Autodesk announced the launch of new AI-powered capabilities within its Fusion and Alias software, designed to streamline manufacturing workflows and boost efficiency. 

The new tools, unveiled during Autodesk University’s annual Design & Make conference, aims to simplify complex tasks and empower manufacturers to deliver innovative products faster.

“For decades, manufacturers have responded to their customers’ demands for increasingly complex products, which in turn typically increases the complexity of designing and manufacturing those products,” said Jeff Kinder, executive vice president for Product Development and Manufacturing Solutions at Autodesk.

The new capabilities include AutoConstrain in Fusion, which automates the process of detecting and maintaining design relationships, saving designers significant time.

Another feature, Drawing Automation, generates 2D manufacturing drawings from 3D models at the click of a button, accelerating production timelines.

“Automations that handle error-prone, burdensome tasks, freeing people to focus on high-value, more rewarding work,” added Kinder.

Autodesk also introduced Form Explorer for Alias, a generative design tool enabling automotive designers to explore creative forms while adhering to historical styling cues.

In addition, the Autodesk Assistant in Fusion offers real-time, expert-level guidance, providing answers to technical questions and links to relevant sources within the software.

Kinder noted, “Imagine an AI assistant that flags supply chain risks. Simulations that push designers toward more sustainable and manufacturable designs.”

“We’re building these capabilities, as well as empowering our customers to build them.”

New manufacturing Data Model API launched

Autodesk has also launched a Manufacturing Data Model API to enhance data exchange and interoperability.

This new API allows third-party apps to integrate with Fusion projects, ensuring smooth collaboration between tools and workflows.

OpenBOM has developed a web-based solution that automates bill of materials (BOM) workflows, giving non-designers easy access to BOMs directly from design data and eliminating the need for manual, error-prone processes.

Meanwhile, Cideon has established a two-way integration between Autodesk Fusion and SAP, allowing CAD engineers and manufacturers to access SAP’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) data within Fusion.

Expanding the ecosystem for seamless collaboration

Recognising the need for connected tools, Autodesk said it continues to partner with over 150 hardware and software providers. Recent integrations include:

• Paperless Parts: Allows manufacturing estimators to generate instant quotes and address manufacturability issues within Fusion.
• Avnet Plugin: Enables electronics designers to source components and access reference designs directly in Fusion, reducing product development time.
• Makersite for Inventor: Offers sustainability insights by calculating environmental impacts, tracking progress toward eco-friendly goals, and suggesting material alternatives.
• NAVASTO for Alias Automotive: Brings wind tunnel simulations into the early design phase, helping automotive designers optimize aerodynamics and reduce redesign efforts.

“As an industry, we have an unprecedented opportunity to seize the value that AI, data, and digitisation offer. To do so, we must start by accessing and interconnecting the data to uncover the insights it offers,” Kinder stated.

“That’s why we’re so invested in continuing to build the Autodesk Fusion industry cloud. It’s the design and make platform for manufacturing. It’s a central environment for data, closely coupled with Autodesk AI to augment creativity, automate your workflow’s tedious tasks, and analyse project data to yield predictive insights that benefit business,” concluded Kinder.

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For many decades, manufacturing leaders have been seeking to crack the code for the right operational model that would boost production, improve product quality, and reduce hiccups in operation. 

In order to tackle these age-old industrial objectives, business owners are increasingly turning to the use of emerging technologies, such as internet of things, cloud and edge computing, 5G networks, robotics, and artificial intelligence.

Chris Gill, technical specialist for Fusion 360 at Autodesk, highlighted these digitalisation trends, their benefits, and how they meld with the current state of manufacturing and supply chain today. 

Harnessing software-based processes
Tapping into the right digitalisation approach is a crucial task for manufacturing companies of all shapes and sizes to optimise human resources, labour shortages, and supply chain issues. 

According to Gill, the manufacturing industry of Australia and New Zealand has come a long way in terms of its journey from manual programming to leveraging computer-aided manufacturing systems. 

From manually connected processing machines, manufacturers are now using shop floor-connected machines powered by CAD systems that combine industrial and mechanical design, simulation, machining, and collaboration in a simple integrated platform. 

Integrating communication through cloud 

Communication is the number one issue of any business. And with every stage of manufacturing isolated in its own little bubble of information processing, it’s almost an impressive feat — if not impossible— to keep them all working on the same version of a file using manual methods. 

How can you know if you are working on the correct version of a file? Gill noted here the significance of working on a cloud-based platform that ensures that everyone is on the same page— a single source of truth, he calls it.  

This approach would eliminate disjointed markups and allow designers and engineers to tap into connected bi-directional markups. 

And of course, transitioning from a local to a cloud-based system, architects and engineers would no longer be bound to using their desktops. Collaboration is key and designers need to have access to projects, where the rest of the team can review and comment on designs from their mobile devices. 

Starting from the shop floor

The supply chain is bound to encounter many other stresses in the future, including those that we have never encountered before. Digital transformation that begins on a business’ shop floor is paving the way for Industry 4.0, ultimately opening new methods for mitigating emerging issues. 

Autodesk has reimagined the 3D CAD/CAM system from the ground up and developed Fusion 360 to serve as a comprehensive development tool for businesses of all shapes and sizes. 

To hear more comprehensive insights on Australia’s transition to new manufacturing processes, as well as other supply chain and production issues, watch Production Efficiency in Manufacturing. The one-hour webinar can be watched and downloaded on-demand.  

It also features presentations from subject matter experts Paul Gekas, TEF business development at Robert Bosch Australia, and Vikram Sachdeva, manager of the Advanced Manufacturing Industry 4.0 Hub at the Swinburne University of Technology. 

The post Advancing manufacturing: Catalyzing innovation and doing more with less  appeared first on Australian Manufacturing.

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Projects are becoming bigger and bigger with increasingly aggressive deadlines to meet as the modern factory interweaves innovation into its core processes. And with massive progress, we are bound to encounter an equally massive problem that comes with it. 

There is no denying that the manufacturing sector has a problem with waste reduction and we do not need an environmental scientist pointing it out in order to realize the issue. 

Aside from its devastating effects on the environment, waste production also impacts the supply chain’s resiliency, ultimately affecting our financial stability and product integrity. 

In the construction industry, for example, over 3 billion metric tonnes of natural resources are needed to manufacture building materials every year globally. Up to 30 per cent of this is wasted, with rework, overestimating, and inaccurate data all contributing to the problem. 

In a study conducted by Autodesk, approximately 52 per cent of the company’s design and manufacturing customers have rolled out sustainable practices. In 2019, Autodesk and IDEO hosted a workshop with designers, manufacturers, and consultants to explore potential process models that could better support sustainable product design and reduce waste production. 

System integration and its relevance

No matter the industry, interoperability plays a significant role in keeping everyone posted at every step of the process. By looking at the whole picture and having all the information needed along the way, businesses can provide a better user experience or offer enhanced product integrity. 

In manufacturing, it is crucial to determine the quality of products, which also means the reduction of wasted materials. One designer or engineer is not necessarily the right person for each component, particularly as products across various areas of specialty become increasingly more complex. 

Getting to the root of the issue

Aside from the massive environmental factor that comes into play in the absence of waste management, time, money, energy, and materials also go down the drain due to poor design and inefficient production cycles. 

According to Autodesk’s 2020 Sustainability Report, manufacturers are poised to reduce energy use by up to 25 per cent and boost productivity through the use of smart and connected manufacturing techniques. 

In a bid to achieve a responsible and sustainable supply chain, business leaders must grab the opportunity to step up their supplier evaluation to ensure product compliance and enhance the monitoring of failure analysis and reports. 

Project predictability can be achieved by taking a step back to look at the bigger picture and tap into the integration of design and manufacturing processes. 

Australian Manufacturing, in cooperation with Autodesk, is hosting the “Production Efficiency in Manufacturing” webinar to convene industry leaders and facilitate an exchange of ideas on waste reduction and interoperability best practices. 

To register and for more information, please visit Australian Manufacturing’s event page.

The post Driving waste out of your industry: Interoperability’s affinity to waste reduction appeared first on Australian Manufacturing.

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As modernisation pushes the boundaries of manufacturing at record-high speed levels, the future is looking promising for business leaders who place heavy prioritisation on adopting solutions aimed at increasing their throughput efficiency. 

We are currently in the midst of a massive transformation of the way we perceive and execute manufacturing. With the impending abundance– even domination– of Industry 4.0 technologies, computers are being interconnected with one another to ultimately make decisions without human involvement, reduce errors and waste, and make the manufacturing process a seamless experience for all of those involved. 

Amid the increasing barrage of risks that threaten both local and global supply chains, how are Australian manufacturers evolving their approaches to operations and risk management? What are their priorities in the midst of adverse environmental conditions that threaten the very core of their delivery capabilities? 

Part 1: Revolutionising the supply chain with automation 

In the past, supply chain security solely revolved around physical security and the integrity of the process. Suppliers often address physical disruptions by tracking shipments and checking regulatory paperwork. However, as advanced automation looms over the manufacturing industry, giving birth to more and more novel threats, suppliers are increasingly seeing the need for an all-in-one application that deals with every step of the process. 

Sharing data with suppliers in real-time, in the right format, and in the latest version is one of the challenges for global supply chains. Keeping everyone posted about changes is nearly impossible without a real-time collaboration platform. 

One solution. Limitless possibilities. There is an app for that. 

Take the Autodesk Fusion 360 app, the cloud-based design, simulation, and manufacturing platform that helps manufacturers transition to agile operations, connect workflows, automate processes, and network with the entire supply chain. 

Fusion 360 seamlessly connects the design, engineering, and manufacturing processes, all while allowing users to access the technology they need, on-demand. It also enables collaboration among stakeholders from design to manufacturing. Communication between suppliers and service providers throughout the development timeline is also made possible by the software. 

“I’ve used various softwares in the past, like CATIA, or NX or Mastercam, but none

of those really put together designing and manufacturing as well as Fusion 360,” according to Jeff Hooper, owner of Backhand Bikes. 

The essence of innovation 

The key to digitalising the supply chain is envisioning and implementing a comprehensive digital strategy, all while being aligned with your enterprise goals. Software and technology can aid creators to achieve their business goals. Our journey toward adapting innovation can be a matter of making or breaking our chance to strengthen our market competence. 

The “Production Efficiency in Manufacturing” webinar hosted by Australian Manufacturing, in partnership with Autodesk,” will bring together industry leaders to discuss the future of supply chain innovation and its outcomes for the manufacturing space. 

This online conference will offer a deep dive into practical plans for revolutionising the global supply network and discuss critical issues that sit at the nexus of innovation and efficiency. To register and for more information, please visit the event’s page on the Australian Manufacturing website.

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Article by Heather Miller

For almost 50 years, Habitat for Humanity has focused on helping people in local communities around the world build or improve “a place they can call home.” Now, some of those homes may soon be 3D printed.

Last summer, Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona, PERI 3D Construction, and Candelaria Design Associates collaborated to 3D print a single-family, three-bedroom, two-bath structure measuring 1,738 square feet of livable space.

70 – 80% of the home is 3D printed, including all interior and exterior walls. The remainder of the house is a traditional build. It was a first for the nonprofit organization and an eye-opening experience to potential opportunities to provide even more affordable housing.

“This is really a moonshot opportunity for Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona,” says Jason Barlow, president and CEO, Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona. “When we consider the housing issues facing Arizona, the need for affordable homeownership solutions becomes clear. If we can deliver decent, affordable, more energy-efficient homes at less cost, in less time, and with less waste, we think that could be a real game-changer. Think of the implications.”

Creating a new workflow from design to 3D print

Candelaria Design Associates’ principal Mark Candelaria is a member of the Habitat board and donated the firm’s expertise to kick off the project. Candelaria team director and project manager Damon Wake adapted a previously permitted, standard habitat plan for a wood-frame house that had been designed in AutoCAD. The file was then exported from AutoCAD as a STEP file for further design work in Autodesk Fusion 360.

“You have to eliminate 99% of the information that you’ve drawn in your architectural plans in order to make a print file that tells the print head where to go with the concrete,” Wake explains. “We created the CAD file with a continuous polyline. That was brought into Fusion 360 to turn it all into surfaces and create cutouts where the print head would stop and start for doors or windows.”

Courtesy of PERI 3D ConstructionFrom there, Samuel Hager, application engineer at PERI 3D Construction, took the 2D centerline drawing and “sliced” it in Fusion 360, further enhanced the design, and optimized it for the COBOD BOD 2 printer.

“The printer is essentially a very large version of a 3D printer—but instead of using melted plastic, we’re using wet concrete and stacking it,” Hager says.

Each of the slices in Fusion 360 is a layer for printing the concrete, so the printer will know to follow a specific pathway. And it’s critical to use Fusion 360 because the printer only recognizes certain file types that Fusion 360 can export.

Discovering the benefits and opportunities for 3D printing homes

3D printing the concrete foundation and walls for the Habitat for Humanity project took a cumulative total of 42 hours to print. From there, it was ready for the rest of the traditional construction, including the roof and interior. The expected move-in date for the new residents is late February 2022.

The project revealed how the main structural component of a home could be constructed with less time and resources. At the same time, volunteer time could be maximized. PERI 3D Construction estimates if a printer is on-site, a house can be 3D printed and removed within a week for typical projects.

“The nice thing is you only need two skilled operators and maybe one other construction helper that doesn’t necessarily know much about 3D printing, but they are there to lend a hand,” Hager says. “With a team of three, you’re able to do the work of an entire team of framers.”

“This could be a game-changer for affordable housing—and any housing—if we could significantly reduce the cost and time of construction,” Barlow says. “Where this will become more affordable to us is when we can print five or so two-story townhomes attached in a row at one time.”

Learning about 3D printing

As 3D printing homes and structures gain momentum with these early proof-of-concept success stories, Hager sees Fusion 360 as an invaluable and integral part of the process. And anyone can start small just to get an idea about this type of fabrication.

“You can pick up Fusion 360 very quickly and get up to speed with all the tutorials,” Hager says. “Start dipping your toes into it. Pick up a $200 printer, download a free license, and try to 3D print something small. It’s a nice introduction to the fabrication side and really understanding how it works.”

Learn more about this project on Redshift.

Ready to start your 3D printing journey with Autodesk Fusion 360? Start your free 30-day trial today.

The post Habitat for Humanity 3D Prints Concrete Home Using Autodesk Fusion 360 appeared first on Australian Manufacturing.

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It won’t come as a surprise to learn that in a place known as ‘Steel City’ there is high demand for prototypes and machined parts. The city of Pittsburgh’s rich industrial heritage has enabled the region to rise from the deindustrialization of the mid-20th century, transforming into what is today a thriving hub for engineering and technological advancement with a growing need for rapid, high-quality production.

Formed to satisfy the rapid growth in technological demand, Conturo Prototyping started life in 2016 as a 1,000 square foot shop. They were a small shop with a big vision – to become a world-class provider of fast on-demand prototypes and components of superior quality. Conturo Prototyping quickly grew to a 17,000-square-foot facility complete with ten multi-axis CNC mills and three CNC lathes, thanks predominantly to its agile manufacturing workflow and world-class engineering customer support.

Machining complex parts can be challenging, expensive and time consuming – but Conturo Prototyping is changing that with the advanced 5-axis CNC machining capabilities provided by the Autodesk Fusion 360 Machining Extension. Specializing in small batch production runs for aerospace, automotive, and medical OEMs to help them shorten product development times and bring products to market faster, Fusion 360 helps the Conturo Prototyping engineers to simplify design for manufacture, collaborate seamlessly, automate part setup, and program multiple parts per day on their 5-axis CNC machines.

“We work with engineers that have very complex goals and make very advanced mechanical assemblies and components,” says Andy Lawniczak, Chief Operating Officer. “But they’re used to the old-school ways of manufacturing and machining. So, when we get back to them within a day with a design for manufacture analysis, they say, ‘Wow, that was fast!’”

Staying abreast of the latest software developments plays a significant part in setting Conturo Prototyping aside from traditional competitors. After deploying Fusion 360, the company were able to take advantage of simulation and automation functions that allowed the company to digitise many manual steps, leading to a rapid decrease in product development time.

“As soon as the customer comes to us with a problem, we load it in Fusion 360,” Lawniczak says. “Right away, we can start looking at geometries, measuring different aspects, making slight changes, and putting it in our machines to see how it will fit and how feasible the job is. What’s really important about these advanced tools is we can be so much more agile than we used to be.”

A traditional job shop with a few CNC programmers and a large crew of operators might be able to program a handful of parts in a week. Conturo Prototyping, on the other hand, can program that many parts in a single day. From Lawniczak’s perspective, the versatility of Fusion 360 contributes directly to the shop’s ability to solve customer problems more rapidly.

“We had a client on a very short timeline making robots, and they wanted to cast a lot of the parts, but making a casting mold is really expensive and really slow,” he says. “They asked us if we could CNC the geometry so they could get to market sooner.”

Conturo Prototyping ended up programming the entire part in Fusion 360. The level of complex, intricate geometry meant it would have been almost impossible to produce using 3-axis machining. Instead, the Conturo engineering team decided to purchase the new Fusion 360 Machining Extension, which unlocked 5-axis functionality inside their existing Fusion 360 software, meaning they could quickly produce the NC code they needed to run their 5-axis mills.

“We were able to get the prototype back to our customer in a few weeks as opposed to six months or more from a casting vendor,” he says. “This is how we end up solving so many client problems.”

The Fusion 360 Machining Extension is a cost option that unlocks a vast array of advanced tools for CNC machining. In addition to 5-axis functions, including automatic collision avoidance, the extension unlocks access to machining strategies like steep and shallow that simplify the machining of complex, feature-rich parts. The extension also includes dedicated toolpaths and workflows that can be used with spindle-mounted probes to measure components throughout the machining process to help speed up set-up and improve overall part quality. The extension is considered as being extremely powerful, according to shop supervisor Patrick Fee.

“The Fusion 360 Machining Extension can do some really advanced stuff on the CNCs,” comments shop supervisor Patrick Fee. “We recently used the part alignment capabilities within the Machining Extension to machine some parts out of aluminum that we cut to size from 1″x5″ bar. The saw cut all the pieces way out of square and we didn’t notice until the job was already setup to run on one of our Haas VF2 machining centers. We initially tried to machine the parts using a simple vise stop to locate the stock but the first few parts weren’t cleaning up fully and had to be scrapped. We were on the verge of having to scrap and reorder well over $200 in material and have our machine sitting idle the rest of the day.”

“By using Fusion 360’s part alignment tools, we were able to use a spindle mounted probe on our Haas VF2 machine to measure each piece of stock and automatically adjust the machining orientation so that every part fit in a less than ideal stock envelope.” Fee continues. “All the parts came out perfectly. The Fusion 360 Machining Extension costs $1,600 per year – we paid for at least half of that in this example alone. Considering all the other time saving features the Machining Extension offers such as Steep and Shallow, Toolpath Trimming and Probe Geometry, a feature we’ve recently just started using to avoid in-machine measurement errors, it’s clear the extension pays for itself in a few weeks.”

Tight schedules and complex parts are just a normal, everyday expectation for shops like Conturo Prototyping. But with help from Fusion 360, the shop can do more work in less time. “We know everyone’s on a tight timeline, so we make sure we’re using the most cutting-edge tools we can, and that’s why we’re using Fusion 360.” Lawniczak says. “It really embodies the whole agile movement in engineering.”

Learn more about Conturo Prototyping at www.conturoprototyping.com, and learn more about the new Fusion 360 Machining Extension www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/machining-extension.

The post How Conturo Prototyping are delivering complex prototypes faster with the Fusion 360 Machining Extension appeared first on Australian Manufacturing.

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If you have used Fusion 360, you’re already aware that it’s a very powerful tool. A single cloud program for design, modelling, and manufacturing, Fusion 360 gives you instant access to CAD, CAM, sculpting for complex surfaces, sheet metal functionality, 2D drawing for assemblies, and animation and rendering capabilities. In addition to that there is also simulation, automation, ECAD for PCB boards, and additive manufacturing. That’s a lot to pack in to one environment and is often sufficient for most product designers and manufacturers.

What are Extensions and Why do they Exist?

But in an ever-changing world there are always new ways to work and new techniques to consider. Fusion 360 supplies fundamental capabilities that can meet the needs of a large base of customers, industries, and applications. Extensions provide a cost-effective way for customers to instantly access powerful additional capabilities, as and when they are needed. Customers have the freedom to activate (and deactivate) technology in line with the needs of the business, such as for fluctuations in seasonal production, for project-based collaborations or for budgetary cycles. This flexibility also allows businesses to experiment with innovative new technology with a minimal investment and risk.

All this means that you can still do everything you need to within Fusion 360, without the hassle of transferring your data and models between multiple software applications, removing the potential for disconnected tools and eliminating costly deployment overhead.

How Do Extensions Work?

Fusion 360 extensions give you access to advanced design and manufacturing capabilities, exactly when you need them. There’s nothing to install, no additional IT support needed, and no concerns about whether your new software will function properly with your existing CAD and CAM software. With all extensions already integrated into the Fusion 360 environment, you simply unlock the tools with a single click to start using additional functionality.

Fusion 360 extensions also come with a range of flexible subscription options. Want to try out functionality before you buy? There’s a 7-day free trial option for most extensions. Would a little extra capability help you accomplish your goals for a short-term project? Consider a monthly subscription or flex access to pay as you go – possibly just for a single day. To access extensions all you need is an existing Fusion 360 subscription; how long you commit to using the extension is entirely up to you.

Plus, when you’re looking to get more capability into your business, it’s a lot easier to start with what you already have – using software programs that your team is already familiar with is much faster than retraining your workforce from scratch. Autodesk also provides different training options to ensure your workforce is comfortable using these advanced tools, including free Zoom onboarding sessions focused on extensions with experienced product specialists who know how to get you up and running quickly. All this functionality gives your team more time and freedom to innovate, so you can focus on bringing your products to market quicker and more efficiently.

What Extensions are Available?

Autodesk offers a range of extensions to serve different needs within your design and manufacture business. Autodesk is constantly enhancing the functionality within Fusion 360 as well as adding to the range of available extensions. Currently, the following extensions are available –

• Machining Extension
• Generative Design Extension
• Additive Build Extension
• Nesting and Fabrication Extension
• Manage Extension

Enhance Your CAM Capabilities with the Machining Extension

The Machining Extension boosts the core CAM capabilities of Fusion 360 with access to advanced 4- and 5-axis strategies, toolpath modification, and in-cycle probing cycles for process control and automated part setup. The extension includes advanced capabilities that were originally only available in more expensive products such as PowerMill (multi-axis strategies, toolpath modifications), FeatureCAM (5-axis hole recognition), and PowerInspect (in-cycle surface inspection and automated setup using spindle mounted probes). Crucially, the Machining Extension allows Fusion 360 users to access these highly valuable capabilities at a much lower, and more affordable price. This extension helps you produce better quality parts by simplifying and automating your CAM programming, allowing you to make better use of your CNC machines.

Based in the USA, Conturo Prototyping is one company who have made the extension part of their success. The Machining Extension has been well received and is considered as being extremely powerful, according to shop supervisor Patrick Fee.

“The Fusion 360 Machining Extension can do some really advanced stuff on the CNCs,” Fee says. “For example, part alignment typically involves a lot of shimming to make the part really flat. It can take hours, and it’s really stressful. With Fusion 360, the probe does all the work. That’s immensely time-saving and valuable to us. For us, the Extension paid for itself in the first job and in a matter of a few weeks.”

Find out more about how Conturo Prototyping are using the Machining Extension within Fusion 360 here.

Get More from Your Materials with the Nesting & Fabrication Extension

As the name suggests, the Nesting & Fabrication Extension in Fusion 360 unlocks advanced capabilities to create optimized and associative multi-sheet layouts for sheet metal and non-sheet metal parts. This extension lets the user access automatic nesting with grouping based on material, thickness, and grain orientation to improve the utilization of sheet materials, minimize waste, and increase profitability.

One customer who is already using the Nesting and Fabrication Extension is Ganas Manufacturing. They found one of the biggest benefits is maximizing the yield of sheet goods when accommodating several smaller pieces is automatically determined.

“There is a big gap in the woodworking and millwork industry when it comes to nesting,” Ganas says. “There are a lot of products for cabinet libraries, but they are not custom. Fusion 360 can do nesting directly from the 3D model and that’s invaluable to us.”

The impact of the Nesting & Fabrication Extension in Fusion 360 is huge for the shop, reducing expected scrap from 25% to just 5% of any given sheet. You can read the full Ganas Manufacturing case study here.

Take Control of your Data with the Manage Extension

Get additional data management functionality and manage design changes at any stage of production with the click of a button using pre-built workflows. Unlock capabilities for engineering change orders, release management, automated part numbering, and email notifications. The Manage Extension within Fusion 360 gives you complete visibility and digitally approved records so that you can focus on innovation, not administration.

“As a team, we are able to collaboratively use the cloud to review the current design and discuss even when not physically in the same location” states Annika Klüpfel of Breeze Automation, a company using Fusion 360 to create a new generation of dexterous robots and automation.

Harness the Power of Machine Learning and AI with the Generative Design Extension

For many, the idea of AI and machine learning sounds like something from a sci-fi film. In fact, AI is already having a positive impact on designers and manufacturers of the products we’re all using today. The Generative Design Extension allows you to rapidly explore new designs that solve some of the biggest challenges we’re facing today – reduce weight, increase structural integrity, improve performance, extend durability and increase productivity. This extension allows you to explore unlimited manufacturing-ready design outcomes that meet your specifications and allow you to explore designs that, quite simply, are beyond the reach of human capacity.

“Generative design algorithms in Fusion 360 iterate thousands of times a minute to the point where after only four hours you can have the most optimized solution possible – saving an unbelievable amount of time in the process” comments Ian Briggs of Briggs Automotive Company (BAC), a high-performance car manufacturer using Autodesk products to embrace digital transformation. Find out more about BAC and their use of Generative Design to build Mono sports car here.

Build Higher Value Additive Parts with the Additive Build Extension

Unlock extra additive manufacturing technology inside Fusion 360 with the Additive Build Extension. Product Metal parts with powder bed fusion (SLM) machines. Gain access to advanced features like automatic orientation and packing to maximise the use of build space. Use powerful simulation capabilities to validate upfront engineering and produce optimized geometry to minimize things like warp.

“Within 10 minutes we see something in 3D and then send it to the 3D printer” commented Ian Redfern, Senior Industrial Designer at Fabric. Watch how Fabric use Fusion 360 and the additive capabilities within the Additive Build Extension to create their award-winning bicycles here.

Learn More

As your business develops and evolves, Autodesk Fusion 360 will grow and adapt with you. Autodesk is here to help you take your business in the direction you need it go and discover the new possible.

To find out more about Fusion 360 extensions visit our extensions overview page or reach out to our team.

The post Instantly Advance Your Manufacturing Capabilities with Fusion 360 Extensions appeared first on Australian Manufacturing.

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The State of Desktop Additive Manufacturing

Autodesk and Formlabs are teaming up! You may not have noticed just yet, but Autodesk Fusion 360 has an expansive additive manufacturing workspace designed to help prototyping, researchers, additive engineers, designers and everyone else get the most control over their 3D printers.

Fusion 360’s additive manufacturing space is already a feature-rich space for FFF machines, with posts available for major manufacturers, along with fine support controls, assistive tools to avoid errors when printing, and even custom post configurators.

I can hear you asking, “Why would I want to use an additive manufacturing space when I have a dedicated slicer for my machine?” Excellent question! When using Fusion 360 for machining, you have the advantages of fully associative design and manufacturing data, so you can set up your manufacturing model once, then regenerate toolpaths any time you make a change to the design. In addition, Fusion 360 includes simulation tools that show you how your part will be made and assistive plugins to avoid mistakes before they happen.

Solutions and extending to SLA

Bringing these features over to additive manufacturing really expedites getting things made, opening you up to minimal file management and seamless collaboration with others. Already a high-performing 3D CAD tool for collaborating with others, the Additive Manufacturing Extension for Fusion 360 accelerates the AM phase of a project by folding additive experts into your workflow. More importantly though, Fusion 360’s additive manufacturing workspace essentially eliminates the need to create STLs for manufacturing by enabling you to push your data directly to your additive machine’s control software/slicer. Keeping the manufacturing data connected to the design data eliminates the need to constantly create new STLs in order to print.

Autodesk Fusion 360’s partnership with Formlabs brings these advantages to the full range of Formlabs SLA machines, giving you granular control over support structures, baseplates, and enabling you to push straight to a form file (with direct-to-PreForm coming soon). This partnership will also be extended to Formlabs SLS machines in the near future also!

The Formlabs partnership also brings some quality-of-life features to speed up your time to printing. Auto Orient in Fusion 360 provides you granular control over what your priorities are for orientation. For instance, maybe you want support structures to have a higher priority over the footprint of the setup, or maybe the inverse, or something entirely different. The new Auto Orient feature will give you the ability to set your priorities, then review a number of options before sending to print.

Giving control to you, the user, doesn’t end here. This is v1.0 of Formlabs integration with Fusion 360. (Yes, 1.0; we’re not much for one-and-done at Autodesk.) You’ll also get more control over your support strategy for parts over using default slicers. With Fusion 360’s support strategies, you can now print with lattice supports made to your specifications, or use an entirely different support structure strategy, such as bar supports.

Talking to Sualp Ozel, Senior Product Manager for additive in Fusion 360, he explains that Autodesk’s focus is on eliminating barriers that slow commercial design and manufacturing. “When applications aren’t connected, productivity suffers, especially during design iterations, as change orders require several file translations and result in loss of detail.”

The Real World

Ok, that sounds wonderful, but does it work? The short answer to that is a resounding ‘yes,’ but don’t take our word for it. We recently sat down with a series of companies that use Formlabs and Fusion 360 to hear more about their workflows, and how Fusion 360 fits in.

Talking to Curtis Kennedy of Symbodi Labs, the company behind Vertiball, we learned that pairing Fusion 360 and Formlabs enabled them to expedite the entire design-to-manufacture workflow. The integration enabled Symbodi Labs to dramatically reduce time to manufacturing by creating accurate facsimiles that emulate the final injection molding manufacturing process. Fusion 360 in the mix minimized the total number of prototypes manufactured because they were able to validate “the theoretical functionality of a design through simulation” by taking advantage of Fusion 360’s centralized data philosophy. They brought together not just design and manufacturing, but simulation too.

Then there’s companies like Cosm Medical, which is tackling the very real challenge of mass customization needed in the medical industry. Cosm Medical produces prosthetics to treat pelvic floor disorders, which nearly half of all women will experience by age 80. As you can imagine, producing prosthetics for internal use is extremely challenging. Under current circumstances, most patients will go through an extensive process to find the one prosthetic, from 50 standardized designs, that fits properly. Cosm Medical produces prosthetics that fit first time by combining 3D scanning technology, Fusion 360 technology, and Formlabs technology.

“Fusion 360…covers several steps in our process. It’s able to take in our sizing measurements from patients and build a patient-specific model and mold for our device utilizing parametric modelling. It can then export our molds to load into PreForm, so it’s fast and easy to get our molds printed. This entire process ensures the economic viability of our product in the long-term by automating many steps in the custom device design process.” Robert Lancefiield, tell us, Mechanical Engineer at Cosm. The Formlabs Form 3B 3D printer provides high-quality prints with a surface quality that enables Cosm Medical to go straight to silicone mold from the print, so patients get the best fitting prosthetic, first time.

We’re extremely excited by this partnership with Formlabs, and we can’t wait to show you what other wonderful features we’re bringing to close the gap between design and manufacturing in the near future. If you’re interested in receiving a free sample part from Formlabs, or better understanding what this partnership will provide you, then for more information visit www.autodesk.com/fusion360-formlabs.

Already a Fusion 360 user and Formlabs owner? You can print your own sample part directly from Fusion 360 and try out these new features.

Interested in trying out Fusion 360 and its Formlabs integration for yourself? Download a free trial right here.

Images are provided by Autodesk.

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Media Release

Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) announced the commercial availability of its cloud-based digital twin platform, Autodesk Tandem, following its successful public beta.

As plans and files change throughout the design and construction process, keeping data together is challenging. A recent FMI report reveals that more than 95 percent of all data goes unused in engineering and construction, which results in inefficient processes and lost revenue for AEC firms and owners.

“Autodesk Tandem is a cloud-based digital twin technology platform that aims to turn that stat on its head,” said Bob Bray, senior director and general manager, Autodesk Tandem. “It enables projects to start digital, stay digital, and deliver digital, transforming rich data into business intelligence.”

By embracing digital transformation and harnessing Building Information Modeling (BIM) data throughout the design and construction process, AEC firms can create and handover a digital twin to customers. The easily accessible, contextual, and insightful data in a digital twin makes for ready-to-go operations.

AEC Firms Strive to Delight, Deliver Value to Owners
When a team starts a project with Autodesk Tandem, they consider operations from the beginning. They also avoid delivering quickly outdated, static data at project handover.

“Our design teams are working with our clients to improve their operations and facility management. The focus is creating an easier digital handover process, and better management of their assets,” said Damir Jaskic, CIO, KEO International Consultants.

“We truly see the promise of Autodesk Tandem to transform our outcome-based business model. Starting with the end of the project in mind makes it easier to capture the data required for efficient building management.”

Autodesk Tandem can gather all the information about a building, its systems and critical equipment in both tabular and 3D representations. Building operators and facilities managers can then find the information they’re looking for when responding to operational issues to keep proper maintenance. This insight tells them what to expect when they arrive at the maintenance location and helps them understand how work on one system may impact another.

“We are seeing a growing awareness from our customers of the value of asset information and the insights it provides. Digital Twin platforms represent a real change in the way we and our customers think about the creation, validation and operational life of asset information,” said Andrew Field, principal, asset and digital advisory, Beca.

“Autodesk Tandem will help improve long term asset performance and decision-making. It’s the bridge between the creation of assets, and the handover of asset information to our customers.”

Autodesk Tandem Promotes Operational Readiness  
Over its lifecycle, roughly 80 percent of the cost of a built asset is realized in its operation. Digital twins created in Autodesk Tandem are designed to improve operational efficiency and enable predictive maintenance to prevent disruptions and reduce operating costs.

Readily available data and a digital replica of their facility puts handover information at owners’ fingertips. This lets them focus their energy on operational readiness, rather than turning documents back into useful data.

“AEC project teams using Autodesk Tandem will help owners improve the occupant experience, and enable predictive maintenance,” said Bray. “A digital twin is synonymous with greater ROI — it gives owners unprecedented insight about the operation, utilization, and performance of their facilities.”

This blog post explains digital twin technology and presents the benefits digital twins offer the AEC industry. It also articulates how Autodesk’s recent acquisition of Innovyze accelerates Autodesk’s digital twin strategy and positions the company as a global leader of digital end-to-end solutions from design to operations of water infrastructure.

The post Autodesk Tandem: Digital Twin Platform Now Commercially Available appeared first on Australian Manufacturing.

Sponsored Content by 

If you’re cutting a large number of parts out of flat sheet stock with varying dimensions and prices, nesting is a crucial piece of the workflow to help eliminate guesswork and minimise waste.  Nesting optimizes the process of laying out parts on a flat sheet of material to reduce scrap and optimise finished goods production. Typical materials include sheet metal, heavy plate, wood, and fabric.  With the introduction of the Fusion 360 – Nesting & Fabrication Extension new capabilities include integrated, automated, and associative nesting with material, thickness, and quantity detection that will help optimise the arrangement of parts – both sheet metal and non-sheet metal – on flat raw material in preparation for cutting operations.

The nesting capabilities were built to be easily used with existing assemblies by including simple part filtering to reduce overall model prep time.  The workflow is seamless, with no need to translate or export your design, so there is no data loss along the way.  Parts are grouped by material and sheet thickness, and nested based on your specifications. You also have the ability to compare the key metrics of your nesting results and view even more detailed metrics in the printable nest reports.

There are many benefits to the Nesting & Fabrication capabilities in Fusion 360, including:

• Increased material yield by combining multiple jobs or sub-assemblies for a single job

Nest from multiple documents (.dxf, .f3d) to aggregate and nest parts from different documents.

• Automated nesting to reduce lead time and errors

Multi-sheet nesting generates optimised nests across multiple sheets with material, thickness, and quantity detection.

• Automatic alignment of nested parts for any material grain or aesthetic requirements

Advanced part and material controls let you specify allowed rotations, deviation, and increment for initial part orientations.

• Standardised material availability within your business

Store available material and stock information in a shared process material library.

• Automatic creation of setups with defined stock sizes from nested results, across multiple sheets, for faster programming

Create setups, toolpaths, and NC code for nested models or export nested sheet results as a DXF file.

• Simplified job quoting process. Compare how varying quantities, sheet dimensions and prices affect your total costs to help improve your ROI.

Create and compare customisable nest reports that can be saved and shared in PDF format.

The Fusion 360 Nesting & Fabrication Extension enables you to generate nests from your Fusion 360 designs and create toolpaths and NC code to drive your CNC machines.  It is fully integrated alongside CAD and CAM functionality, which includes instant access to toolpath generation for a variety of CNC machines.  Easily create manufacturing setups from nested sheets and start programming with the easy-to-use toolpath options for milling and contouring applications.  When you’re ready to start production, Fusion 360 offers a full library of fast, free, and fully customizable post processors to get code to your machine, closing the loop on the design, nesting, and fabrication process.

But what about when a design changes? Even a small change can have a huge impact to nesting efficiency, which can affect throughput and material usage. Nesting and Fabrication in Fusion 360 is fully associative, so changes to the design are automatically consumed when the nest is updated.  Automatic selection tools streamline toolpath creation at any point in the process.  As you make model changes, the related nests will get marked “out-of-date” and you can update these to reflect the latest model changes.

Creating a Nesting Study in Fusion 360 is easy, fast, and flexible.  You may create multiple nest studies with varying inputs such as part quantity, rotation constraints, available sheet sizes, etc. and then compare the results to identify the best solution to manufacture or generate a quote for your customer. Reports offer a more in-depth and printable way to view nesting metrics, including the nest sources and packaging and their parameters, nested sheets, and sheet part summaries. Reports also offer configuration through report templates and sections can be shown or hidden to adjust report length.  You can save the HTML report or print it to create a PDF or paper copy.

Designed with the needs of fabrication and machine shops in mind, the Nesting & Fabrication capabilities in Fusion 360 includes technology for mechanical engineers, manufacturing engineers, fabricators and machinists typically involved in a fabrication workflow. You can quickly program the nesting of components and/or creation of cutting toolpaths for machines such as laser cutters, waterjet, plasma or routers.

“Having a turnkey 3D CAD, nesting, and CAM software with Autodesk Fusion 360 has       been an invaluable tool in increasing the company’s efficiency.  It has accelerated the       engineering and manufacturing on all of our projects, from high end residential furniture   to custom architectural millwork.” Richard Ganas, Founder & CEO of GANAS MFG. www.ganasmfg.com

Learn more about the Fusion 360 – Nesting & Fabrication Extension or start a free trial: https://www.autodesk.com.au/products/fusion-360/nesting-fabrication-extension

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