Project Krypton Technology Preview is now available on Autodesk Labs

18 August 2010

Autodesk has announced that the Project Krypton Technology Preview, a plug-in that provides design engineers with advice during the early stages of designing plastic parts, is now available for download on Autodesk Labs as a free technology preview. The Project Krypton Technology Preview integrates seamlessly with Autodesk Inventor and Autodesk Inventor LT software and also works with SolidWorks software to support companies working in a multi-CAD environment.

In addition to under- or over-engineering plastic parts, poor design decisions often lead to costly redesign and retooling before manufacturers can achieve cost, quality, and manufacturability goals. The Project Krypton Technology Preview helps to reverse this trend by guiding design engineers to make better choices and evaluate alternatives when it matters the most, early in the design process.

Project Krypton Technology Preview provides designers with real-time feedback in three areas:

· Manufacturability — The Manufacturability Indicator assesses the part after each design modification and provides real-time feedback regarding potential manufacturing concerns.
· Cost efficiency — The Cost Efficiency Indicator assesses how changes to a design influence the overall injection mold, material choice and production costs.

· Environmental impact — The Plastic Material Impact Indicator helps product designers understand the environmental impact of their material choices by examining characteristics such as embodied carbon, embodied energy and recyclability.

This instantaneous feedback supports designers in making better decisions earlier in the design process — helping them design more cost-effective plastic parts that can be properly manufactured, and produced with less environmental impact.

Powered by Autodesk Moldflow injection molding simulation technology, Project Krypton Technology Preview provides instant and simple feedback via design indicators embedded directly within the CAD environment. Alerts and highlighting of design features help to pinpoint design problems and provide guidance on how to resolve those problems. As a result, designers don’t need extensive training or expertise to gain access to rich, detailed information that guides the manufacturing of plastic parts.

The Project Krypton Technology Preview will be available on Autodesk Labs until November 13, 2010. To download a copy, click here.