The First Visual Software for Windows Released 20 Years Ago This Month

Applied Flow Technology has been an innovator and industry leader since its founding in 1994. AFT Fathom™ was the first of its kind – a graphical, drag-and-drop platform for modeling pipe system hydraulics.

AFT Fathom was released commercially twenty years ago this month on April 12, 1994. The history of how AFT Fathom was named is interesting in its own right and was discussed here - Where Did the Name "Fathom" Come From?

The list of commercial software “firsts” for AFT Fathom is long and impressive. Here is a summary of some of the more important ones:

• Visual, drag-and-drop interface (1994)
• On the fly dropdown selection of engineering units (1994)
• Customizable output reports (1994)
• Visual report input schematic overlaid with output results (1994)
• Tee modeling of dynamic K factors based on flow split (1995)
• Viscosity corrections of pumps (1997)
• Coupled heat transfer and hydraulic modeling (1997)
• Scenario Manager allowing changes to any parameter (1999)
• Non-newtonian fluid modeling (1999)
• Goal seeking (2004 – GSC module)
• Transient modeling (2004 – XTS module)
• Capital and operating cost calculation (2004)

AFT continues today to be an innovator and leader. Our channel partner network in 30 countries around the world allows us to sell, support and train engineers in every part of the world. The number of world leading engineering organizations that rely on AFT Fathom and our other software products is amazing.