CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
2 October 2007
Implementation Investments
Autodesk Announces HTC Sweden as October Inventor of the Month
Autodesk, Inc. announced that HTC Sweden , a market leader in machines for grinding and polishing stone floors, has been named Autodesk Inventor of the Month for October. The Inventor of the Month program ( http://www.autodesk.com/inventorofthemonth ) recognizes innovative design and engineering advancements made by the community using Autodesk Inventor software.
HTC Sweden's flooring machines, which use a diamond-based grinding system, have radically changed the perception of how to work with stone floors. While the technology can be used for any kind of stone -- including granite, natural stone or even marble -- its most popular application has been with concrete floors. Diamond-polished concrete turns bright and shiny, with the rocks within the concrete appearing as a darker pattern on a light surface, creating a beautiful, hygienic and easily managed floor that is cheaper to maintain than other flooring materials.
Autodesk Inventor plays a critical role in helping HTC Sweden develop its products. As the foundation of the Autodesk Digital Prototyping solution, Inventor software brings together design data from all phases of the product development process to create a single digital model. This single digital model simulates the complete product and gives engineers the ability to better visualize, optimize and manage their design before producing a physical prototype. Via its design partners, HTC utilizes Autodesk AliasStudio software for concept and industrial design, along with Autodesk Productstream software to create a digital pipeline that manages all data. The company's use of Autodesk 3ds Max animation software allows them to use their digital model to develop marketing materials, saving significant costs and spurring sales in advance of manufacturing.
"The time is long gone when you could afford to have the design and engineering departments working separately and updating one another with drawings," said Karl Thysell, product development head at HTC Sweden. "Product information should be stored in one place and available to everyone so that feedback from one department to another can be delivered in a structured, digital form. The full suite of products that Autodesk provides -- from AliasStudio and Inventor during the concepting and engineering phases, to Productstream for managing the product development lifecycle -- has been invaluable in helping us create and manage a digital workflow."
As a result of the company's adoption of Digital Prototyping, HTC Sweden has minimized the number of physical prototypes that it needs to create. Today, only one research prototype is built before a new product is launched together with a small commercial series. Previously, the company had to dedicate time and resources to develop up to five sets of physical prototypes. With the cost of a prototype for the company's flagship product, the HTC 2500 iX, being nearly $500,000, the savings can be substantial.
"It's no accident that HTC Sweden is experiencing 40 percent annual growth in their product segments and that the prognosis for its new product line points toward a 200 percent increase in new business," said Robert "Buzz" Kross, senior vice president of Autodesk Manufacturing Solutions. "Digital Prototyping enables time-savings and profitability, which in turn generates organic growth and market expansion. It is gratifying to see a customer reaping the rewards of digital prototypes, and it is a pleasure to name them as October's Inventor of the Month."
About the Autodesk Inventor of the Month Program
Each month, Autodesk selects an Inventor of the Month from the more than 600,000 users of Autodesk Inventor software. Winners are chosen for engineering excellence and groundbreaking innovation. For more information on Autodesk Inventor of the Month, contact IOM@autodesk.com .
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