Innovative Beverage Conveyor System Designed With Autodesk Inventor 3D Design
Software; Fabrication Time Dramatically Reduced
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Aug. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk, Inc.
(Nasdaq: ADSK) today announced that Can Lines Inc., a leading provider of
turnkey conveyor systems for the food and beverage industries, has been named
as the Autodesk Inventor of the Month for August 2006. The Inventor of the
Month program recognizes the most innovative design and engineering
advancements made by the extensive community of customers using Autodesk
Inventor software, the world's number one selling 3D mechanical design
software and best choice for 3D manufacturing design.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050415/SFF034LOGO )
Can Lines designs, fabricates and installs a wide range of conveyor
solutions for its food and beverage clients. These systems perform a variety
of functions, from getting cans and bottles filled, capped and labeled, to
getting products loaded into cases and shipped out.
For one particular beverage customer, Can Lines used Autodesk Inventor
software to develop a one-of-kind bottle conveyor system that was able to
handle 7-ounce, 12-ounce, 16-ounce, 22-ounce, 32-ounce, and 40-ounce bottles,
all on one line. This engineering feat was particularly impressive given that
cans, bottles and other types of containers constantly require changes in
orientation as they pass through conveyor systems.
Autodesk Inventor software, with its powerful 3D modeling capabilities,
played an important role in helping Can Lines design and engineer the
solution. "There is no way we could have created such a complex conveyor
system using 2D drawings," said Dave Gadberry, Engineering Manager at Can
Lines. "Using the superior 3D functionality in Inventor, we were able to
specifically design the railing of the conveyor for each different bottle
type, allowing all six of them to fit on the same line."
Moreover, Autodesk Inventor has enabled Can Lines to complete the project
much faster than would have been possible with 2D drawings. "We've been able
to cut down our fabrication times by 70%," noted Gadberry. "In the old days,
we would hand the people in our fabrication shop a couple sheets of 2D
drawings, and they would come back with a finished product in 12 weeks. Now,
we can hand them a couple of Inventor models, and they'll be able to fabricate
something for us in a few weeks -- because the 3D data we're giving them is so
much more rich and detailed."
This speed advantage is important because Can Lines is one of the few
companies in its industry that actually fabricates its products in the United
States -- most of its competitors have located their fabrication operations
outside the United States to reduce operating costs. Reducing the amount of
time and labor required during the fabrication process allows Can Lines to
control its costs and stay competitive, cost-wise. The company has worked with
Autodesk reseller, KETIV Technologies to purchase and implement the Autodesk
technology, including on-going training. Can Lines relies on KETIV's
expertise and ability to understand industry-specific challenges to help the
company improve design, engineering and manufacturing processes.
"Can Lines has embraced technology as a way of making its engineering
processes faster and more efficient," said Robert "Buzz" Kross, vice president
of Autodesk Manufacturing Solutions. "We are delighted at the way they are
using Autodesk Inventor software to create new and innovative solutions for
their marketplace, and we are pleased to name them as our Inventor of the
Month for August."
Each month, Autodesk selects an Inventor of the Month from the 600,000
users of Autodesk Inventor, its best-selling 3D mechanical design Inventor
software. Winners are chosen for engineering excellence and ground breaking
innovation. For more information on Autodesk Inventor of the Month, contact us
at IOM@autodesk.com.
About Can Lines, Inc.
Established in 1960, Can Lines, Inc. is a leader in the engineering,
design, fabrication, installation and services of quality container and
material conveying systems for the food, beverage and consumer products
industries worldwide. For more information, visit: www.canlines.com .
About KETIV Technologies Inc.
KETIV Technologies makes technology relevant for customers by sharing its
expertise to help clients select and use the best solutions for mechanical
design. As a preeminent Autodesk reseller and training center, KETIV combines
more than 20 years of industry knowledge with an unparalleled track record of
customer satisfaction and loyalty. Visit online at www.ketivtech.com .
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc., is a Fortune 1000 company, wholly focused on ensuring that
great ideas are turned into reality. With seven million users, Autodesk is the
world's leading software and services company for the manufacturing,
infrastructure, building, media and entertainment, and wireless data services
fields. Autodesk's solutions help customers create, manage and share their
data and digital assets more effectively. As a result, customers turn ideas
into competitive advantage, become more productive, streamline project
efficiency and maximize profits.
Founded in 1982, Autodesk is headquartered in San Rafael, California. For
additional information about Autodesk, please visit www.autodesk.com .
NOTE: Autodesk, Autodesk Inventor, and Inventor are registered trademarks
or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries. All other
brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
Contact: Carly Herrig, 312 233 1356
Email: carly.herrig@edelman.com
Contact: Alyson Howard, 312 297 7430
Email: alyson.howard@edelman.com
SOURCE Autodesk, Inc.
CONTACT: Carly Herrig, +1-312-233-1356, or carly.herrig@edelman.com, or
Alyson Howard, +1-312-297-7430, or alyson.howard@edelman.com, both of Edelman,
for Autodesk, Inc.
Web site: http://www.autodesk.com
http://www.canlines.com
http://www.autodesk.com
(ADSK)
