Mechanical engineering approach and book list

Approach:

• If one has decided to take mechanical engineering as optional, one should be prepared to devote a big chunk of their time to the subject.
• My approach towards mechanical engineering was mainly practicing numerical and making and updating my notes.
• Instead of solving numericals from multiple books, I solved numericals of one book multiple times.
• I used to start my chapter with Made Easy handwritten notes. Then to book and then to previous year.
• I used to mark important questions in the books
• At the later stage of my preparation, I start with my notes to previously marked questions from the book and then to previous year questions.

Book list
Paper 1:

• Mechanics of rigid bodies:
  • No particular book.
  • Questions from this topic is regularly asked in exam and most of the time they are compulsory questions. Though questions are easy and are of IIT-JEE level, but one shouldn’t neglect this topic. Solving previous year questions is sufficient.
• Mechanics of deformable bodies:
  • Mechanics of material by B.C.Punmia.
  • I completely relied on this book for this chapter. Solve examples from the book. One may also go through the ‘additional illustrative examples’ given at the end of chapter.
• Engineering Materials:
  • Production engineering by Swadhesh kumar singh or Materials Science and Engineering by William Callister
  • This is one of the easiest chapter. Callister is useful for the theory part and Swadhesh Singh book is for quick revision and numerical.
• Theory of Machines:
  • S.Rattan or khurmi. I followed Rattan.
  • One of the most important chapter of paper one. Solve each and every example given in the Rattan. UPSC often gives direct question from the book.
• Manufacturing Process:
  • Production engineering by Swadhesh kumar singh, A Textbook of Manufacturing Technology: Manufacturing Processes by R.K. Rajput
  • I followed these two books. I made my own notes from Rajput and Swadhesh singh. Rajput book is very thick and selective reading is required. Non-conventional machining is most important topic. Every year one or two question is asked from this. Machine tool’s numericals is very important. Use Swadhesh Singh book for numerical practice. Solve each and every numerical. Direct question is asked from this chapter
  • For metrology, I used a book by M.Mahajan. only 2-3 chapter is relevant. The questions asked are very easy but are regularly asked in the exam.
  • For NC, CNC, jigs and fixture topic, I used handout from IGNOU and internet search.
• Manufacturing Management:
  • This is very important as well as very scattered topic. Use Hira and gupta for numerical practice. Theory can be read by martand telsang book
  • Cover theory thoroughly. Questions from this chapter is often compulsory.

Paper 2

• Thermodynamics
  • P. K.Nag
  • One of the most important topic. P.K.Nag is sufficient for this chapter. Conceptual understanding is required specially of entropy, exergy and available energy topic. Thermodynamics by Rajput is also a good book.
• Gas Dynamics and Turbine:
  • S. M.Yahya. it is one of the most confusing book but I couldn’t find any other source.
  • Its better to make one’s own notes and solve previous year questions.
• Heat Transfer:
  • Holman and Rajput.
  • Holman is good for conceptual understanding. Rajput has large number of numericals for practice. Questions are regularly asked from this chapter.
• I. C. Engines:
  • V. Ganeshan
  • Theory as well as numericals are regularly asked from this topic. Solve every example given in the ganeshan. Direct questions are asked in the exam. Theory portion should be cover in detail. Mathur & Sharma is also a good book for this topic.
• Steam Engineering:
  • P. K.Nag
  • Nag is sufficient for this. Cover theory in detail. Numerical asked are often tough and tricky in nature. Solve every example from Nag.
  • Steam nozzle is very important. It should be read with Gas dynamics chapter.
  • Boiler type is better covered in Rajput book.
• Refrigeration and air-conditioning:
  • C.P.Arora
  • Important for theory as well as numerical. It is relatively easy chapter as well but sometimes tricky numericals are asked in exam. Solve examples from CP Arora book.

Making notes

• Making own notes is very important. How one makes their notes depend on individual to individual.
• I didn’t make short notes. My notes were detailed and I used to update it when I come across new concept or trick. My notes also included some solve questions.For example my notes of a very small topic, inventory is as below
• IMG_20180514_122301251_HDR.jpg, IMG_20180514_122320058_HDR.jpg, IMG_20180514_122334826_HDR.jpg
• Its better to make notes because it is not possible to revise without notes just before the exam.

Solving questions

• Solve examples from at least one standard textbook.
• Solving questions of previous year is unavoidable. Questions are often repeated from previous year.
• Made easy publishes solved paper of CSE, IES and IFoS exam. One can take help of these.

Test series

• I joined Next IAS test series for mechanical engineering.
• It helped me in completing the syllabus as well as identifying the weak areas.