CHICAGO, Mar 19, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

Leading Manufacturer A-B-C Packaging Machine Corp. Selects Autodesk Inventor Over SolidWorks and SolidEdge Software; Customers Continue to Accelerate Design Time Using Autodesk Inventor

Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADSK), the world's leading design software and digital content company, today announced that A-B-C Packaging Machine Corp. is the latest manufacturing customer in the packaging industry to standardize on Autodesk Inventor award-winning 3D design software. A-B-C Packaging Machine Corp. selected Autodesk Inventor over SolidWorks and SolidEdge software because of its unmatched ease of use in creating and modifying assemblies and drawings. The world's leading companies in the packaging industry, including Alpha Marathon, Dyco, and GEBO are increasing their productivity and accelerating their time to market with Autodesk Inventor software.

"Compared to SolidWorks and SolidEdge, Autodesk Inventor is the leader in performance and price," said Stephen Elting, senior mechanical engineer at A-B-C Packaging Machine Corp. of Tarpon Springs, Fla. "Using Autodesk Inventor, we have increased our productivity by at least 50 percent. This allows us to reduce our costs and relay that into additional benefits for our customers."

A-B-C Packaging Machine Corp. (abcpackaging.com) manufactures a complete line of secondary packaging machinery including case erectors, case sealers, automatic case packers, case palletizing, and bottle-handling systems. Autodesk Systems Center IMAGINiT Technologies, Inc., formerly CADD Development Corp., worked with A-B-C Packaging Machine Corp. to demonstrate the benefits of moving to 3D with Autodesk Inventor software, and to highlight its advantages over SolidWorks and SolidEdge. Because of Autodesk Inventor software's ease-of-use, A-B-C Packaging Machine Corp. did not require training and is already creating assemblies with 1000 unique parts. In addition, using Autodesk Inventor, the A-B-C Packaging Machine Corp. design team acquires tools that were not available designing in 2D, including visualization capabilities, the ability to automate the drafting process, and functionality to get more engineering data from a 3D model versus 2D geometry.

"The packaging sector of the manufacturing industry is characterized by complex designs and large assemblies," said Robert Kross, vice president of the Manufacturing Division at Autodesk. "We're proud that companies like A-B-C Packaging Machine Corp. are able to reap the dramatic benefits that Autodesk Inventor can offer in solving these types of complicated design challenges."

Deployment of Autodesk Inventor Continues to Accelerate Design Time

In addition to A-B-C Packaging Machine Corp., Dyco Inc. of Bloomsburg, Pa.; Sidel Packaging Systems, formerly known as GEBO Industries, of Bradenton, Fla.; and Alpha Marathon Technologies Inc. (AMTI) of Ontario, Canada are all using Autodesk Inventor software for the design and manufacture of their packaging machines for various industries, including bottle storage and shipment, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and blown film machinery. Autodesk channel partners, Automated Design Systems (www.autodes.com), IMAGINiT Technologies (www.cadd.com), and Synergis Technologies Inc. (www.synergis.com), were instrumental in introducing Autodesk Inventor to these customers.

With more than 500 engineers, designers and technicians, Sidel Packaging Systems (www.gebo.net) is one of the largest engineering firms in the world dedicated to the packaging industry. As a result of Sidel Packaging Systems' Product Development Group implementing Autodesk Inventor, SPS's design rework has decreased more than 25 percent. Today using Autodesk Inventor software, SPS designs parts that fit right the first time, before they move downstream in the product development process.

Dyco (www.dyco-inc.com) selected Autodesk Inventor software after an extensive evaluation with other 3D mechanical design solutions including Pro/Engineer and SolidWorks. Autodesk Inventor software stood out in ease-of-use, large-assembly management, and the ability to reduce costs while decreasing concept-to-manufacturing cycle time.

"Autodesk Inventor enabled us to reduce assembly time of the machine by 75 percent while making it more economical, functional, and serviceable. Autodesk's claims of `single-day productivity' are true," said Pete Yohe, president of Dyco Inc.

AMTI (www.alphamarathon.com) is using Autodesk Inventor software to address complex blown film industry needs. Since installing Autodesk Inventor, AMTI has been saving an estimated seven to nine percent on material and labor in every project and as experience and confidence mounts, the company's target is to achieve 15 percent savings.

"Autodesk Inventor software is an incredible tool with an intuitive architecture," said Alfredo Bentivoglio, president of AMTI. "The technology is flexible -- allowing me to generate sketches and drawings with ease, giving AMTI fast and reliable results never achieved with other software. The Adaptive technology, user-friendly environment, and ease and speed of subassembly manipulation are fantastic attributes."

About Autodesk

Founded in 1982, Autodesk, Inc., is the world's leading design and digital media creation, management, and distribution company. The company serves a diverse portfolio of markets, including building design, geographic information systems, manufacturing, digital media, and wireless data services. By delivering tools that foster innovation and creativity, Autodesk helps customers throughout the value chain leverage digital design data to work better, faster, and smarter. For more information about the company, see www.autodesk.com.

Autodesk and Autodesk Inventor are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

CONTACT: Autodesk, Inc. Cindi Goodsell, 415/507-8452 cindi.goodsell@autodesk.com URL: http://www.businesswire.com Today's News On The Net - Business Wire's full file on the Internet with Hyperlinks to your home page.

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