UPSC IES/ESE (Engineering Services) Manufacturing, Industrial and Measurement Engineering Syllabus

Manufacturing, Industrial and Measurement Engineering syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Manufacturing, Industrial and Measurement Engineering in UPSC IES/ESE (Engineering Services), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Manufacturing and Production Processes

   4 topics

   • Casting, forming and joining processes
     • Sand casting and special casting
     • Forging, rolling and welding
   • Metal cutting and machine tools
   • Tool life, machinability and cutting fluids
   • Unconventional and additive manufacturing
2. 2

   Metrology and Engineering Measurements

   4 topics

   • Limits, fits and tolerances
   • Linear, angular and form measurement
   • Measurement of physical quantities and transducers
   • Errors, calibration and uncertainty in measurement
3. 3

   Industrial Engineering and Operations Management

   4 topics

   • Work study, method study and time study
   • Production planning and control
   • Forecasting, inventory and supply chain management
     • EOQ models
     • MRP and JIT
   • Operations research
     • Linear programming and transportation
     • Queuing and assignment
4. 4

   Instrumentation and Process Measurement

   4 topics

   • Measurement of temperature, pressure and flow
   • Measurement of displacement, strain and level
   • Signal conditioning and data acquisition
   • Electrical and electronic measuring instruments
5. 5

   Maintenance, Reliability and Engineering Economics

   4 topics

   • Maintenance strategies and condition monitoring
   • Reliability, availability and failure analysis
   • Depreciation, costing and economic evaluation
   • Break-even analysis and replacement decisions

Manufacturing, Industrial and Measurement Engineering flashcards for UPSC IES/ESE (Engineering Services)

22 of 53 cards from the Manufacturing, Industrial and Measurement Engineering deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are the three broad categories of manufacturing processes used to give a workpiece its final shape?

   Casting/molding (shaping from liquid/powder), forming/deformation (plastic deformation of solid, e.g. forging, rolling), and joining/assembly (welding, brazing). Material removal (machining) is a fourth subtractive category.

2. Define casting as a manufacturing process.

   A process in which molten metal is poured into a mold cavity of the desired shape and allowed to solidify, then removed as a finished or near-finished part. It is suited to complex shapes and intricate internal cavities.

3. What is the difference between expendable-mold and permanent-mold casting?

   In expendable-mold casting (e.g. sand casting, investment casting) the mold is destroyed to remove each casting. In permanent-mold casting (e.g. die casting, gravity die casting) a reusable metal mold is used for many castings.

4. What is the function of a riser in sand casting?

   A riser is a reservoir of molten metal that feeds liquid metal into the casting to compensate for solidification shrinkage, preventing shrinkage cavities. It should solidify after the casting section it feeds.

5. State Chvorinov's rule for the solidification time of a casting.

   $t_{s} = C\left(\dfrac{V}{A}\right)^{n}$, where $V$ is the casting volume, $A$ its surface area, $C$ a mold constant, and $n \approx 2$. Larger volume-to-area ratio means slower solidification.

6. What are the main pattern allowances provided in sand casting?

   Shrinkage (contraction) allowance, machining (finish) allowance, draft (taper) allowance, distortion (camber) allowance, and shake (rapping) allowance.

7. What is the purpose of a core in sand casting?

   A core is a sand body placed in the mold to produce internal cavities, holes, or undercuts that cannot be formed by the main mold halves. It is supported by core prints or chaplets.

8. Name two special casting processes and one advantage of each.

   Investment (lost-wax) casting: excellent surface finish and intricate detail. Die casting: high production rate and dimensional accuracy. Centrifugal casting: dense, defect-free hollow cylindrical parts (sound walls).

9. What is the difference between hot working and cold working?

   Hot working is deformation above the recrystallization temperature (no strain hardening, lower forces, poorer finish). Cold working is below recrystallization (strain hardening, higher strength/hardness, better finish and tolerances, higher forces).

10. Classify forging into its two main types based on die constraint.

    Open-die forging (workpiece compressed between flat/simple dies, free to flow laterally, e.g. upsetting) and closed-die (impression-die) forging (metal forced to fill a shaped die cavity, producing flash).

11. Define the angle of bite in rolling and the condition for the strip to be drawn in.

    The angle of bite (contact angle) $\alpha$ is the angle subtended by the arc of contact. For the strip to be drawn in unaided, $\tan\alpha \leq \mu$, i.e. $\mu \geq \tan\alpha$, where $\mu$ is the friction coefficient.

12. Give the formula for draft and maximum draft in flat rolling.

    Draft $d = h_{o} - h_{f}$ (reduction in thickness). Maximum possible draft $d_{max} = \mu^{2} R$, where $\mu$ is friction coefficient and $R$ is roll radius.

13. What distinguishes a fusion weld from a solid-state (pressure) weld?

    In fusion welding the joint is made by melting the base metals (with/without filler), e.g. arc, gas, resistance spot welding. In solid-state welding coalescence occurs below the melting point using pressure/diffusion, e.g. friction, forge, ultrasonic, diffusion welding.

14. What is the heat-affected zone (HAZ) in welding?

    The HAZ is the region of base metal adjacent to the weld that is not melted but whose microstructure and properties are altered by the welding heat (e.g. grain growth, hardening, softening).

15. List common weld defects.

    Porosity, slag inclusion, incomplete fusion, incomplete penetration, undercut, cracks (hot/cold), spatter, distortion, and residual stresses.

16. Define orthogonal cutting and oblique cutting.

    In orthogonal cutting the cutting edge is perpendicular to the cutting velocity (2D, chip flows in one plane). In oblique cutting the cutting edge is inclined at an angle to the velocity (3D chip flow), which is the practical real-world case.

17. Give the relationship for chip thickness ratio (cutting ratio) $r$ and the shear angle $\phi$ in orthogonal cutting.

    $r = \dfrac{t}{t_{c}} = \dfrac{\sin\phi}{\cos(\phi - \alpha)}$, and $\tan\phi = \dfrac{r\cos\alpha}{1 - r\sin\alpha}$, where $t$ = uncut chip thickness, $t_{c}$ = chip thickness, $\alpha$ = rake angle.

18. What are the three basic types of chips produced in metal cutting?

    Continuous chips (ductile materials, high speed, sharp tool), discontinuous chips (brittle materials, low speed), and continuous chips with built-up edge (BUE) (ductile material at low/medium speed with high friction).

19. State the Merchant relationship for the shear angle.

    $2\phi + \beta - \alpha = 90^{\circ}$ (i.e. $\phi = 45^{\circ} + \dfrac{\alpha}{2} - \dfrac{\beta}{2}$), where $\phi$ = shear angle, $\beta$ = friction angle, $\alpha$ = rake angle.

20. State Taylor's tool life equation.

    $VT^{n} = C$, where $V$ = cutting speed, $T$ = tool life, $n$ = exponent depending on tool material, and $C$ = constant (cutting speed for 1 minute tool life). Typical $n$: HSS $\approx 0.1$-$0.15$, carbide $\approx 0.2$-$0.4$, ceramic $\approx 0.4$-$0.6$.

21. Define machinability and list the criteria used to judge it.

    Machinability is the ease with which a material can be machined. Criteria: tool life, cutting forces/power consumed, surface finish achieved, chip form/disposal, and material removal rate.

22. What are the three primary functions of a cutting fluid?

    Cooling (carry away heat, control temperature), lubrication (reduce friction at tool-chip and tool-work interfaces), and flushing away chips. It also improves surface finish and tool life and reduces forces.

See more Manufacturing, Industrial and Measurement Engineering flashcards →

Planning Manufacturing, Industrial and Measurement Engineering for UPSC IES/ESE (Engineering Services)

Manufacturing, Industrial and Measurement Engineering (UPSC IES/ESE (Engineering Services)) FAQ