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Interview Questions and Answers

Best Mechanical Engineering

Interview Questions and
Answers
By Team foundit October 12, 2023  0  63789

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Mechanical Engineering is a wide field with di!erent

areas of focus. Mechanical engineers can choose to
specialize in specific areas.

Besides theoretical knowledge, practical knowledge

is also important for mechanical engineers.
Mathematics and Science are crucial subjects in the
study of Mechanical Engineering.

The mechanical engineering interview can be

challenging. It usually begins with basic verification
questions and then progresses to technical
questions.

These interview questions will help you understand

the types of questions you can expect and how to
answer them.

Mechanical Engineering
Interview Questions are
categorized into 4 types :

1. General Mechanical Engineering Interview

Questions

2. Mechanical Project Engineer Interview Questions

3. Technical Mechanical Engineering Interview

Questions

4. Situational Mechanical Engineering Interview

Questions

General Mechanical
Engineering Interview
Questions:
These mechanical engineering interview questions
are related to your personal and educational part of
life. They are also a way to test your communication
skills.

1. Tell me something about

yourself.
A: While answering this mechanical engineering
interview question, try to be as natural as possible.
Try not to repeat whatever is mentioned in your CV
as they already have your CV to refer to. Start
answering this question by telling your name as it is
a general way to answer. Never sound as if you have
learnt the answer (always learn the answer to this
question).

For example, my name is Hrithik Shah. I graduated

from college in the year 2020. I chose Mechanical
Engineering as my career because, since childhood, I
was very fond of machines and how they work. I love
researching machines and have done well during my
college days, because of which I got an excellent
internship opportunity that I just completed.

This motivated me to look for a full-time job in a

company where I will hone my existing skills and
learn new ones.

2. Why do you want to work at our

company?
A:Learn a bit about the company. While answering,
don’t read the answer or let HR know that you have
learnt the answer.

Carry out deep research about the company and

mention unique points; a great way to get recent
updates about a company is by going through their
social media accounts. Additionally, you can add a
personal touch to the answer, so you stand out
among other peers.

For example, This company is o!ering me an

excellent opportunity to explore and contribute to
the industry. I feel I am very well suited for this
position because I am very knowledgeable in this
sector. I am well aware of your company’s
production and its reach.

A"er reading about this company in tonnes of

articles, I thought how exciting it would be to work
here. Moreover, the learning exposure is excellent.

I am looking forward to contributing to this

company’s success and learning new skills in the
process.

Also Read: Electrical Engineering Interview

Questions and Answers

3. Are you aware of the kinds of

products our company makes?
A: You must have thorough knowledge about the
products of the company. Think of each product
conceptually and the subjects related to those
products.

For example, yes, I am aware that the company is

involved in manufacturing rolling mills and are
distributed in several top companies, which are
spread nationally and internationally.

4. What were your grades during

the course of study in Degree
College?
A: I got ___ CGPA during the first four semesters and
___ CGPA in the 5th and 6th semesters
consecutively.

5. How many years did you take to

complete mechanical engineering?
A: It took five years to complete mechanical
engineering, which includes one year of internship.

6. Which subject did you Nnd the

most challenging in the College?
A: The interviewer wants to get to know your
preferences. You could answer something like this;
Power Engineering and Strength of Material were
the most challenging subjects for me as I found the
calculations and formulas very di!icult to
understand.

There were many equations and derivations, which

were challenging but once understood, it was fun.

7. Which was the subject you were

most focused on?
A: The most focused subject was engineering
drawing, as it is the primary language of all the
engineers and is the base of engineering study.

Moreover, it is a document that transfers technical

details and states the requirements. I have always
been fond of geometry since school, and it is very
necessary for the construction of a component.

8. What skills do you think a

mechanical Engineer must possess
to be successful?
A: The interviewer wants to get to know your point
of view. You could answer something like this; Out of
all the skills that a mechanical engineer must-have,
the most important, in my opinion, is a problem-
solving skill.

To solve a problem, that person should have the

ability to see things from di!erent perspectives and
should be able to decide on what will happen if. This
also requires them to be innovative and try di!erent
techniques if one doesn’t work.

Moreover, explaining ideas to another person can be

tricky who is not involved in that field, so good
communication skills are a must to become a
successful mechanical engineer.

Mechanical Project Engineer

Interview Questions and
Answers

9. What was your project during

College, and how was your
experience doing it?
A: The project I worked on during my College was
making a Hand Pump. In a group of 6 students, we
carried out deep research followed by drawing and
stage-wise project report writing under the guidance
of HOD. The overall experience was fun and
informative.

10. How did you carry out the

design process?
A: Firstly, I carried out extensive research on the
wants and needs of the markets and the scope of my
target with versatile ability. Then, I focus on the
design solutions by brainstorming, sketching and
through trial and test methods with my entire team.

Then in the next stage, my teammates and I decided

to go with the two best-suited ideas that we thought
will work and turned them into prototypes.

Then a filtration was made on these two based on

their use and ease. Finally, we focused on creating
the actual product. Feedback was also taken later on
what the consumers expected improvements.

Technical Mechanical
Engineering Interview
Questions:
These mechanical engineering interview questions
are more theory related questions. They are meant
to test your knowledge.

11. Can you explain to me what a

cotter joint is and where is it used?
A: It is a flat cotter wedge or taper pin inserted in
between two joining parts. It is usually used in one
circular motion spindle to transfer circular motion to
another spindle.

A cotter joint consists of 3 elements:

Cotter- It is the parts a"er which the joint is

named. The shape of this metal is like a wedge.
This part passes through the rectangular slot of
the spigot and socket.

Spigot- It is the male part of the joint which is

inserted into the socket. It has a rectangular slot
through which the cotter is passed.

Socket- It is the female part of the joint. There is a

hole in this part where the spigot is fitted. This
part, too, has a rectangular slot for the cotter to
pass through.

12. How do pneumatics work?

A: Pneumatics is an easy way of making things move
by just using clean and dry air. It is used in factory
automation systems as these systems use
compressed air to create mechanical motion and
power.

The pneumatics use an air compressor and reduce

the volume of air to increase its pressure. Then it is
moved into a filter in pneumatic tubing, where it is
controlled by valves before reaching an actuator.

13. How many laws of

thermodynamics are there, and
name all of them.
A: There are three laws of thermodynamics.

The first law is also called the law of conservation

of energy which says that energy cannot be
created or destroyed in an isolated system.

The second law of thermodynamics says that the

entropy of an isolated system never decreases.

The third law of thermodynamics says that the

entropy of a system approaches zero as the
temperature approaches zero.

14. What is a bearing, and where is

it used?
A: A bearing is a machine element that helps smooth
motion between two moving parts by reducing the
friction and constraining relative motion only to the
desired portion. Nearly all the industries that use
machinery and equipment have bearings in them.
The most common example where bearings can be
seen is in bicycles.

15. What is the difference between

a pneumatic system and a
hydraulic system?
A: Pneumatic system and Hydraulic system are both
applications of fluid power, but there are some very
significant di!erences like:

In Hydraulic, fluid is used for the working of the

system. Whereas, in pneumatics, air or gas is
used for the working of the system.

The hydraulic system produces more power. The

pneumatic system produces less power.

As the Hydraulic system has high pressure, it isn’t

easy to operate. Whereas the Pneumatic system
is easy to operate.

Hydraulic systems require high maintenance. The

pneumatic system is easy to maintain with
minimal cost.

Working fluid in hydraulic systems is costly as

compared to the Pneumatic system.

16. What do you mean by case

hardening?
A: Case Hardening is a technique used to harden the
surface of the metal while keeping the deep layer
underneath to remain so". It is done by infusing
more carbon or nitrogen into the surface layer, thus
making the metal more resistant and durable.

17. Is there any difference between

an electric motor and an electric
generator?
A: Fundamentally, there is no di!erence between an
electric motor and an electric generator. In our daily
use, all motors work as generators, and all
generators behave like motors. However, as the
name suggests, an Electric generator generates
electricity.

On the other hand, an electric motor uses electricity.

Additionally, an electric motor transforms electrical
energy into mechanical energy, and an electric
generator transforms mechanical energy into
electrical energy.

18. Which are some of the

household devices in which
electric motors are used?
A: Devices that use electric motors are Water pumps,
electric mixers, electric fans, MP3 Players and
washing machines.

19. What do you know about

spinning jenny?
A: Spinning Jenny was invented by James
Hargreaves. The purpose of this machine was to
revolutionize the process of cotton spinning. By
turning one single wheel, the thread was spun using
eight spindles which made the work of the operator
easier.

20. Can you explain how electricity

is produced using coal power
plants?
A: Firstly, coal is grounded into fine powder by
putting it in a pulverizer in a device called a boiler.
Later it is burnt.

The heat which is produced by burning converts

water that is present in the boiler to steam. The high
pressure of steam turns the blades of a turbine. This
results in the spinning of the generator and
electricity is produced.

21. What is a Turboprop Engine?

A: Turboprop is a word derived a"er combining the
words “turbine” and “propeller”. A turboprop engine
is a gas turbine engine that provides power to the
propeller. It is usually seen in aircra".

It works in the same way as a turbojet to

manufacture energy by incorporating a combustor,
compressor, and turbine within the gas generator.

It converts the bulk of its thrust into rotational

energy. These engines are significant for safe and
e!icient regional travel.

22. How is iron ore turned into

steel?
A: In this process, the two main elements are iron
ore and coking coal. Firstly, coking coal, iron ore,
and limestone are combined to the blast furnace
(metallurgical furnace used for smelting).

During this process, heated air is blown into the base

of the furnace to speed up the process of
combustion.

This combustion of iron ore with other elements

produces molten pig iron, which is later converted
into steel. Limestone helps in capturing the
impurities in the blast furnace.

23. Can you explain the working of

concrete pumps?
A: It uses a valve system to run smoothly and some
basic principles of hydraulics. The mixing truck
mixes the concrete in its rotating drum and makes it
in a liquid state.

The liquid concrete is then poured into a hopper,

and the hopper continues to churn it so it does not
get into the solid state.

Later, the concrete pumps suck the liquid concrete

out of the hopper through the valve system, and it is
then laid down in the area where it is required.

24. What is the density of plastic?

A: This mechanical engineering interview question
has many possible answers as there are di!erent
types of plastics, and all of them have their di!erent
density. It is calculated by dividing the mass of the
product by its volume.

The most common one is polypropylene which has a

density of 0.92 grams per cubic centimetre. The
other common type of plastic is Polyvinyl Chloride
(PVC) which has a density of 1.38 grams per cubic
centimetre, and Polyamide has a density of 1.15
grams per cubic centimetre. Polythene has three
di!erent types, which is categorized on its density
itself.

25. What is Orthographic Drawing?

A: Orthographic drawing is a presentation of three-
dimensional objects as two-dimensional objects. It
is a form of parallel projection in which the lines are
orthogonal to the projection plane. It shows the
objects from all sides as it is seen in a three-
dimensional object.

This is useful to see the hidden details and

connecting parts that are di!icult to notice in a
three-dimensional object, making the
manufacturing process more manageable and
e!ortless.

26. What is a feasibility study?

A: Feasibility study is a way to recognize what the
market needs or the business to be undertaken
according to the wants and needs. It helps in
determining if a business opportunity is possible,
practical and viable and grabbing it. It gives a
realistic view by identifying both the positive as well
as negative aspects of the study.

27. What are the advantages of

Gear drive?
A: Gear is a machine component with multiple
advantages because of its ability to transfer
mechanical power from one sha" to another.

It is helpful for compact construction as the

centre distance between the sha"s is relatively
tiny.

It is highly e!icient.

It works well even at low speed.

Its size is very compact in construction.

Its velocity ratio always remains constant as it is

used for positive drive.

They have good longevity.

Maintaining it is very easy as it only requires

lubricant to ensure its smooth running.

28. On what parameters are screws

classiNed?
A: Screws are classified based on the following
parameters:

Screw Head

Screw Thread Type

Screw Drive Type

29. Which are the different types of

screws, and what are their uses?
A: There are many types of screws:

Wood screws made up of bronze, brass, or steel

are used while working with wood.

Drywall screws are used for drywall panels.

These come in two types- W-type screws and S-
type screws.

Self-tapping screws- These screws can work as

drywall, wood or metal sheet screws. They can
be used without a drill.

Metal sheet screws are universal screws that can

be used anywhere, whether joining rubber,
plastic, metal or plywood.

Masonry screws need pre-drilling as they do not

have a pointed end.

30. What is a moment of inertia?

A: The moment of inertia is also commonly known
as mass moment of inertia, angular mass or second
moment of mass.

It is a quantity that estimates the torque required for

angular acceleration and how far it can resist. It is
derived by the addition of products of the mass of
each particle in the body and the square of its
distance from the axis of rotation.

Also Read: Civil Engineering Resume: Samples:

Guide and Writing Tips

31. What rules are required to be

followed to have good quality
castings?
A: Following rules are essential and should be kept
in mind to have a good quality of castings.

Make sure the thickness is minimal so that the

flow of materials is smooth.

Keep the casting as simple as you can.

The sharp corners should be avoided.

All the sections must be kept uniform as much as

possible.

Webs and ribs should be kept minimum.

32. What is Geometric

dimensioning and tolerancing?