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The History of the Department
1965/66
Introduction of the Chair of Aerospace Engineer-
ing. Both Franz Josef Strauß, the future Bavarian
State Premier and his fellow party member, State
Secretary Erwin Lauerbach, played a particularly
important part in this.
1967
The Institute of Machine Tools and Industrial
Engineering moves the focus of its research to
information technology and production engineering.
1968
Establishment of the Chair of Metal Forming and
Casting. Its main focus is on the use of novel, high-
strength materials and aluminium in sheet metal
parts production.
1970
THM is renamed Technische Universität München
(TUM). (Technical University of Munich or TUM).
Electrical Engineering
In 1901 the first Chair of Electrical Engineering is established
at the department. Electrical engineering is initially viewed
as part of mechanical engineering. However, it grows
increasingly more independent. In 1948 the department is split
into two independent parts consolidated in the department,
one for mechanical engineering and the other for electrical
engineering. During the 1960s there are discussions about the
department’s separation into two independent ones, and this
is finally executed in 1974.
1974
The different divisions at the Department of Mechan-
ical Engineering are set up with chairs, laboratories
and institutes combined to form major institutes:
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Labour Physiology
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Precision Engineering, Design, Machine Elements
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Automotive Technology, Materials Handling and
Agricultural Engineering
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Aerospace Technology
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Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Hydraulics and
Energetics
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Process Engineering
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Materials Science and Processing Sciences.
The Department is split into a Department of
Mechanical Engineering and a Department of
Electrical Engineering and Information Technology.
1976
Establishment of a Chair of Joining Technology
headed by Gerd Habenicht. The central research
focus of this chair is the joining of components of
different shapes and functions and materials in a
manner which is suitable for both their functions and
for production.
Use of Microprocessors –
New Perspectives for Mechanical Engineering
The first microprocessors enter the market at the beginning
of the 1970s. They open up new perspectives for mechanical
engineering and, during the following years, serve as tools
for significantly enhancing the possibilities in mechanical
engineering. Processor-controlled machines enable greater
precision. Computer calculations and simulations speed up
research and reduce its costs at the same time. The field
of robotics emerges and the automation of even complex
production steps is made possible. Information technology is
an integral part of mechanical engineering.
1977
Research at the Chair of Precision Engineering and
Micro Technology is not confined to the classic
topics such as equipment design based on either
purely electronic or electromechanical principles.
It also opens up new fields such as ink printing,
microsystems engineering, propulsion technology,
optical measurement technology, etc.
1981
The Chair and Institute of Machine Tools and
Industrial Management Technologies puts a focus
on two new research topics: industrial robotics and
assembly technology.
1989
The collaborative research centre no. 255 ‘Transat-
mospheric Flight Systems – Basics of Aerother-
modynamics, Propulsion Systems and Flight
Mechanics’ is set up, co-ordinated by Gottfried
Sachs. Its objective is the development of capabil-
ities for aerodynamically borne, stable maximum
speed flight with air-breathing propulsion systems
while meeting extreme performance requirements
with regard to both workload and range.
1990
For the first time, the TUM budget exceeds the
threshold of one billion German marks.
The proposed relocation of the Department of
Mechanical Engineering to Garching meets with
resistance from students. In June 1990 they stage
a bicycle demonstration to point to Garching’s poor
transport connection.
Almost 5,000 students are enrolled at the Depart-
ment of Mechanical Engineering.
1991
Restructuring of the department: chairs who conduct
research on the same topics are combined to form
institutes:
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Institute of Mechatronics
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Institute of Materials and Processing
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Institute of Production Technology
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Institute of Process Technology
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Institute of Mechanical and Automotive
Engineering
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Institute of Astronautics
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Institute of Energy Engineering