SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Jun 19, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

Major Agricultural Seed Producer Moves from 2D to 3D to Reduce Costs and Heighten Innovation in Advanced Plant Genetics

Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADSK), the world's leading design software and digital content company, today announced that Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., a DuPont (NYSE:DD) company, is standardizing on Autodesk Inventor software for the design and adaptation of automation equipment for research and production. Pioneer is the world's leading developer and supplier of advanced plant genetics to farmers in nearly 70 countries. Recognizing the need to move from 2D to 3D design to reduce costs and heighten innovation, the Technology Integration Services Department of Pioneer selected Autodesk Inventor for a 3D software pilot program. Following the success of the initial implementation, Pioneer purchased an additional 10 licenses.

Most of the research and development for new machinery or the adaptation of existing machines will be done using Autodesk Inventor software at Pioneer's Technology Integration Services Department. Engineers find 3D design scenarios valuable because they get a more realistic representation of the machine. Autodesk Inventor helps engineers work the way they think. The adaptive design functionality allows design engineers to easily work through and change design scenarios. Now instead of a 2D design drawing, Pioneer engineers develop a 3D Autodesk Inventor model, with rich information embedded. These 3D models have enabled them to improve communication inside their extended enterprise as well as with outside manufacturers. With precision design tools and sheet metal capabilities that can generate accurate flat patterns, Autodesk Inventor has cut down on the number of prototypes and changes necessary for any job -- saving the company both time and money.

"Autodesk Inventor was so easy for our designers to learn, our first group made the move from 2D to 3D within a week," said Cathy Fast, CAD manager for the Technology Integration Services Department at Pioneer in Des Moines, Iowa. "Retaining the 3D geometry in our models is critical. When partners gave us DWG files from other 3D software packages, we lost the parametric geometry, whereas Autodesk Inventor keeps more of the information in the model. Autodesk Inventor has become our primary design tool for equipment design."

Working with Autodesk Systems Center Avatech Solutions, (www.avatechsolutions.com), Pioneer evaluated Autodesk Mechanical Desktop software and other competitive CAD systems on the market before selecting Autodesk Inventor for its trial. Among the 3D solutions considered, Autodesk Inventor software was easier to learn and provided more of the built-in functionalities vital to the company's success, such as the ability to import files into the code-generating software for their milling machine, the ability to translate files into STL files for stereo lithography, robust sheet metal capabilities, and a technology roadmap that aligned with Pioneer's needs. Other features important to Pioneer included exploded parts and a fasteners library.

"Innovation, safety regulations, and an ongoing drive to improve existing infrastructure led Pioneer to take a progressive stance on the products its engineers use to author and manage their design and project data. To meet these goals, the company standardized on Autodesk Inventor software for 3D equipment design and AutoCAD for facility design. Pioneer selected Cyco Software's AutoManager Meridian to provide enterprise-wide access to design and project documents," said Greg Dohrman, director of Consulting Services at Avatech. "Following a customized needs assessment, we helped them with the implementation, data migration, and training for each product."

"As a leader in its field, Pioneer maintains high expectations I am proud we have met with Autodesk Inventor. With its increased investment and standardization on our software, we believe Pioneer will reap even more of the benefits that contribute to the success of its business," said Robert Kross, vice president of the Manufacturing Division at Autodesk.

    About Autodesk

Founded in 1982, Autodesk, Inc., is the world's leading design and digital media creation, management, and distribution company. The company serves a diverse portfolio of markets, including building design, geographic information systems, manufacturing, digital media, and wireless data services. By delivering tools that foster innovation and creativity, Autodesk helps customers throughout the value chain leverage digital design data to work better, faster, and smarter. For more information about the company, see www.autodesk.com.

Autodesk, AutoCAD, Mechanical Desktop, and Autodesk Inventor are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

CONTACT:          Autodesk, Inc.
                  Cindi Goodsell, 415/507-8452
                  cindi.goodsell@autodesk.com

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