Autodesk launches sustainability tool for design

SAN RAFAEL – Autodesk recently launched a tool for inventors that brings sustainability and eco-consciousness into the earliest design stages of new products.

Called the Sustainable Materials Assistant – and free to users of Autodesk’s Inventor – the tool enables the selection of materials that will have the least adverse impact on the environment.

“SMA lets inventors get it right from the beginning,” said Sam Antos, Autodesk product manager for the Inventor suite. Inventor is the industry’s leading 3-D mechanical design CAD system, offering digital prototyping and advanced simulation and analysis.

The eight-year-old Inventor suite of products is used by engineers and designers to produce cell phones, cars, machine components and building components of all kinds.

“Inventor itself can be called a green tool because it saves material and energy that might be wasted on prototypes that don’t work,” said Mr. Antos.

SMA is still in the tweaking phase on Autodesk Labs, a site where technology downloads are posted for customers to experiment with and send feedback to Autodesk engineers, but it’s been well received already, he said.

In addition to an extensive library of various materials’ known properties, the tool offers fields where users can add information, including material toxicity, recyclability and carbon footprint.

As the design evolves, the designer can see the comparative environmental values of using steel over plastic or wood over steel. When the prototype is complete, SMA produces a report on the overall sustainability of the product.

“It’s the first tool we know of that measures carbon footprint and earth-friendly properties from the earliest stages of product design and at every point along the way,” said Mr. Antos. “We expect it to be a very widely adapted add-on to Inventor.”

Autodesk is the world leader in 2-D and 3-D design software for the manufacturing, building, construction, media and entertainment markets. The company employs 1,500 in its San Rafael headquarters.

For more information, visit www.autodesk.com.