New Publication Highlights History-Making Engineering Landmarks

A new book from ASME Press, Machines That Made History — Landmarks in Mechanical Engineering, highlights the key devices and innovations that have shaped the mechanical engineering field and, in the process, have had a profound influence on modern civilization.

The 170-page publication, which was sponsored by the ASME History & Heritage Committee, offers readers an introduction to 100 selected ASME mechanical engineering landmarks that reflect the history of mechanical engineering, the breadth of the field, and its continuing impact on society. The book, written by Jennifer M. Black, includes a concise description of each landmark, accompanied by full-color and black-and-white images of each invention.

The Big Brutus mining shovel was one of 100 ASME mechanical engineering landmarks that were selected to be featured in the new ASME Press book Machines That Made History — Landmarks in Mechanical Engineering. It was the second-largest surface-mining shovel in the world at the time of its completion in 1962.

Beginning with a chapter covering early breakthroughs in mechanical technology, such as Archimedes' Screw Pump, Syria's Noiria Al-Muhammadiyya water wheel, and the Newcomen Engine, Machines That Made History organizes the selected landmarks into several chapters addressing specific themes, including energy; manufacturing; environmental engineering; land and sea transportation; air and space; and information, science, and medicine.

The Mr. Charlie oil rig, another landmark highlighted in the new book, was the first transportable, submersible drilling rig. It operated nearly nonstop for 32 years — and changed the offshore drilling industry forever.

Innovations profiled in these chapters include the Hanford B Reactor, the Hughes Two-Cone Drill, the ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code, the Model T Ford, the Holland Tunnel Ventilation System, the Holt Caterpillar Tractor, the Tokaido Shinkansen railway, the Wright Flyer III, the Apollo Lunar Module LM-13, the Sholes & Glidden Typewriter, and the Pierce-Donachy Ventricular Assist Device, among many other marvels of engineering.

ASME members can purchase Machines That Made History (ASME Product No. 860304) for $59 — a $20 savings on the nonmember list price. To order a copy, or for more information, visit https://www.asme.org/products/books/machines-made-history-landmarks-engineering.