Innovative Manufacturer Uses Autodesk Inventor Digital Prototyping Software to Develop Environmentally Friendly, High-Performance Wooden Surfboards
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., June 25, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Autodesk, Inc.
(Nasdaq: ADSK) has named 42 Surfboards, an Oregon-based manufacturer of
classic surfboards, the Autodesk Inventor of the Month for June 2008. 42
Surfboards uses Autodesk Inventor software to create its line of
high-performance surfboards that are shaped entirely from sustainably
harvested local woods. By avoiding materials like foam and balsa wood-which
have a large carbon footprint-42 Surfboards provides surf enthusiasts with a
green alternative that reduces the environmental impact of the sport.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080625/AQW527)
The Inventor of the Month program recognizes the most innovative design
and engineering advancements made by the extensive community using products
from the Autodesk Inventor software product family -- the foundation of the
Autodesk solution for Digital Prototyping. A digital prototype is a realistic
3D model of the entire end product, used to virtually optimize and validate a
product before it is built to reduce the necessity of constructing physical
prototypes.
Historically, foam and balsa wood have been the only materials that major
surfboard manufacturers could use to achieve the proper density ratios for
their boards. Unfortunately, neither of these materials is very strong: foam
and balsa wood boards often break within the first few months of use and need
to be replaced.
What's more, both materials raise environmental concerns. Foam -- which is
a petroleum-based product -- has a highly toxic manufacturing process, while
balsa wood needs to be transported from South America to other parts of the
world, making it prohibitive from a carbon-impact standpoint. Hardwood is
much stronger than these materials -- and has been used by individuals for
centuries to fashion surfboards -- but it has the disadvantage of being very
heavy, which affects the speed and maneuverability of the board and its
surfer.
Solid Modeling Leads to Innovation
Autodesk Inventor enables 42 Surfboards to create a new generation of
wooden surfboards by taking the strength of woods like spruce and poplar and
giving it the lightness and performance of lighter materials like foam and
balsa wood.
The key is Inventor software's solid modeling functionality, which enables
42 Surfboards to digitally shape a piece of hardwood and create a wooden
surface exactly as thick or thin as needed. By precisely shaping the wood, 42
Surfboards minimizes the total weight while maximizing strength, creating a
sturdy board that is very fast and highly maneuverable.
Inventor is the difference between being able to do what we do, and only
being able to imagine it, said Lars Bergstrom, president of 42 Surfboards.
With Inventor's solid modeling capabilities, we are able to be precise on the
order of thousandths of an inch in designing our boards, and build them to
exact specifications. We would not be able to get anywhere near the tolerance
levels we require, and we would not be able to use locally grown and
sustainably harvested wood for our surfboards, without solid modeling.
Digital Prototyping enables 42 Surfboards to rapidly explore new product
ideas and designs without the time and expense of creating physical
prototypes. As a result, the company now offers seven different 100% wood
surfboard models within its product lineup. Each model is designed to last a
lifetime, helping to reverse the disposable board culture brought about by
decades of inexpensive but fragile foam and balsa wood boards.
42 Surfboards saw a market need for an environmentally friendly
surfboard, and Inventor gave them the technology to make that vision a
reality, said Robert Buzz Kross, senior vice president of Autodesk
Manufacturing Solutions. It is a pleasure to name 42 Surfboards as our
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
700,000 users of Autodesk Inventor software, the foundation for Digital
Prototyping. Winners are chosen for engineering excellence and groundbreaking
innovation. For more information about the Autodesk Inventor of the Month
program, contact us at IOM@autodesk.com.
About 42 Surfboards
Oregon-based 42 Surfboards is a manufacturer of classic American
surfboards. By hand shaping local wood into beautiful high-performance
surfboards, the company aims to change the very paradigm of choosing a
surfboard. For additional information about 42 Surfboards, visit
http://www.42surfboards.com.
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc. is the world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the
manufacturing, construction, and media and entertainment markets. Since its
introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk has developed the broadest
portfolio of state-of-the-art Digital Prototyping solutions to help customers
experience their ideas before they are built. Fortune 1000 companies rely on
Autodesk for the tools to visualize, simulate and analyze real-world
performance early in the design process to save time and money, enhance
quality and foster innovation. For additional information about Autodesk,
visit http://www.autodesk.com.
Autodesk, AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor and Inventor are registered
trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries. All other
brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at
any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical
errors that may appear in this document.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050415/SFF034LOGO)
(C) 2008 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
Contact: Christine Stoner Alyson Howard
416.874.8841 312.297.7430
Email: christine.stoner@autodesk.com alyson.howard@edelman.com
SOURCE Autodesk, Inc.
http://www.autodesk.com/
