Autodesk Product Design Suite Essential to Development of New Fruit
Packing Machine That Boxes Twice as Much Citrus Per Hour
SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 29, 2012--
Autodesk,
Inc. (NASDAQ:ADSK) has named Sunkist Research and Technical Services
(Sunkist Research) — a division of international fruit supplier Sunkist
— as the Autodesk
Inventor of the Month for March. Sunkist Research engineers earned
the recognition for the company’s use of Autodesk
Product Design Suite software to develop a flat fruit-packing
machine that doubles hourly throughput.
Sunkist Research developed a flat fruit-packing machine that doubles hourly throughput with Autodesk software. (Photo: Business Wire)
Existing flat fruit packing machines pack a single layer of fruit into a
box during each cycle. The key breakthrough of the new flat fruit
packing machine is that it can feed a layer of fruit into two
boxes at once. Instead of processing 200 boxes of fruit per hour, the
machine can potentially process 400 boxes per hour.
In the citrus industry, “flat fruit” refers to oval citrus products such
as lemons, tangerines or fruit with a large button at the top like
Minneolas. Oval fruits do not roll on a conveyor belt as uniformly as
round fruit, such as oranges, and are more challenging to efficiently
process and package.
“The Autodesk Product Design Suite — and specifically Autodesk
Inventor software — have both been invaluable tools and big parts of
our success in developing solutions that help maintain our lead in the
citrus industry," said Alex Paradiang, director of engineering, Sunkist
Research. "Autodesk software helps us display our engineering talents to
our customers and shows them that we are constantly innovating on their
behalf."
Digital Concept Becomes a Reality
Working with Autodesk Gold Partner KETIV Technologies, Sunkist Research
efficiently transitioned from PTC Pro/ENGINEER software to Autodesk
Product Design Suite. Sunkist Research garnered support to develop their
new packing machine by using Autodesk
3ds Max and Autodesk
Showcase software to create renderings and animations that
demonstrated proof of concept to partners and customers.
Autodesk Inventor was at the core of the design and engineering process,
enabling Sunkist Research to create a digital
prototype of the new flat fruit packing machine. In addition to
easily checking for interferences, Inventor provided finite element
analysis (FEA) tools to help determine the appropriate metal thickness
for hours of continuous use.
Sunkist Research also relied on Autodesk
Vault product data management software to reuse common parts,
incorporate existing components into new assemblies and better
collaborate both within and outside of the project team — speeding
development time.
“Consumers care a great deal about how their food gets from farm to
table, and Sunkist’s R&D team has shown they continuously seek ways to
innovate in speeding the delivery of fresh citrus from the orchards to
supermarkets and more,” said Robert
“Buzz” Kross, senior vice president, Design, Lifecycle and
Simulation at Autodesk. “By using Autodesk software to create a digital
workflow, Sunkist Research and Technical Services can design, visualize
and simulate its citrus packing solutions more rapidly and
cost-effectively.”
About the Autodesk Inventor of the Month Program
Each month, Autodesk selects an Inventor of the Month from the users of
Autodesk Inventor software, which takes manufacturers beyond 3D to
Digital Prototyping. Winners are chosen for engineering excellence and
groundbreaking innovation. For more information about Autodesk Inventor
of the Month, contact us at IOM@autodesk.com.
About Sunkist Research and Technical Services
For 50 years, Sunkist Research and Technical Services has provided
automated solutions for the citrus industry. Sunkist Research and
Technical Services is a division of Sunkist, a leading international
supplier of fresh fruit, and the oldest operating citrus cooperative in
America. For more information, visit www.sunkistresearch.com.
About KETIV Technologies
KETIV Technologies is a leading Autodesk solutions provider with 25
years’ experience delivering CAD software and services in California,
Arizona and Nevada. Focused on the manufacturing, civil engineering and
process plant industries, KETIV’s team of industry experts increase the
profitability of engineering companies by helping them simplify the
process of conceptualization, design and production. For additional
information, visit www.ketiv.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 17 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.
Autodesk, AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, Inventor, Showcase and 3ds Max
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.
© 2012 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50221545&lang=en
Source: Autodesk, Inc.
Autodesk, Inc.
Jennifer Gentrup, 415-547-2435
jennifer.gentrup@autodesk.com