The CalQlata suite of programs is an ever-growing collection of low-cost, user-friendly software databases and calculation tools for anybody with the need for an answer to a technical question covering all engineering, mathematical and scientific topics.
All our programs are referred to on this site as calculators, which is how we prefer to characterise and therefore label them.
Any regular user of formulas will know that we all make mistakes and may even forget them if we don't use them regularly. Moreover, some formulas, such as those in CalQlata's 'Ocean Waves', 'Friction' and 'Beams+' calculators are so complicated that many of us just wouldn't have the time to learn or generate them for a single problem. This can lead to unnecessary approximations, incorrect solutions or the need to hire expensive specialist personnel.
Our calculators: 'available now', 'coming soon' and 'to follow' can be found in the above (Calculators & Help) menu.
Our databases are as comprehensive and accurate as we can make them and all their data can be sorted and extracted with ease. Our calculators will open in exactly the same position as you closed them with no risk of data-loss or unnecessary prompts.
Our formulas are based upon well-known or tried and tested theories. Unlike many hand-calculations, every time you re-enter the same data, the same results will appear. You only need to check the input data, not the result.
Our calculators have no frills or unnecessary facilities: they are straightforward calculation tools and nothing more. You can copy and paste your results into your preferred spreadsheet for further processing or send them directly to your printer.
Our calculators cannot replace a technical education, nor are they a substitute for complex analytical software such as FE (Finite Element) and CAD (Computer-Aided Design). They simply provide technically enthusiastic or competent individuals with the tools to perform everyday calculations in which they can have total confidence. Individually, they help you to obtain accurate and repeatable answers to most 'relatively' straightforward technical problems, but used together (or consecutively) they provide considerably more scope for complexity.
Whilst we are fully aware that some of our simpler calculation tools are also available on the internet, we believe our ultimate collection will benefit from ...
... all at negligible cost to you.
Wherever possible, we prefer to use established and well known formulas (even when calculating data for our databases) and minimise the use and inclusion of data from sources in which we do not feel confident. We inform you if data we provide is not from a known or 'reliable' source. We provide as many significant numbers as we can in our data and calculation results leaving it to you to decide on your preferred level of rounding-off.
Whilst we frequently consult the internet for secondary verification of the data and formulas we use in our calculators, we avoid using it as a primary source because of the potential lack of quality control. It is CalQlata's experience that published paper documentation tends to be a much more reliable source of information. We therefore concentrate on this form of publication for checking or verifying the content of our calculators.
Despite such precautions, we inevitably encounter discrepancies that we cannot readily resolve, such as some of the properties of various elements (see the Elements Technical Help page) and we fully expect that some of you will have verified data that will confirm or refute ours. Please refer to 'Your feedback' for our policy towards outside assistance.
They are cheap!
It is CalQlata's policy that cost should not be an obstacle to reliable technical information and solutions. This is reflected in the free access to our website and price of our calculators that start from £3 and will rarely exceed £30 per licence.
CalQlata is a non-profit organisation of volunteers, most of whom work for no gain (financial or otherwise) specifically to assist; individuals, 'one-man' companies, consultants and contractors to compete with larger Companies, who CalQlata believe can afford to pay for proprietary software. The money charged for our calculators is spent entirely on operating this website.
Therefore, our calculators are designed specifically to work on privately owned machines, i.e. those to which the user has full administration rights to its registry. We refer to our License Agreement; Definitions; Item 2; which clearly states that our licences are limited to machines that are capable of running our software; Company owned machines are not (physically or in our view) capable of running our software.
Companies trying to install our calculators on their own machines will (or should) not be able to do so (intentionally). Companies employing more than three personnel wishing to purchase our products must contact CalQlata directly to obtain 'multi-user' licenses.