With the advent of smartphones and the applications for them, measurement and calculation tasks began to become easier. The tool apps Digital cameras allow real-time measurements, for example, without using a tape measure, and with the advantage that, in addition to the measurement, we can obtain a photograph with all the desired dimensions, to export to our project folder.
There are, of course, many other uses for the smartphone and every day they appear more and better tool apps digital for smartphones. We will see below ten alternatives for each trade and / or field of work.
Tool apps: allies of the engineer, the builder and even the operator
Both in civil works and in the dashboard of the engineer and even on the workshop workbench, smartphones and their tool apps they are gaining more prominence day by day.
Smartphones are basically pocket-size computers that allow operations that until a decade ago seemed like science fiction. All this, of course, greatly benefits engineers, technicians and even operators, since it puts multiple tool apps powerful and free that make work easier and increase productivity.
There are thousands of tool apps; Let’s see which ones can be useful and functional for our type of work.
Civil engineering, construction and masonry
one. Bosch Toolbox
Bosch Suite – Tool Apps
Is tools app for Android can be downloaded for free from Google Play. Its installation is very simple and intuitive, and the application does not show advertising once installed.
Being a suite, it brings different functionalities, all of them useful to complement the work in construction site. In addition to a nice game for free time, the suite offers:
- Measurements
- Project documentation
- Calculation memory and bill of materials
- Annotations
- Calculation tools
- Unit conversion
- Lantern
- Communication with brand devices (laser levels, for example).
two. ABAKAL Concrete calculation
Tool apps – Abakal, to measure concrete
The calculation of the different loads in reinforced concrete tiles has always been a headache for civil engineers and master builders. Fortunately, with the help of the tool apps, that problem is in the past.
This very complete application allows the calculation of the different stresses as well as their diagrams and geometric characteristics.
Available for free on the Google Play Store. The application is available in Spanish in native form.
3. ABAKAL Calculation of beams
Another headache is represented by the beams. Like in the tool apps Previously, it allows you to calculate everything automatically, achieving in a matter of seconds what until a few years ago took hours or even days.
The civil engineer, master builder or student will be able to perform the calculations of bending moments, shear and deflection in beams of constant section comfortably and without fear of making mistakes. As before, this app generates very complete reports that can be exported in a format compatible with Microsoft Excel and LibreOffice Calc.
Available for free on the Google Play Store. The application is available in Spanish in native form.
Four. Plumb-bob, 3D plumb
It is a free app for Android, available in the Google Play Store. Allows you to take measurements and check the level or angle of many objects with just the smartphone camera.
When you run it for the first time, it will offer an entertaining tutorial to learn how to use it. From that moment, and with a very simple calibration, it will be possible to determine the level, concentricity, height, length and even volume of any object.
At first glance it seems unlikely that just a camera phone can achieve all of this, but the tool it is surprisingly accurate in its measurements.
It is worth installing this application, to always have it available if we need to perform a quick measurement and we do not have the tools at hand.
Electronics and electricity
5. Mobile electrician
This application, available for free for Android, brings a very extensive list of calculation possibilities, all very useful for the electrical technician or an electronics engineer.
Although the application is offered in Spanish, the help has not yet been translated into our language; on the other hand, its use is very simple, which makes it unlikely that access to help will be required. Advertising is also shown in the free version, but these two cons in no way overshadow the benefits it offers. Highly recommended.
6. Electrical calculations
This tool application for Android is quite complete and has been translated into Spanish. It can be downloaded for free, although it shows advertising. Its outstanding features include:
- Calculation of voltage drop.
- Maximum length of cables.
- Color table for resistors.
- Capacitor codes.
- Calculation of turns in transformers (turns in primary and secondary).
- Calculation of thermocouples.
- Cable color code table.
- Diagram for three-phase motors.
There is the possibility of buying a pro key, which in addition to eliminating the advertising includes more functionalities.
Welding
7. Solter Welding Parameters – welding parameters for TIG, MIG / MAG and manual arc welding
Tool App – Welding
One of the Android tool applications, free and in Spanish, available on Google Play. It is a really very simple but extremely useful app: it calculates, in a matter of milliseconds, the appropriate parameters for each weld according to the electrode, the thickness of the material and the type of weld.
It is available in Spanish and is an initial version; there will be very promising updates soon.
Mechanics
8. Sandvik Coromant Calculator – parameter calculator for CNC centers
This CNC machining tool is available in Spanish and for free on Google Play. Whether you need to calculate the optimal parameters for drilling, turning or milling operations, this app will calculate them perfectly.
A very interesting aspect is that it allows, in addition to calculating machining parameters, to know the production costs per unit; something very useful for SMEs.
Sandvik – Tool App for Machining
9. Workshop calculations – cutting speed calculations for CNC
As a complement to the tool apps from Sandvik, we can install this other one, very simple but at the same time very useful to determine the correct cutting speeds of the tools depending on the diameter. It is used for turning and milling operations.
A very positive aspect is that the interface is completely simple and without advertising. It is offered in Spanish and, like the others, is available on Google Play for Android.
Plumbing and hydraulics
10. Pipeflex – pipe calculations
A very complete free app for Android, although at the moment it is not available in Spanish. Among its most outstanding features are the possibility of searching a database for the characteristics and dimensions of each tubular component (such as elbows, nipples, tees, etc.), calculation of the necessary thickness based on hydraulic pressure, memory of calculations, calculation maximum spacing between supports, and endless similar possibilities.
Another interesting feature of this app is that it allows calculations in imperial or metric units.
Pipeflex – App
How are these applications installed?
Too easy! Each of the ten points has a direct link to the tool apps on the Google Play Store.
From your phone, open this article. Find the application you want to install and open the specified link there. You will then see that the page for that app opens in the Google Play Store. On the right you will see a button that says Install. Click on it. Ready! Depending on the size of each one and the speed of the connection, the installation step may take a few seconds to several minutes. Have patience; All of these applications have been tested on tablets and phones.
Once Android finishes installing, it will alert you with a notification. You can now start your tool apps! You will probably need to make some initial adjustments (as in the case of Bosch Toolbox and Plumb-bob). But fear not; all are very simple to use.
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