Testing course 2025 @ IMW - What does an engineer actually do?

As part of a one-week testing course, schoolgirls from the region were able to get to know everyday life at Clausthal University of Technology during the fall break. They had the opportunity to gain an insight into the wide range of degree courses and professions at Clausthal University of Technology. The technical students from the Niedersachsen-Technikum also took advantage of the opportunity and took part in the testing course to gain an insight into various degree courses. The Niedersachsen-Technikum is a STEM career orientation program for (technical) high school graduates, which is offered at various universities in Lower Saxony from September to February.

This year, the IMW once again took part with a two-hour program and presented some highlights from both the Chair of Machine Elements and Design Engineering (Prof. Lohrengel) and the Chair of Integrated Product Development (Prof. Inkermann).

What does an engineer actually do? Everything in our program revolved around this question. After an overview of the profession of engineer and the mechanical engineering degree program, the students were given an introduction to CAD (computer-aided design) and VR (virtual reality). The students were able to independently design a car tire "hands-on" and then view the assembly of the tire into the complex vehicle assembly using VR glasses. This practical approach and the use of the respective programs can be learned at the IMW and is one of the many exciting aspects of studying mechanical engineering at Clausthal University of Technology.

The next item on the program included current research into ergonomics on the"ergometer" training device in the biomechanics laboratory. Here, the students were able to pedal for themselves and experience measurement technology such as strain gauges live. The students were then given a tour of the machine hall, where they were able to get to know a tension test bench for testing drive shafts, for example. They were also able to see an examination in the Tribology department - the students were able to try out measuring lubrication gap heights on our tribometer for teaching purposes.

Finally, they visited the TU Create student workshop at the IMW, where students have the opportunity to realize their own project ideas prototypically with the help of 3D printing, a milling machine or a laser cutter. At the end, the students received a small give-away as a souvenir of their time at the Institute of Mechanical Engineering.

We look forward to many more exciting questions from pupils and prospective students - so please get in touch with us directly!

Would YOU also like to get to know the IMW and mechanical engineering? Please contact us at: office@imw.tu-clausthal.de or register with us for the next Girls'Day2026 at.

PS: You can also get a first insight via our overview on the IMW homepage: www.imw.tu-clausthal.de