GWJ Technology GmbH from Braunschweig, Germany, is marking the 15th anniversary of its web-based calculation software eAssistant - the engineering assistant. The eAssistant software allows calculation, design and optimization of machine elements, including shafts, bearings, gears, different shaft-hub connections and bolted joints etc.

After several years of development, eAssistant was released in 2003 during Hannover Fair. Dial-up Internet was literally the only kind of Internet modem back then. The actual release was in May 2003 and included three calculation modules for shafts, rolling bearings and interference fits. The development process of the eAssistant continued thanks to the positive market response.

Further modules for parallel keys, serrated and splined shaft connections as well as involute splines were added in 2003 and 2004. At the Hannover Fair 2005, the first version of the cylindrical gear pair was introduced. Even back then, this module already included the real gear tooth form based on a mathematical simulation of the manufacturing process. Based on this, the first 3D CAD plugins for Solidworks, Solid Edge and Autodesk Inventor were implemented shortly afterwards. This was followed by the release of an English version and other gear modules.

Single cylindrical gears, cylindrical gear pairs, planetary gear trains, three- and four-gear train systems, gearracks, bevel gears as well as worm gears can now be determined. eAssistant provides different standards in order to calculate the load capacity. DIN 3990 / ISO 6336 Method B or ANSI / AGMA 2101 are available. Calculation modules for bolted joints, timing belts, clamp connections and bolts and pins are also part of the eAssistant.

By the end of 2012, GWJ reached another major milestone SystemManager, a true software application for complete systems of machine elements, was released. It runs as a classic desktop application, including FE libraries. The individual system elements are directly linked to the eAssistant calculation modules. The software engineering process of eAssistant and SystemManager is heavily influenced by user feedback to improve the software quality. The applications are constantly being developed.