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How the Excel application works):
The Excel file uses Visual Basic to drive the application and an
Excel worksheet to store the data base and reports. User
inputs spring design data into input boxes and selects a material
and material hardness from pull down menus provided. Once
design data has been entered, the user goes to a tab labeled
"calculations." User clicks the "calculate"
button to review results from spring design data given.
Modifications can be made to improve the spring design if
necessary and then recalculated.
Excel Database):
The application uses a worksheet in the Microsoft Excel file to
use as the data base for problems and the materials available.
Additional materials can be added or
existing data can be modified within the Excel file. The
material data base
contains materials with their respective properties. Another
Excel sheet is for printing reports of a particular problem save
to the data base.
Reports):
Reports can be generated for a problem from an Excel sheet for
any problem that has been saved to the database. Additional
notes can be added on the reports if needed.
Advantages):
The Excel application provides several advantages for the
user. They are as follows:
- Quickly calculates the design of a spring with the design
data given.
- Changes to the design data or material selection can be made
at any time and quickly recalculated.
- General guidelines on how to design a spring.
- Instructions on how to use the application.
- Problems can be saved, modified, deleted, and/or retrieve from
the Excel data base.
- Equations that were used in the application can be viewed by the user.
- The Excel application, database, and report functions are all
contained in one file that has a small file size.
Limitations):
The Excel application has several limitations. They are
as follows:
- Only one application can be run at a time.
- Beams have constant cross section and thickness.
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