1980 A.D. - 2000 A.D.

Mechanical Engineering inventions needed in the fields of energy conservation, renewable energy, energy conservation, power generation., 3D printing, injection molding, computer numerical control (CNC) machining, space exploration, crewless aerial vehicles (UAVs), and missile systems. 

The Space Shuttle 

After the lunar missions in the late '60s and early '70s, the people at NASA dedicated themselves to developing a new vehicle to venture into space and return home safely. The culmination of their research and development was the Space Shuttle. The engineers and mechanics designed it to be more than just a transportation vehicle-the Space Shuttle would become an orbiting scientific laboratory capable of hosting numerous experiments designed to increase our understanding of the universe. The Space Shuttles also played an important role in deploying and maintaining equipment in space, including satellites and the International Space Station: The first Space Shuttle launch was the Columbia on April 12, 1981. The mission lasted a little more than two days. Columbia returned home safely and gave NASA valuable information about the shuttle's design. A few tiles had broken off during the launch sequence, which informed NASA that engineers would need to adjust to avoid future problems with other launches. Since Columbia's launch, there have been more than 130 Space Shuttle missions, and the program has inspired hundreds of children to study science and dream of space exploration.

(source:wikipedia) 

Compact Discs 

Music collectors in the early 1980s had limited choices. Audiophiles claimed that the only sound worth hearing was storing stored the only sound worth hearing on vinyl albums, But these records take up a lot of space and can be damaged easily. Cassettes and 8-track tapes took up less space, but the magnetic storage format degraded over time. Companies like Sony and Philips swooped in to create an alternative: the compact disc-revolutionized both the music industry and the way we store digital data in the early to mid 1980s. Engineers wrote a series of books that set out the standards for the compact-disc format. There were five books in the series, each a different color. The first red book established the basic standards for audio recording on compact discs. Later books expanded the standards, adding data storage capabilities to the CD and giving birth to the CD-ROM and CD-RW formats. The revolutionized the music industry, practically killing off the cassette and vinyl markets and the budding computer industry. Early floppy disks had limited storage capacity and could lose data if exposed to magnets. Compact discs stored information in an optical format and could hold far more data than typical magnetic disks. The first compact disc players were expensive, but by the 1990s, the format dominated both the music and computer storage markets 

(Source:wikipedia)

Thermo sensors 

Thermo sensors were used to measure temperature. Thermocouples are made of a metal wire that are wrapped around two spools of glass tubing, which are separated by an insulator. When the temperature changes, one end of the wire expand or contracts relative to the other. This change in length causes a change in resistance between them so that currents can flow at various rates depending on how quickly they expand and contract with different temperatures. 

Thermocouples can be used with all types of sensors because they respond quickly enough (within 50 milliseconds) and have good accuracy over long periods (upwards of 30 years). They're also relatively easy to manufacture, making them ideal for use in applications where quick response times are critical but where there may not be enough room for more extensive types, such as inductive sensors or piezoelectric devices.

(source:wikipedia)

Self-healing glasses 

Self-healing glasses are made of a material that can repair itself. The glasses are made of gold, silver, and copper alloy. The alloy is mixed with liquid resin to apply a paste to the glass's surface. When exposed to UV rays or sunlight for long periods, this process causes damage to your eyesight, causing blurred vision or even total blindness in some cases. But if you wear self-healing glasses, you can see even if there are spots on your eyes because these lenses have unique properties that allow them to heal themselves! 

Renewable energy 

Renewable energy is a type of energy that natural processes, such as wind and solar, can replace. Renewable resources are those that replenish themselves over time. These resources include sunlight, tides, geothermal heat, and hydropower (water flowing from rivers). 

In the 1980s to 2000s, mechanical engineers invented many renewable energy technologies like wind turbines, solar panels, biofuels, and more! 

Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) 

Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are a type of computer that controls industrial automation systems. These computers can be programmed, so they can be used for more than one purpose. 

PLCs can be used for: 

1. process control: controlling the flow of material through an assembly line or manufacturing process; this automation saves time and money by reducing human error in production processes 

2. factory automation: controls all aspects of production, such as scheduling employees' shifts, tracking inventory levels, and calculating materials requirements based on previous sales data 

3. process automation: orchestrates multiple functions within an overall system designed to achieve specific results 

4. 

5. PLCs for a monitoring system in the pharmaceutical industry 

   (source:wikipedia) 

6. Industrial Robots 

   Industrial robots are automated, programmable, multipurpose electromechanical devices used in manufacturing industries. These robots perform various tasks such as welding, painting, assembly, packaging, and handling cars or other vehicles. 

   Industrial robots can also be used for moving materials around a factory floor so that they can be appropriately stored or transported from one place to another without human intervention. 

   Computer-Aided Design (CAD) 

   Computer-aided design (CAD) is a computer program that allows engineers to design products in a virtual environment. CAD can be used for many products, including buildings, bridges, and automobiles. It's also an essential tool in mechanical engineering because it allows engineers to make changes to their designs quickly and efficiently before they start building them. 

   Conclusion

   In this article, we have discussed the history of mechanical engineering inventions between the 1980s and 2000s. These inventions have been used in many fields, including power generation, renewable energy, energy conservation, and space exploration.