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Autodesk Inventor Powers Development of Small Wind Turbines for Home Market

SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--Autodesk, Inc. has named Vindby, a Danish supplier of renewable energy solutions, as the Autodesk Inventor of the Month for April. Vindby used Autodesk Inventor software to develop the Vindby 1A, the first wind turbine approved for home use in Denmark. Easily assembled and installed, the Vindby 1A makes it simple for homeowners to generate clean, renewable energy and lessen their environmental impact.

“The rapid development of the Vindby 1A was possible only because we were able to form a complete Digital Prototyping workflow with Inventor software”

“The rapid development of the Vindby 1A was possible only because we were able to form a complete Digital Prototyping workflow with Inventor software,�?? said Ole Jonsson, a director at Vindby. “It was the deciding factor in quickly getting the approval process under way and gaining a head start on the competition. It also led to a whole raft of concrete optimizations in design and construction.�??

Denmark’s regulations for wind turbines require that all turbines — even small ones like Vindby’s that have a footprint of less than five square meters — undergo a rigorous six-month test period, three of which must be winter months. Working with Autodesk Authorized Reseller CDLIGHT, Vindby incorporated Inventor software into its design process and took the necessary steps to prepare its wind turbine for testing.

Digital Prototyping Optimizes Design in Less Time

By designing, visualizing and simulating the performance of its wind turbine in Inventor, Vindby was able to reduce the number of physical prototypes required and speed up the development process — gaining a six-month time advantage over the competition. As a result, Vindby became the first company to reach the Danish market with an approved wind turbine for private home use and has subsequently expanded sales to Norway and Sweden.

“Clean technology companies regularly face tight deadlines and a demanding regulatory approval process,�?? said Robert “Buzz�?? Kross, senior vice president, Manufacturing Industry Group at Autodesk. “Digital Prototyping helps companies like Vindby in both of these areas, enabling them to build a better product and deliver it to market sooner.�??

To read more about Autodesk Solutions for Sustainable Design visit Manufacturing Sustainable Design Center.

About the Autodesk Inventor of the Month Program

Each month, Autodesk selects an Inventor of the Month from the users of Autodesk Inventor software, which takes manufacturers beyond 3D to 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 Vindby

Denmark-based Vindby is a leading provider of renewable energy solutions in the fields of photovoltaics, small wind turbines and geothermal heat pumps. For additional information, visit www.vindby.dk.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc., is a world leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering and entertainment software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art software to help customers experience their ideas digitally before they are built. Fortune 100 companies -- as well as the last 15 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects -- use Autodesk software tools to design, visualize and simulate their ideas to save time and money, enhance quality, and foster innovation for competitive advantage. For additional information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.

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. Academy Award is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.

© 2010 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

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