Digital prototypes

Create and manage designs from concept to manufacture.

Digital Prototyping

Digital Prototyping gives manufacturers the ability to virtually explore a complete product before it is built—so they can create, validate, optimize, and manage designs from the conceptual design phase through the manufacturing phase of the product development process. By using a digital prototype, manufacturers can boost design efficiency and innovation by visualizing and simulating the real-world performance of a design, and save time and money by reducing the number of physical prototypes they build.

The Autodesk approach to Digital Prototyping is unique in that it is scalable, attainable, and cost-effective, allowing a broader group of manufacturers to realize the benefits of Digital Prototyping with minimal disruption to existing workflows, and providing the most straightforward path to creating and maintaining a single digital model.

• Digital Prototyping For Manufacturing (24MB)
• Digital Prototyping Overview Brochure - Automotive (334KB)
• Digital Prototyping Overview Brochure - Consumer Products (417KB)
• Digital Prototyping Overview Brochure - Industrial Machinery (348KB)

Digital Prototyping Video
Download and watch this five-segment video to see how the Autodesk solution for Digital Prototyping improves all phases of the design process.

1. Introduction
   The Autodesk solution for Digital Prototyping is attainable, scalable, cost-effective, and easy to deploy and integrate into existing processes with minimal disruption to productive workflows. All phases of product development align together in a connected digital environment from conceptual design and engineering to manufacturing and the end-customer.
2. Conceptual Design
   Designers work on a single digital model from the first sketch, with the ability to share data with engineering teams using a common file format. This easy interoperability allows designers and engineers to collaborate more effectively than ever before—working together to create and validate the digital prototype.
3. Engineering
   Autodesk® Inventor® software helps engineers establish a workflow driven by functional design, where they can easily build digital prototypes, and then use integrated engineering calculations to validate the design. With a digital model, engineers can optimize their designs, conduct stress analysis tests, assess motion problems, catch errors, and improve product quality—all before a physical prototype is built.
4. Data Management
   Managing product design data with Autodesk’s data management tools drives better decisions in the design and manufacturing processes and connects design teams as they create the digital prototype. Automating engineering change and release processes increases the ability to leverage standard design processes, and enabling collaboration between design, manufacturing, and the supply chain.
5. Summary
   Autodesk’s best-in-class solution for Digital Prototyping is easy to use, easy to implement, and is now within reach of mainstream manufacturers. Take a look at the video in full.
   
   

Digital Prototyping for Manufacturing

Digital Prototyping gives manufacturers the ability to virtually explore a complete product before it is built. By using a digital prototype, manufacturers can visualize and simulate real-world performance of the design with less reliance on costly physical prototypes, reducing design and production costs.

The Autodesk solution for Digital Prototyping moves your company beyond 3D modeling. It enables manufacturing workgroups to create a single digital model that can be used in every stage of production, bridging the gaps that usually exist between conceptual design, engineering, mechanical design, electrical controls design, and manufacturing teams.

• Fewer costly physical prototypes
• Less time to market
• Ability to design and build more innovative products
• Streamlined communication and data sharing between designers, engineers and manufacturers
• Easy way for companies of all sizes to exploit true 3D modelling
• Smooth bi-directional integration with the AutoCAD family of design software

See our Tools for Digital Prototyping page for more information.