Excel logo: Microsoft Corporation; Screenshot: Microsoft Excel (2024), used for demonstration purposes.
MDESIGN vs. Microsoft Excel: Which solution is better for your technical calculation?
Why design engineers need more than tables in 2025
Excel is deeply rooted in many technical departments. Quick to create, flexible to use, available everywhere.
However, it is precisely this flexibility that is increasingly becoming a risk in mechanical engineering:
Technical calculations determine the safety, function and service life of components - and today require more than just formulas and cells.
In this analysis, we show when Excel is sufficient, when MDESIGN is the better choice and how the two approaches differ in concrete terms.
When Excel makes sense - and when it doesn't
| Field of application | Excel suitable? | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Simple rough calculations | ✅ | Fast & uncomplicated |
| Repeatable component calculations | ⚠️ | Effort & risk of errors increase |
| Standard-compliant verifications (e.g. VDI 2230) | ⚠️ | Only possible with a great deal of effort |
| Teamwork & collaboration | ⚠️ | Traceability & versioning problematic |
| Documentation obligation (e.g. quality assurance) | ⚠️ | Only feasible with manual processes |
What makes MDESIGN different - and better
MDESIGN is a calculation software that has been specially developed to meet the requirements of designers and calculation engineers. Instead of working with freely configurable cells, MDESIGN usesstructured, validated input masks that guide you through the entire calculation process.
Core benefits at a glance:
-
Faster results thanks to guided input
-
Standards-based design & verification (e.g. VDI 2230, DIN 743, FKM guideline)
-
Automatic documentation for tests and audits
-
Multiple use of calculation models
-
Central updating in the event of changes to standards
A practical example: Screw connection according to VDI 2230
With Excel:
The designer has to implement the complete formula structure from VDI 2230 himself, estimate friction values manually, enter safety factors manually - and carefully document each calculation step.
With MDESIGN:
The software specifically queries all relevant parameters, checks for plausibility, automatically provides evidence and creates complete technical documentation - with just a few clicks.
Result:
Similar safety, but in a much shorter time and with a much lower probability of error.
MDESIGN vs. Excel: The direct comparison
| Criterion | Excel | MDESIGN |
|---|---|---|
| Initial expenditure | Low | Medium |
| Flexibility | Very high, but unstructured | Earmarked, but standardized |
| Susceptibility to errors | High (manual inputs & formulas) | Low (validation & templates) |
| Standard support | Manual, complex | Included |
| Documentation | Manual, inconsistent | Automatic, testable, complete |
| Ability to work in a team | Restricted | Very high |
| Scalability | Hardly | High |
| Multilingualism | Elaborate | Included |
When is it worth switching to MDESIGN?
-
When security and traceability are paramount
-
If you calculate components regularly or in variants
-
If you have to comply with quality guidelines, audits or standards
-
If several team members need to access the same calculations
-
If you want to document and reuse your knowledge base
Success in practice: 40% time savings in component calculations
An engineering team in a medium-sized mechanical engineering company has introduced MDESIGN for the calculation of screws, bearingsand gears.
The result:
-
40% time savings in daily project business
-
Higher acceptance thanks to automatically generated reports
-
Reduction of incorrect calculations to almost zero
Conclusion: Excel remains a tool - MDESIGN is the solution
If you want to calculate components in mechanical engineering efficiently and in accordance with standards, you need a tool that is made for this.
MDESIGN does not replace Excel - it complements it where Excel reaches its limits.
Test now for free - and experience the difference for yourself
Take the opportunity to try out MDESIGN for yourself. No installation, no obligation - just try it out.
Microsoft Excel® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. This comparison serves as neutral product information and does not represent an official collaboration or recommendation by Microsoft.
The Excel logo is used in accordance with the principles of editorial use.