especially post Second World War). The book not only clarifies the development of mechanical engineering, but also reveals the driving forces behind it – e.g. the economy, national defense and human scientific research activities – to highlight the links between technology and society; mechanical engineering and the natural sciences; and mechanical engineering and related technological areas.

Though mainly intended as a textbook or supplemental reading for graduate students, the book also offers a unique resource for researchers and engineers in mechanical engineering who wish to broaden their horizons.

Ce Zhang, professor at School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University.

1962, Bachelor of Engineering, Hebei Institute of Technology (China)

1982, Master of Science, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (U. S.)

1993-2003, Chairman of China Committee, IFToMM.

Area of work includes mechanism and machine theory, machine dynamics, machine design and history of mechanical engineering. Main publications:

? Ce Zhang, et al.  Analysis and Design of Elastic Linkages (a monograph in Chinese). Machinery Press of China, 1989 (1^st ed.), 1997 (2^nd ed.)

? Ce Zhang.  A History of Machinery Dynamics (a monograph in Chinese). Higher Education Press of China, 2009

? Ce Zhang.  A History of Mechanical Engineering (a monograph in Chinese). Tsinghua University Press, 2015

? Ce Zhang, et al (ed.)  Machinery Theory and Design (an undergraduate textbook in Chinese). Machinery Press of China, 2004 (1^st ed.), 2012 (2^nd ed.)

? More than 150 scientific papers published (including more than 10 published in English).