Engineers are the driving force behind the digital revolution. In just the last decade, there has been a rise in automation technologies that have turned menial tasks at almost every level of society into an automated process.
Emerson, a global technology and engineering leader, is designing automation solutions for engineers that they believe could propel the industry forward and increase efficiency. Emerson serves up automation solutions for a broad spectrum of engineering disciplines, including Automotive, Chemical, Industrial Energy & Onsite Utilities, Oil & Gas, Mining, Power Generation and Water & Wastewater.
Their latest solution to engineering efficiency is a set of new digital, cloud-based tools that can help individual engineers stay on top of their projects. The MyEmerson engineering tools promise to save engineers time and allow them to work on the things that matter.
Source: MyEmerson
For instance, the online tool repository has on-demand CAD drawings and diagrams, plus configurators that can help engineers quickly create CAD drawings for the operations they need. Emerson says CAD drawings only take 15 minutes to be uploaded to their database, whereas it typically takes four hours to get CAD drawings to a user database in traditional engineering fields.
For engineers that work with gas, liquid, and steam, the MyEmerson application has a flow solutions technology advisor that can assist with measurements and provides configuration assistance for flow technologies specific to an engineer’s needs.
The online toolkit has various calculators, including:
- Power Module Life Estimator
- Appleton Lighting Retrofit Calculator
- Wireless Cost Savings Estimator
- ASCO Conversion Calculator (Metric/Imperial)
- Wireless Gateway Capacity Estimator
- ASCO Numacalc Pneumatic System Design Calculator
The application can assist with finding information on how to configure instrumentation found in the field — which purportedly helps engineers set instrumentation up at 93% faster than traditional methods. There is even a live chat that engineers can utilize to ask questions and get rapid answers from an online expert.
Emerson’s website states, “The process of specifying devices is often complex. From seasoned engineers to those new to the industry, it can be difficult to specify solutions for a range of applications.
“MyEmerson engineering tools allow you to confidently design solutions, regardless of your level of expertise. With these tools, you can quickly create a valid configuration, accurately select a device, generate required documentation, or calculate ROI. Use digital engineering tools to save time and augment your own expertise - to confidently engineer the best solution.”
The future of web apps for engineers
There are several web applications that engineers can utilize in their day-to-day operations to make their jobs easier. Doing back-of-the-envelope calculations and simulating engineering scenarios on the cloud before carrying them out in reality, is extremely popular with engineers.
Source: Webappsforengineers.com
One website that hosts loads of engineering calculations useful for civil and structural, and mechanical engineers is webappsforengineers.com.
For those wading into the machine learning and big data sectors of the engineering industry, MATLAB Online is a useful tool. MATLAB is used for analysing data, developing machine learning algorithms and creating models and applications. With no installation necessary, and just a standard browser required, engineers can access a lightweight online app that can help them efficiently develop algorithms of the future.
Another engineering website that lists the top fifty free web apps for engineers is EngineeringDegrees.org. They lay the categories out according to; CAD Software, Calculators, Odds and Ends, Productivity, and Engineering Tools Overload. This new way of seeking out digital tools that help engineers calculate and simulate is changing the way they do their jobs.
Cloud synchronization for engineers within companies, and general web apps and digital tools that can assist engineers in their work are rapidly being rolled out to produce more efficiency in all industries. We can expect to see more online resources and smartphone apps that make the action of remote and on-site engineering much more complex and efficient.
Works Cited
“Engineering Tools.” Emerson US, www.emerson.com/en-us/automation/digital/engineering-tools.
“MATLAB Online.” MATLAB & Simulink, uk.mathworks.com/products/matlab-online.html#no-downloads-or-installations.
