Bulten launches FastCalc iPhone app
Choosing the correctly dimensioned fastener can be hard, even for the most experienced engineer. Calculations need to take into account several parameters, such as dimension, friction and type of goods if the optimum, most appropriate solution is to be found.
For Bulten AB, one of the biggest suppliers of fasteners to the automotive industry, the choice of the correctly dimensioned screw joint, for instance, is something taken very seriously.
“Every day we work to choose the right type of screw for a particular application,” says engineer Philip Lejon, adding: “If for example you tighten the screw too hard, it should break, but the goods shouldn’t. To make sure this is what happens, you have to calculate a sufficient thread depth in the goods. It’s cheaper and easier to change a screw than a whole component.”
This is why in June, Bulten launched an application on the popular AppStore for iPhone and iPod users. The app is called Bulten FastCalc, and it simplifies a technical designer’s job of choosing new or evaluating existing fasteners. The app enables customers to assess more easily what type of joint is most appropriate. Although the FastCalc app does not provide definitive answers, it does give a pointer as to the choice to make.
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PHILIP LEJON, ENGINEER BULTEN |
The app costs SEK 22 and is available to download as soon as the user is connected to the Internet. Philip Lejon explains that FastCalc will be further developed, partly with information about new technology and new materials. Users will also be able to watch demo films and send in any questions they may have. The iPad version will be launched later this year. The iPad’s large screen makes it possible to present more information about how the calculations can be used. An adaptation of the app for Android is also planned.
Although the app has only been around for a few months, it is clear that there is global interest. The download statistics show that FastCalc users can be found all over the world, including in the UK, Germany, Chile, South Africa and the USA.
“The FastCalc app clearly shows that Bulten is a future-oriented company that’s at the forefront of technical development. We are the first in our segment to offer this type of advanced engineer application,” says Philip Lejon.