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In the modern world, most presume that almost anything and everything that was once performed manually, can be automated. Certainly, engineering professionals are not unaffected by this shift. Even the most ‘traditionally minded’ workers in this sphere now tend to rely greatly on specialised software and calculators. To keep pace with the face moving modern industry, RS Components Ltd recommends that there are some calculations which should no longer be carried out manually.

It is true that significant numbers of engineers still undertake certain calculations manually. There are understandable reasons for this – for example, a given engineer might do some basic calculations from time to time as a means of quickly verifying a particular result they have gained from a software tool is reasonable. Whatever the reasons may be for still having a habit of manual calculations there can be some major disadvantages of depending too much on it.

Some of those pitfalls are obvious, such as the potential for human error to creep in, and manual calculations being more time-consuming than using a dependable online calculator. Other potential drawbacks – such as the compliance risks, or the inconsistencies that can arise when multiple engineers in a team use different methods – may be less frequently acknowledged.

With no further ado here are the five engineering calculations for which professionals should switch to using automated tools.

Resistor sizing calculations for LEDs

As wonderfully versatile as LEDs are, their inability to regulate current does mean a resistor is often required to serve as a ‘current limiter’ in an LED circuit. Otherwise, the LED could draw too much current from the power source and consequently overheat and fail.

Yes, the calculation for determining the appropriate resistor value for an LED circuit can be performed manually. However, it is time-consuming. Plus, it is unnecessary, when online tools enable you to determine the necessary resistor value for your project by inputting the LED supply voltage, LED forward voltage and LED forward current.

Length conversion calculations

Using an online calculator for length conversion does, of course, make sense for all the more ‘predictable’ reasons, such as speed, accuracy and convenience. However, it can also be a wise course of action because the best calculators enable rapid conversion of almost any commonly used unit into another commonly used unit, without the need to remember the specific multiplier each time.

The RS Online website presents an easy length conversion calculator for manufacturing and engineering applications, with such units as inches, yards, feet, millimetres, centimetres and metres all covered.

Fluid flow and pressure calculations

Fluid mechanics – the branch of physics concerned with the mechanics of fluids such as liquids, gases and plasmas, and the forces on them – can certainly present a high risk of mistakes being made and crucial aspects being overlooked. This is why it can be a wise course of action to bookmark a good online fluid mechanics calculator that can help to quickly and easily determine flow rates, pipe sizes and pressure losses.

Heat transfer and thermal resistance calculations

Whether professionals need to determine the rate at which energy moves between objects or systems – in other words, heat transfer – or are looking to measure a material’s ability to resist heat flow (thermal resistance), these are calculations that can be tricky to do by hand. Such calculations are, however, of critical importance in electronics and HVAC projects. Hence the use of some reputable software for such purposes will allow unnecessary risks to be avoided.

Beam stress and deflection calculations

Engineers frequently need to know how a particular beam will deform under applied loads. For this, they draw upon formulas that take into account material properties, geometry and load conditions. Again, reputable software is available that can produce dependable results without the need for the engineer to embark on a marathon of manual calculation work.