Mechanical engineering is extremely diverse. The spectrum ranges from household appliances and cars to Airbuses and computer tomographs. In order to develop such products, mechanical engineering combines knowledge from the natural sciences, computer science and Electrical Engineering. However, it is not only the products that are developed, but also the production systems. Against this background, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering plays a decisive role in shaping the university's profile. This applies in particular to the interplay with computer science: modern mechanical engineering is applied computer science.

This can be seen in the new areas of mechanical engineering such as mechatronics and industrial automation, but also in the use of computers in product and production system development. New analysis and simulation techniques save time and money, while innovative forms of interaction such as virtual reality and augmented reality facilitate dialogue with the computer.

Due to our size, we limit ourselves to the aspects of mechanical engineering that are important to us and in which we want to do good work. Our 16 groups cooperate with each other, with other faculties and with other universities in order to be at the forefront of research in these key areas. The key challenges we are addressing in Paderborn are resource efficiency, sustainability and environmental compatibility of products and production processes, the use of information technology and safety. For example, we are working on modern additive manufacturing processes at the DMRC (Direct Manufacturing Research Center), on the energy transition at the KET (Competence Centre for Energy Technology), on lightweight construction at the ILH (Institute for Lightweight Construction with Hybrid Systems) and on intelligent technical systems at the East Westphalian cluster of excellence "it's OWL" and the Fraunhofer IEM. All of these organisational units have grown successfully in recent years; the cooperating companies form reliable structures for us and our students.

An outstanding, but also typical research project of the Faculty is the Collaborative Research Centre/Transregio (SFB/TRR) 285, which aims to develop methods for mechanical joinability in versatile process chains in order to adapt joinability - as the key to efficient production processes - to the increasing diversity of products using different materials and construction methods.