CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
23 May 2005
Product News
Partners Offer Industry-Focused Add-ons to Autodesk Inventor
Autodesk, Inc. announced new, certified applications from several key partners in conjunction with the launch of the next release of its Autodesk Inventor® 3D mechanical design software. These partner products extend the broad functionality and value of Autodesk Inventor and help customers realize their ideas by solving sophisticated design problems, from machining highly complex tool parts with minimal waste, to data translation and sheet metal manufacturing.
Three companies-Pathtrace, Okino Computer Graphics and Radan-have developed complementary applications. With more than 60 certified partners already in the program, the growing list of Autodesk Inventor Certified Application partners is providing a broad range of value-add solutions and applications for Autodesk's customer base.
"Through our Autodesk Inventor Certified Application program, our customers have access to more than 76 new applications. That's 76 new technologies that interoperate with Autodesk Inventor and enable our customers to more efficiently design better quality products," said Robert Kross, vice president of Autodesk's Manufacturing Solutions Division.
Computer-Assisted Machining
Tonnard Manufacturing in Corry, Pennsylvania, depends on Pathtrace's EdgeCAM Offline CNC programming software and its associativity to Autodesk Inventor to support tool production characterized by frequent requests for prototypes and short-run form tooling-a Tonnard specialty for decades. EdgeCAM and Autodesk Inventor software advance Tonnard's competitive advantage by streamlining tooling and making it cost-effective for the manufacturer to take on the small production runs of complex products that its customers require. Together, Pathtrace and Autodesk provide customers such as Tonnard with a solution that reduces manufacturing time, cuts costs and reduces scrap, and increases profitable machine time.
"We value our strong list of small customers. Integrating EdgeCAM and Autodesk Inventor has been instrumental in helping us keep them loyal and satisfied," said Aaron Harwood, programming manager for Tonnard.
Data Translation
Cooper Cameron Corp. is using Autodesk Inventor with data translation technology from Okino Computer Graphics to design oil and gas wellheads. The $2.1 billion concern manufactures pressure control equipment and provides aftermarket services for worldwide onshore, offshore and undersea oil and gas drilling, and production operations. Using Autodesk Inventor and the Okino solution, Cooper Cameron has streamlined and reduced the effort required to repurpose its complex 3D Autodesk Inventor assemblies, assembly cuts and patterned geometry into downstream 3D multi-media animation packages, such as Autodesk® 3ds Max® software and Maya products.
"The Okino CAD development team has incorporated our specific requirements into their PolyTrans 3D data conversion product-giving us unprecedented functionality for rendering our products, which translates into competitive advantage in a brutally competitive market," said D.R. Ford, director of Graphics Animator and Illustrator technical sales support at the Cameron division of Cooper Cameron.
Sheet Metal Manufacturing
Eaton Electric Ltd. uses raw materials more efficiently, thanks to Radan's sheet metal design and manufacturing software linked to Autodesk Inventor. Eaton Electric has a long track record-more than 90 years-producing high-quality switchgear, fusegear and circuit-protection equipment. More than 700 employees strong, Eaton Electric is a member of the U.S.-based Eaton Engineering group, which has more than 54,000 employees worldwide. The company's drive toward lean manufacturing has been boosted greatly by using Radan software, which, with predetermined rules, automatically produces fully detailed nest programs for production.
"Typically, the whole process takes no more than three minutes to complete," said Eaton Electric Technical Group Leader Gary Carnall. "It compares to about three hours per nest, which is how long it took when we were preparing the 2D developments manually and processing individual parts with our previous software."
About the Autodesk Inventor Certified Application Program
Products in the Autodesk Inventor Certified Application Program are built upon the Autodesk Inventor application programming interface (API) and have met the strict functional and performance guidelines, requirements and testing criteria outlined by Autodesk. The program has 60 partners worldwide, with a combined 76 certified applications.
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