X
Innovation

Autodesk, Granta extend sustainable design tool

Update will include more detail on more than 3,000 different materials.
Written by Heather Clancy, Contributor

(Updated June 27 to clarify pricing information.)

For those of you who subscribe to the philosophy that sustainability starts in the product design phase, design software developer Autodesk and sustainable materials advisor Granta Design have extended their sustainable design tool, the Eco Materials Advisor.

The combined software worked up by the two companies already and included as part of Autodesk Inventor lets product designers look at information such as the energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions footprint, water usage or restricted substances associated with a particular material.

The new features being added later this year support the following:

  • Analysis of larger assemblies
  • More detailed information on more than 3,000 materials options
  • Consideration for materials earlier and later in the lifecycle. For example, digging deeper into the source of raw materials or looking at the impact of finishing processes, such as painting or powder coating.

Pricing for the full version of the product is not yet available.

Said Robert Kross, senior vice president of the manufacturing industry group at Autodesk:

"Our software allows people to better understand the products they create before they manufacture them to make better, more sustainable design decisions. Granta will take manufacturers' understanding one step further by making its materials informatio and Eco assessment tools available to Autodesk Inventor customers around the world."

Related posts:

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com

Editorial standards