Autodesk launches new 2D, 3D engineering software

By Plant Engineering Staff February 19, 2009

Autodesk unveiled the latest releases of its 2D and 3D design and engineering software for manufacturers. Significant enhancements and newly packaged suites of the company’s industry-leading products can help manufacturers build better products, ranging from mobile phones to bulldozers, in less time.

The new 2010 product lineup for manufacturers includes Autodesk Inventor family of products, AutoCAD Mechanical , AutoCAD Electrical , Autodesk Alias family of products, Autodesk Moldflow , Autodesk Navisworks , Autodesk Showcase , Autodesk 3ds Max Design and Autodesk Vault software—industry-leading applications that constitute the Autodesk solution for Digital Prototyping . The 2010 software releases introduce an even greater range of design, visualization and simulation capabilities, along with tighter interoperability than ever before with both Autodesk software applications and other CAD tools.

“Putting powerful 2D and 3D software within the reach of mainstream manufacturers positions companies of all sizes—not just large enterprises—to compete on a global scale,” said Robert “Buzz” Kross, senior vice president, Manufacturing Industry Group at Autodesk. “With our 2010 product line, customers can achieve greater collaboration than ever before between industrial design, engineering, manufacturing and marketing teams that are all responsible for bringing quality products to market.”

Autodesk Digital Prototyping software gives manufacturers the ability to digitally design, visualize and simulate how a product will work under real-world conditions before it is built. Digital Prototyping reduces reliance on physical prototypes, which helps reduce cost and accelerate time to market in highly competitive industries.

Autodesk Inventor 2010: The Key to Design, Visualize, and Simulate Products Digitally

As the foundation for Digital Prototyping, Autodesk Inventor software helps produce an accurate 3D model that validates the form, fit and function of a design before it is built. The Autodesk Inventor 2010 product line introduces new usability and productivity enhancements for 2D product documentation, 3D product design, extended simulation capabilities, a strong focus on plastic part creation and new data management and exchange capabilities.

“The Autodesk solution for Digital Prototyping allows us to design and manufacture at the speed of thought. Using Inventor to simulate real-world conditions means we don’t need full-scale physical prototypes,” said Kurt Bender, CAD manager at Viking Yacht Company, which produces high-performance sport and cruising yachts. “We’re also doing design reviews and marketing with digital prototyping, saving substantial time and money on each boat design. We’re especially looking forward to the latest simulation capabilities coming in the 2010 release.”