Granta Design to Extend Autodesk Inventor Sustainable Design Tool

By DE Editors

Granta Design has announced details of the Eco Materials Adviser Full Version. It will build upon the sustainable design tool currently available, at no extra cost, within Autodesk Inventor 2012 software.

Autodesk Inventor Eco Materials Adviser can help designers estimate a product’s environmental impact and make more sustainable design decisions. The Full Version, available for purchase from Granta later this year, will enable users to analyze larger assemblies, study materials options in more depth, and account for a wider range of contributions to environmental impact.

Using the current Eco Materials Adviser, a designer can generate an eco impact analysis for a product part or assembly within Autodesk Inventor. A dashboard display shows key indicators such as energy usage, restricted substances, CO2 footprint, water usage, and materials cost.

The Full Version will enable more in-depth analyses. Specifically it will allow users to study Autodesk Inventor assemblies of any size, and support designers wishing to study materials options in more depth by offering a choice of around 3,000 materials. The Full Version will also account for the eco impact of the complete product lifecycle -- raw materials, manufacture, transport, use, and disposal -- and will add consideration of finishing processes such as painting, electroplating, and powder coating.

“Our software allows people to better understand the products they create before they manufacture them to make better, more sustainable design decisions,” says Robert “Buzz” Kross, senior vice president, Manufacturing Industry Group at Autodesk. “Granta will take manufacturers’ understanding one step further by making its materials information and eco assessment tools available to Autodesk Inventor customers around the world.”

For more information, visit Granta Design and Autodesk.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.