Alibre's 3D Parametric Modeling Solution to Be Integrated With Amada's Production Sheet Metal Fabrication Processes and Machine Tools

Alibre, Inc. and Amada Company, Ltd. today announced that they have entered into a multi-year relationship to deliver 3D parametric modeling solutions optimized to meet the needs of the large sheet metal fabrication industry, with new products planned for release later this year. The new products will be bundled with Amada's sheet metal machinery and provide modeling features that map directly to the machines' fabrication processes.

Alibre and Amada expect that the primary beneficiaries of their 3D-based solutions will be the majority of sheet metal fabricators who currently use 2D almost exclusively. According to the two companies, while many popular solid modeling vendors have offered sheet metal design features for years, virtually all of them rely on simplistic unfolding algorithms that do not reflect the true capabilities of the machine tool. As a result, sheet metal fabricators typically redesign 3D models in 2D to allow them to develop the correct flat patterns that enable the most efficient fabrication of the part. This widespread regeneration of data leads to inefficiencies in the product development process, resulting in production delays, decreased quality and increased cost as errors are inadvertently introduced.

"Our partnership with Amada will finally produce a solution that offers sheet metal fabricators the financial incentive to adopt 3D," said Greg Milliken, President and CEO of Alibre. "Prior to our solution, 3D was nice to have, but it didn't speed up the process. In fact, it often risked slowing it down. Consequently, sheet metal shops simply stayed with 2D, like many others who have not embraced 3D CAD. We're extremely excited that a leader like Amada has chosen Alibre to help deliver the benefits of parametric 3D to this large market."

"We're very excited to be working with Alibre to deliver a new level of 3D technology to the sheet metal industry," said Toshio Takagi, Director of Amada Company. "Amada's leadership and extensive experience in sheet metalworking, coupled with Alibre's innovative strategy to make 3D accessible to everyone, provides the basis for a unique partnership that will lead 2D users in this very important market segment to adopt 3D as a standard tool."

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