Dutch Clean Tech Company Uses Autodesk Software to Bring Sustainable
Building Materials to Market
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Dec 15, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
Echotect, a Dutch clean tech company, successfully deployed software
from Autodesk,
Inc. (NASDAQ:ADSK) to design and optimize its technology, which
offers a cost-effective, recyclable and environmentally sustainable
alternative to engineered stone.
Combining quartz, marble and other aggregates with recycled polyethylene
terephthalate (PET), the technology has resulted in a product that is
almost indistinguishable from natural stone, but the material is
non-porous and 100 percent recyclable.
Echotect is the result of a joint initiative between the research
laboratories of Shell and the commercial acumen of its venture capital
arm, Kenda Capital. After five years of development and investment, the
new technology is expected to revolutionize the engineered stone market,
providing manufacturers and consumers with an eco-friendly alternative
which meets the performance characteristics of traditional products.
Echotect used Autodesk
Inventor software to design and engineer equipment that converts
shredded PET bottles into durable and sustainable materials. The company
relied on AutoCAD
P&ID software to create, modify and manage piping and
instrumentation diagrams in the recycling plant, while deploying Autodesk
Vault was essential to maintain design and engineering documentation
of the project lifecycle. Autodesk
Showcase software also enabled Echotect to create photorealistic 3D
visualizations of how custom modules of their recycling equipment will
fit into customer buildings and sites.
The Autodesk Clean
Tech Partner Program--which provides software for emerging clean tech
companies in North America and Europe--enabled Echotect to combine Digital
Prototyping technology with AutoCAD-based P&ID design to bring its
innovative recycling process to market more rapidly and achieve
competitive advantage.
"We are delighted to be part of the Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program
as digital prototyping was of great importance to us in optimizing our
recycling equipment and demonstrating the potential applications in
various markets," said Stephen Eastwood, CEO of Echotect. "Autodesk
Inventor and AutoCAD P&ID helped us to design, manage and modify
real-time improvements to our equipment and plant, enabling us to focus
on providing a high-quality finished product while reducing time to
market."
"Echotect's alternative approach to plastic recycling has positive
implications for many regions that face a growing post-consumer waste
problem," said Robert
"Buzz" Kross, senior vice president, Autodesk Manufacturing
Industry Group. "The company is a model of how advantageous Digital
Prototyping can be to drive innovation, while saving time and money."
About the Clean Tech Partner Program
The Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program supports early-stage clean
technology companies by providing design and engineering software that
accelerates their development of solutions to the world's most pressing
environmental challenges. Clean tech companies in North America and
Europe who can benefit from Autodesk solutions for Digital Prototyping
are invited to apply to receive up to $150,000* worth of software for
only $50. Access to a collection of Autodesk industry-leading software
applications includes up to five licenses of AutoCAD
Inventor Professional Suite, Autodesk
Showcase, Autodesk
Vault Professional, Autodesk
Revit Architecture, Autodesk
Alias Design, Autodesk
Algor Simulation and Autodesk
Inventor Publisher software. For additional information, visit http://www.autodesk.com/cleantech.
About Echotect
Dutch-based Echotect brings high performance and sustainability to the
existing building materials market. Echotect is a portfolio company of
Shell Technology Ventures Fund 1 B.V. focused on a new Sustainable
Building Material. For additional information, visit www.echotect.com.
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc., is a leader in 3D
design, engineering and entertainment software. Customers across the
manufacturing, architecture, building, construction, and media and
entertainment industries -- including the last 15 Academy Award winners
for Best Visual Effects -- use Autodesk software to design, visualize
and simulate their ideas. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in
1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of
state-of-the-art software for global markets. For additional information
about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.
*Value is based on up to five commercial licenses of each application.
Autodesk, AutoCAD, Algor, Alias, Autodesk Inventor, Inventor, Revit
and Showcase are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc.,
and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other
countries. Academy Award is a registered trademark of the Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other brand names, product names
or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the
right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and
pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for
typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.
© 2010 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
SOURCE: Autodesk, Inc.
Autodesk, Inc.
Jennifer Ha, 415-547-2435
jennifer.ha@autodesk.com
or
Alyson Moses, 312-297-7430
alyson.moses@edelman.com
