The key things these various “types” of calculators have in common, is the ability they give the user to perform fast calculations in relation to all manner of projects. These projects can encompass – but are not limited to – the creation of circuits and power systems.
When it comes to such specialised fields as these, calculators play a fundamental role beyond simply “crunching numbers”. Yes, the input may be raw data, but calculators can turn these into actionable insights. This, in turn, can help ensure precision, efficiency, and safety.
3 Ways in Which Calculators Are Useful in Electrical Design and Engineering
Let’s take a look, then, at the various ways in which calculators support all manner of modern engineering and electrical design projects:
- They Speed Up Complex Calculations
It might seem an “obvious” one, but it is important to emphasise, nonetheless; with today’s calculators, computations that once took five minutes can now be done in 10 seconds.
Furthermore, when a calculator is being used, the human tendency towards mistakes and inaccuracies is largely taken out of the equation (presuming the human user doesn’t make an error with the input values, of course).
So, whether a given designer or engineer is attempting to determine the voltage, resistance, or current value they will need for a particular installation, or perhaps optimising LED circuits with a resistor calculator, a handheld or software calculator can help them get complicated processes done so much sooner.
- They Allow for The Greatest Possible Accuracy
If you’re accustomed to undertaking manual calculations in your work, you might be aware that converting imperial horsepower (also known as “mechanical horsepower”) into kilowatts, is a relatively simple process of multiplying the horsepower number by 0.7457.
But what if, to make things easier or because you can’t remember the entire formula, you round up that 0.7457 to 0.75? This might seem a subtle change, but it could compound into a big problem. It would mean that a 100 hp motor, for instance, is calculated to be 75 kW, instead of the correct 74.57 kW – a 0.43 kW difference.
When such slips in precision are made across a range of engineering and electrical design applications, all manner of problems can arise, such as undersized beams or overloaded circuits. This is one more reason, then, to turn to a specialised calculator or conversion tool that can ensure accuracy to multiple decimals.
- They’re Just as Useful for The Largest-Scale Projects
Think, for a moment, of all the engineering and electrical design work that needs to be undertaken for a skyscraper, smart grid, or a similarly vast or multilayered project. Across such settings, there can be thousands of variables involved, encompassing loads, distances, and other parameters.
If you are overseeing such an ambitious design, you won’t want to get any of the necessary calculations wrong. After all, the cost of any such errors could easily run into thousands, or tens of thousands, of pounds.
Fortunately, today’s advanced calculators and software tools can quickly carry out the required calculations for parallel circuits, structural stress, and other complicated aspects that it might be too time-consuming or impractical for a human to handle manually.
Modern calculators, then, aren’t a mere “nice to have” for so many of today’s electrical and engineering design projects. They are of profound importance for predicting and avoiding potential failures, optimising layouts, and delivering projects that meet even the most demanding needs.
Author details: RS Components is a leading global distributor stocking over 750,000+ industrial and electronics products – from over 2,500 partner suppliers.
