multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) is also being used with other CAE programs to automate and improve the iterative design process. MDO tools wrap around existing CAE processes, allowing product evaluation to continue even after the analyst goes home for the day. They also utilize sophisticated optimization algorithms to more intelligently explore possible designs, often finding better, innovative solutions to difficult multidisciplinary design problems. Manufacturing Engineering around the world Manufacturing engineering is an extremely important discipline worldwide. It goes by different names in different countries. In the United States and the continental European Union it is commonly known as Industrial Engineering and in the United Kingdom and Australia it is called Manufacturing Engineering Subdisciplines Mechanics Mechanics, in the most general sense, is the study of forces and their effects on matter. Typically, engineering mechanics is used to analyze and predict the acceleration and deformation (both elastic and plastic) of objects under known forces (also called loads) or stresses. Subdisciplines of mechanics include: Statics, the study of non-moving bodies under known loads Dynamics (or kinetics), the study of how forces affect moving bodies Mechanics of materials, the study of how different materials deform under various types of stress Fluid mechanics, the study of how fluids react to forces Continuum mechanics, a method of applying mechanics that assumes that objects are continuous (rather than discrete) If the engineering project were to design a vehicle, statics might be employed to design the frame of the vehicle in order to evaluate where the stresses will be most intense. Dynamics might be used when designing the car's engine to evaluate the forces in the pistons and cams as the engine cycles. Mechanics of materials might be used to choose appropriate materials for the manufacture of the frame and engine. Fluid mechanics might be used to design a ventilation system for the vehicle or to design the intake system for the engine. Kinematics Kinematics is the study of the motion of bodies (objects) and systems (groups of objects), while ignoring the forces that cause the motion. The movement of a crane and the oscillations of a piston in an engine are both simple kinematic systems. The crane is a type of open kinematic chain, while the piston is part of a closed four-bar linkage. Engineers typically use kinematics in the design and analysis of mechanisms. Kinematics can be used to find the possible range of motion for