Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Established	27 January 1847; 178 years ago (1847-01-27)
Founder	George Stephenson
Type	Professional association
Professional title	Chartered Engineer
Headquarters	1Birdcage Walk London, England
Region served	Worldwide
Services	Professional accreditation Library
Membership	115,000 (2023)
Key people	President: Matt Garside (2025) Chief executive:Dr Alice Bunn (since July 2021)
Website	www.imeche.org

TheInstitution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is an independentprofessional association andlearned society headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that representsmechanical engineers and the engineering profession. With over 110,000 members in 140 countries, working across industries such as railways, automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, energy, biomedical and construction, the Institution is licensed by theEngineering Council to assess candidates for inclusion on its Register ofChartered Engineers,Incorporated Engineers andEngineering Technicians.

The Institution was founded at the Queen's Hotel,Birmingham, byGeorge Stephenson in 1847. It received aRoyal Charter in 1930. The Institution's headquarters, purpose-built for the Institution in 1899, is situated at No. 1Birdcage Walk in central London.

Informal meetings are said to have taken place in 1846, at locomotive designerCharles Beyer's house in Cecil Street,Manchester,^[a] or alternatively atBromsgrove at the house ofJames McConnell, after viewing locomotive trials at theLickey Incline.^[1] Beyer,Richard Peacock,George Selby,Archibald Slate andEdward Humphrys were present. Bromsgrove seems the more likely candidate for the initial discussion, not least because McConnell was the driving force in the early years.^[2] A meeting took place at the Queen's Hotel in Birmingham to consider the idea further on 7 October and a committee appointed with McDonnell at its head to see the idea to its inauguration.^[3]

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers was then founded on 27 January 1847, in the Queen's Hotel next toCurzon Street station in Birmingham by the railway pioneerGeorge Stephenson and others.^[4] McConnnell became the first chairman.^[1] The founding of the Institution was said by Stephenson's biographerSamuel Smiles to have been spurred by outrage that Stephenson, the most famous mechanical engineer of the age, had been refused admission to theInstitution of Civil Engineers unless he sent in "a probationary essay as proof of his capacity as an engineer".^[5] However, this account has been challenged as part of a pattern of exaggeration on Smiles' part aimed at glorifying the struggles that various Victorian mechanical engineers had to overcome in their personal efforts to attain greatness.^[6] Though there was certainly coolness between Stephenson and the Institution of Civil Engineers, it is more likely that the motivation behind the founding of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers was simply the need for a specific home for the growing number of mechanical engineers employed in the burgeoning railway and manufacturing industries.^[5]

Beyer proposed that George Stephenson become the Institution's first president in 1847,^[7] followed by his son,Robert Stephenson, in 1849. Beyer became vice-president and was one of the first to present papers to the Institution;^[8]Charles Geach was the first treasurer. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries some of Britain's most notable engineers held the position of president, includingJoseph Whitworth,Carl Wilhelm Siemens andHarry Ricardo. It operated from premises in Birmingham until 1877 when it moved to London, taking up its present headquarters onBirdcage Walk in 1899.^[9]

Upon its move to London in 1877 the Institution rented premises at No. 10 Victoria Chambers, where it remained for 20 years. In 1895 the Institution bought a plot of land at Storey's Gate, on the eastern end ofBirdcage Walk, for £9,500.^[9] Architect Basil Slade looked to the newly-completed Admiralty buildings facing the site for inspiration. The building was designed in theQueen Anne, 'streaky bacon', style in red brick andPortland stone. Inside, there were several features that were state of the art for the time, including a telephone, a 54-inch fan in the lecture theatre for driving air into the building, anelectric lift from theOtis Elevator Company, and a Synchronome master-clock, which controlled all house timepieces. In 1933 architectJames Miller, who also designed the neighbouringInstitution of Civil Engineers, remodelled the building, expanding the library and introducing electric lighting.

The building would go on to host the first public presentation ofFrank Whittle'sjet engine in 1945.^[10] In 1943 it became the venue for theRoyal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers' planning ofOperation Overlord and the invasion of Normandy.^[9]

Today No. 1 Birdcage Walk hosts events, lectures, seminars and meetings in 17 conference and meeting rooms named after notable former members of the Institution, such as Whittle, Stephenson andCharles Parsons.

The following are membership grades withpost-nominals :

• Affiliate: (no post-nominal) The grade for students, apprentices and those interested in or involved in mechanical engineering.
• AMIMechE:Associate Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers: this is the grade for graduates (of acceptable degrees or equivalents in engineering, mathematics or science)
• MIMechE:Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. For those who meet the educational and professional requirements for registration as a Chartered Mechanical Engineer (CEng, MIMechE) and also as aChartered Engineer (CEng) orIncorporated Engineer (IEng) orEngineering Technician (EngTech) in mechanical engineering.
• FIMechE:Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. This is the highest class of elected membership, and is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to and innovation in mechanical engineering.

TheJames Watt International Medal is an award for excellence in engineering established in 1937 by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. It is named after Scottish engineerJames Watt (1736-1819) who developed theWatt steam engine in 1781, which was fundamental to the changes brought by theIndustrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world.

TheWhitworth Scholarship is awarded to a few promising engineers of the main engineering disciplines for the length of a degree course. On successful completion, they become Whitworth Scholars, with a medal and are entitled to use post-nominals Wh.Sch.. It was founded byJoseph Whitworth.

TheEngineering Heritage Awards were created in 1984 to help recognise and promote the value of artefacts, locations, collections and landmarks of significant engineering importance.

The Energy, Environment and Sustainability Group Prize was created in 2017 to celebrate people who have taken "significant steps to bridge the gap between an unsustainable present and a more sustainable future."^[11]

Along with The Manufacturer, the Institution also runs The Manufacturer MX Awards,^[12] andFormula Student, the world's largest student motorsport event.

The Tribology Gold Medal is awarded each year for outstanding and supreme achievement in the field oftribology. It is funded from The Tribology Trust Fund.^[13] It was established and first awarded in 1972. As of 2017, it has been awarded to 39 individuals from 12 different countries.^[14]

As of 2020^[update], there have been 135 presidents of the Institution, who since 1922 have been elected annually for one year. The first president wasGeorge Stephenson, followed by his sonRobert. Prior to 2018,Joseph Whitworth,John Penn andWilliam Armstrong were the only presidents to have served two terms.

Pamela Liversidge in 1997 became the first female president; Professor Isobel Pollock became the second in 2012 and Carolyn Griffiths became the third in 2017.

† Baker resigned in June 2018.^[24] The Institution's by-laws state that a casual vacancy for President shall be filled by appointing a Past President to the role; Tony Roche was elected and duly took up office for a second term in August of that year.^[25]

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers has a number of committees that work to promote and develop thought leadership in different industry sectors. The Institution has 8 divisions: - Aerospace, Automobile, Biomedical Engineering Association, Construction & Building Services, Manufacturing Industries, Power Industries, Process Industries and Railway.^[26]

Biomedical Engineering Association (BmEA) aims to bring together key workers from both medicine and engineering to discuss the latest advances and issues, to enable networking among different industry leaders, and to promote the field of Medical Engineering, also known asBioengineering orBiomedical Engineering, to government, healthcare professionals and the wider public. This committee offers:

• seminars, lectures and conferences every year;
• theJournal of Engineering in Medicine;^[27]
• the annual Student Project Competition.

TheRailway Division was formed in 1969 when theInstitution of Locomotive Engineers amalgamated with IMechE.^[28]

Coat of arms of Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Crest On a wreath of the colours upon a terrestrial globe a grey horse forcene Proper gorged with a coronet composed of four fleurs-de-lys with chain reflexed over the back Or. Escutcheon Sable between the points of a pair of calipers inverted Or a plate. Supporters On the dexter side a figure representing Archimedes holding in his exterior hand a pointer and on the sinister side a figure representing Vulcan resting his exterior hand upon a sledge hammer Proper. Motto Progress[29]

• Engineering
• James Watt International Medal
• Chartered Engineer
• Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers

This article includes a list ofgeneral references, butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations. Please help toimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(April 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

• Pullin, John (1997).Progress through Mechanical Engineering. Quiller Press.ISBN 1-899163-28-X.
• Cragg, Roger (1997).Civil Engineering Heritage: Wales and West Central England: Wales and West Central England, 2nd Edition. Thomas Telford.ISBN 0-7277-2576-9.
• Watson, Garth (1988).The civils: the story of the Institution of Civil Engineers. Thomas Telford Limited.ISBN 978-0727703927.
• Awdry, Rev W (1981). "Bromsgrove and the Lickey Incline: the railway revolution". In Foster, John (ed.).Bygone Bromsgrove: an illustrated story of the town in days gone by. Bromsgrove Society.ISBN 9780950947143.OL 19606374M.

• IMechE Official website
• Professional Engineering magazine website

• Institution of Mechanical Engineers
• 1847 establishments in the United Kingdom
• ECUK Licensed Members
• Mechanical engineering organizations
• Organisations based in the City of Westminster
• Scientific organizations established in 1847
• Learned societies of the United Kingdom

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