AT Ferrell scoops Autodesk inventor of the month

The award was conferred for the firm's innovative use of Inventor, beyond 3D CAD/CAM and into digital prototyping, for the design and engineering of its roller mills. AT Ferrell design engineer and CAD manager Allen Gager explains that the department used Inventor software features, such as parametric modelling and finite element analysis, to develop the firm's machines so that they could successfully operate under high-pressure, while meeting tolerance requirements. "Using Inventor to create a 3D digital prototype means we no longer have to cut metal to prove the feasibility of a design," says Gager. "We know exactly how a mill will perform before it's been built. Additionally, Autodesk Vault Workgroup helps us keep track of our designs and improves our ability to reuse designs and components, which speeds the development of new products." On one recent project, he says that using Inventor software for digital prototyping enabled designers to identify a problem, test the existing design and develop a new design all in one day. This kind of efficiency, says Gager, has allowed AT Ferrell to greatly simplify the design-to-manufacture process and develop innovative new equipment.