scope:

Introduction and aims

The development of technical products in the way required in terms of costs, deadlines and quality require numerous calculation tasks of different types to be solved during the design process. The range of tasks to be managed by designers comprises numerous engineering disciplines such as, for example, the design of machine elements, strength calculations, kinematic considerations, flow calculations and thermodynamic considerations and calculations of electric fields. The tasks range from the routine up to special calculation tasks that seldom recur and require the inclusion of calculation specialists or the assignment of the calculation task to external contractors. This means that in addition to specialist and organizational abilities there is also a need for the capacity to cooperate in an interdisciplinary fashion using teamwork.

The basis for calculation is principally to be found in personal experience, company know-how and numerous reference works, such as engineering manuals, collections of formulae, VDI guidelines, DIN standards, calculating rules and collections of experimental data. Depending upon circumstances, new trials must be carried out to ensure the calculating principles. Calculations carried out in reference works are frequently available nowadays as computer programs or program libraries.