With technology constantly changing, many people have grown a little
more than attached to their mobile devices. In an age when smart phones
and tablets have become the one-stop-shop for communication and
entertainment, people are also increasingly using them to accomplish
work-related tasks with a simple swipe of the finger.
As the smartphone and tablet market continues to experience growth,
apps also are on the rise. A few years ago, smart phone users were
downloading more apps on the iPhone than on Android. The scale seems to
be tipping now and as reported by
Canalys, just over half of all apps downloaded in the first quarter of this year were for Android.
"The market has changed significantly," says Shuchi Khurana, founder and CEO of
Axon Calc,
a company that develops mobile calculator apps for science and
engineering. "When I started the company in 2010, there were fewer apps,
but now there are lots of calculation, reference, and unit conversion
apps on Google Play," he adds.
In Khurana's opinion, "The natural progression for apps would be mix of
information with calculation and apps becoming smarter by doing complex
calculations – being able to solve problems with default input and
flexibility to add." He envisions a social component where sharing will
grow and engineers give feedback to each other.
Regardless of the platform, the multitudes of
apps being added to the
App Store
and Google Play every day are enabling engineers to perform simple and
repetitive tasks while on the road. Here are nine useful Android apps
that can be handy for mechanical engineering professionals and students.
Heat Transfer Calculator
offers calculators related to heat transfer calculations. The
calculators include a conduction and convection calculator which
calculates the conduction and convection phenomenon and outputs the
temperature or heat transfer rate. It also allows unit conversion of
heat transfer-related units from Metric to English units
EngCalc
includes formulae and property tables for mechanical, hydraulic,
structural, machine design, electrical, fluid mechanics, heat and mass
transfer, thermodynamics, HVAC, pipe flow, and automotive. It also
integrates a unit convertor with units and conversions.
Engineering Unit Converter
is an engineering unit converter that allows engineers to choose a
category such as length, energy, entropy, electric charge, etc., from a
list. The available units appear in two spinning wheels and you can
change the input value in the yellow field, sort units, or use the swap
button
Fluid Mechanics Converter
is a conversion calculator that can translate different units of
measure related to fluid mechanics. The app includes a fluid converter,
flow rate (mass) converter, flow rate (volume) converter, viscosity
(dynamic) converter, viscosity (oil and water) converter, and a
viscosity (kinematic) converter
Engineering Cookbook
is a reference guide for mechanical designers. It provides access to
frequently needed information, including heating and cooling load
estimating; sound and vibration guidelines, ventilation rates for indoor
air quality; and design formulas and conversion factors.
Mechanical Engineering 101
is an on-the-go learning app that helps you to understand the basics of
"Mechanical Engineering 101." The app provides bite-sized learning
through tutorials, quizzes, and flashcards.
Mechanical Engineering Magazine
is the monthly flagship publication of ASME. The app delivers an
interdisciplinary view of engineering trends, giving readers a roadmap
to understand today's technology and tomorrow's innovations.
CAD View 3D MFC
is a 3-D data file viewer designed for CAD users. It supports the most
popular 3-D CAD formats including STL, DXF, and JT. With help of this
app, users can take their 3-D files with them no matter where they are
and view them with their phone (or tablet) directly. The app provides
3-D features including rotating model with finger movement, changing
object material color or rendering background color, and changing
rendering light intensity.
Autodesk ForceEffect Motion
app allows engineers to develop functional moving mechanical systems
right on their mobile devices. Unlike the traditional approach of using
paper, pencil, and a calculator to develop equations for design options,
the app does all the simulation and engineering calculations on mobile
device, enabling engineers to simulate design options during the concept
phase to determine the viability of a design.
Engineers are able to simulate design options during the concept phase using Autodesk’s ForceEffect Motion app. Image: Autodesk
