Technology constantly changes and many people have grown a lot more attached to
their mobile devices. Smartphones and tablets have become the one-stop-shop for
communication and entertainment, and people are also increasingly using them to
accomplish work-related tasks, with just a simple swipe of the finger.
As the smartphone and tablet market continues growing almost exponentially, apps are
also growing. Just a few years ago, smartphone users were downloading more apps on
the iPhone than on Android. The scale has tipped now and it’s about half and half today.
Regardless of the platform, the multitudes of apps being added to the App Store and
Google Play every day are giving engineers an opportunity to perform simple and
repetitive tasks now while they’re on the road. Here are nine useful Android apps that
might be handy for mechanical engineering professionals and students alike.
EngCalc
This app includes formulae and property tables for mechanical, hydraulic, structural,
machine design, fluid mechanics, electrical, heat and mass transfer, thermodynamics,
HVAC, pipe flow, and automotive, just to name a few. It also integrates a unit convertor
with units and conversions.
Heat Transfer Calculator
This app offers calculators related to heat transfer calculations. There are calculators
including a conduction and convection calculator, which calculates the conduction and
convection phenomenon and then outputs the temperature or heat transfer rate. It also
will allow unit conversion of heat transfer-related units from Metric to English units.
Engineering Unit Converter
This is an amazing engineering unit converter that allows engineers to choose any
category they like from a list, such as length, energy, entropy, or electric charge. The
available units appear in two spinning wheels, and you can change the input value, sort
units, or use the swap button.
Fluid Mechanics Converter
Here is a conversion calculator that translates different units of measure related to
fluid mechanics. The app includes a fluid converter, flow rate (mass) converter, flow
rate (volume) converter, viscosity (dynamic or oil and water) converter, and a viscosity
(kinematic) converter. Engineers are able to simulate design options during the concept
phase using Autodesk’s ForceEffect Motion app.
Engineering Cookbook
This app is a reference guide for mechanical designers. It provides access to frequently
needed information, such as heating and cooling load estimating, sound and vibration
guidelines, ventilation rates for air quality, and design formulas and conversion factors.
Mechanical Engineering 101
Mechanical Engineering 101 is an on-the-go learning app that teaches you the basics
of mechanical engineering. The app provides bite-sized learning through tutorials,
flashcards and quizzes.
Mechanical Engineering Magazine
Here’s the monthly flagship publication of ASME in app form. It delivers an
interdisciplinary view of engineering trends, and gives readers a road map to
understanding today’s technology and tomorrow’s innovations.
CAD View 3D MFC
This 3-D data file viewer is designed for CAD users. It supports the most popular 3-
D CAD formats, such as STL, DXF, and JT. With the help of this app, users can take
their 3-D files with them, no matter where they are, and then view them using their
smartphone or tablet. The app provides 3-D features that include a rotating model with
finger movement, changing object material color or even rendering a new background
color, plus changing the intensity of the rendering light.
Autodesk ForceEffect Motion
This app lets engineers develop functional moving mechanical systems right on
their mobile devices. Unlike the traditional approach of paper, pencil, and using a
calculator to develop equations for design options, this app does all the simulation
and engineering calculations right there on your mobile device. It enables engineers to
simulate design options during the concept phase and determine the viability of a new
design.
Technology is constantly changing with smartphones and tablets becoming more and
more capable of accomplishing work-related tasks. Newer smartphone and tablet
apps appear daily and they’re getting smarter and smarter. If you are a mechanical
engineering professional or a student, one or more of these apps may be just the KEY
to you becoming more successful, today, tomorrow and in the future.
Author Bio:
StephenJohn working as a blogger at Key Difference. Area of expertise is on MobileAppDevelopment,
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