Autodesk Names Ponderosa Roasting as Inventor of the Month for January 2009

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Jan. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ponderosa Roasting (Ponderosa), a specialty manufacturer of coffee roasting machines, has been named as the Autodesk (Nasdaq: ADSK) Inventor of the Month for January 2009.

Ponderosa used Autodesk Inventor software to design and manufacture coffee roasting machines that give greater control over various aspects of the roasting process, ensuring that each coffee bean is optimally roasted. Using Digital Prototyping to create an accurate 3D model with Inventor has already helped Ponderosa significantly streamline its design-to-manufacturing process. Ponderosa recently developed a custom, 15-kilogram roaster in just four weeks -- a process that previously would have taken nearly six months.

"Nobody in the industry can provide the dynamics that we can with our roasters," said Boyd Guildner, cofounder and president of Ponderosa. "We wouldn't have been able to create such an advanced roaster without Inventor. Inventor allowed us to think outside the box and explore multiple roaster designs before cutting a single piece of metal."

The Inventor of the Month program recognizes the most innovative design and engineering advancements made by the extensive community using Autodesk Inventor software -- the foundation of the Autodesk solution for Digital Prototyping. A digital prototype is a realistic 3D digital simulation 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.

Most coffee roasting machines use a drum that rotates and tumbles the coffee beans while heat is applied via burners. Ponderosa, which designs coffee roasters ranging in capacity from one pound to nearly 500 pounds, creates machines that precisely control every variable in this roasting process, from how fast the beans turn in the drum to how much airflow they're exposed to, as well as how much heat is applied by the burners at any given moment. By manipulating these variables, Ponderosa can create increasingly sophisticated and multifaceted flavor profiles for coffee.

Digital Prototyping Speeds Innovation

Working with Autodesk reseller partner Hagerman & Company helped Ponderosa to rapidly experience the benefits of Digital Prototyping. Inventor software's digital prototypes and sheet metal tools enable Ponderosa to combine manufacturing information such as punch tool parameters and custom bend tables with an accurate 3D model of sheet metal folding. In addition, Inventor software made it easy to check for interferences between various assembly parts, helping to catch potential errors before the design reached the manufacturing floor.

"Inventor software helps transform great ideas into great products, in less time than ever before," said Robert "Buzz" Kross, senior vice president of Autodesk Manufacturing Solutions. "We are impressed at the way Ponderosa has used Inventor to bring their innovations to market, and we are proud to name them as our Inventor of the Month for January."

About the Autodesk Inventor of the Month Program

Each month, Autodesk selects an Inventor of the Month from the more than 800,000 users of Autodesk Inventor software, the foundation for 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 Ponderosa Roasting

Ponderosa Roasting is a specialty provider of coffee roasting machines. Based in San Diego, California, the company has been in operation since 1990. For more information about Ponderosa Roasting, visit www.ponderosaroasting.com.

About Hagerman & Company, Inc.

Hagerman & Company's products and services encompass three broad lines of business: CAD/CAM, Consulting Services and Customer Relationship Management. In addition the company both sells and supports the hardware, operating system, network, and Internet technologies and platforms that underlie these systems. Hagerman & Company, Inc. is headquartered in Mt. Zion, Illinois, and maintains branch offices for sales and support in the following locations: Schaumburg (IL), Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Mishawaka (IN), Evansville (IN), Cincinnati, Louisville, Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Overland Park (KS) and California operations in San Jose, San Ramon, Sacramento, Anaheim, Glendale and San Diego. Hagerman & Company is recognized as an Autodesk Premier Solutions Provider - Manufacturing and is also an Autodesk Premier Solutions Provider - Gold Support, the highest level of support recognized by Autodesk. For more information about Hagerman & Company, please visit www.hagerman.com.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc., is a 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 real. 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 www.autodesk.com.

Editor's Note: To hear directly from Ponderosa's co-founder about his passion for coffee and Inventor, listen to this podcast at http://aubeat.podbean.com/2008/12/02/boyd-guildner-coffee-roasting-innovator.

Autodesk, AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor and Inventor are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates 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.

(C) 2009 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

Contact: Stacy Doyle 503.707.3861 Alyson Moses 312.297.7430
Email: stacy.doyle@autodesk.com alyson.moses@edelman.com

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