Sulautettu

Sulautettu is a Finnish adjective derived from the verb sulautua, meaning to fuse or melt together. In contemporary Finnish, it is commonly used to describe something that has been integrated into a larger whole, rather than being an independent or detachable part. The term conveys a sense of tight integration and interdependence within a system or material.

In technology and engineering, sulautettu is widely used in the phrase sulautettu järjestelmä, or embedded system. An embedded system is a computing system dedicated to a specific function within a larger device, typically with real-time constraints and limited resources. Common examples include automotive control units, household appliances, medical devices, and industrial controllers. The emphasis is on the close integration of hardware and software to perform a precise task as part of a larger product.

In materials science and metallurgy, sulautettu can refer to alloying processes or alloyed materials. A substance described as sulautettu has elements fused into a base metal to create an alloy with altered or enhanced properties, such as strength, hardness, or durability.

The term is also used more broadly in everyday language to indicate something that has been incorporated or blended into a system, process, or product. In all uses, sulautettu implies that the component is an intrinsic part of the whole rather than a separate or detachable element.