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Autodesk Helps Echotect Drive Innovative Plastics Recycling

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  Published in Science and Technology on Wednesday, December 15th 2010 at 5:35 GMT by Market Wire
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SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Echotect, a Dutch clean tech company, successfully deployed software from [ Autodesk, Inc. ] (NASDAQ:ADSK) to design and optimize its technology, which offers a cost-effective, recyclable and environmentally sustainable alternative to engineered stone.

"Autodesk Inventor and AutoCAD P&ID helped us to design, manage and modify real-time improvements to our equipment and plant, enabling us to focus on providing a high-quality finished product while reducing time to market."

Combining quartz, marble and other aggregates with recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the technology has resulted in a product that is almost indistinguishable from natural stone, but the material is non-porous and 100 percent recyclable.

Echotect is the result of a joint initiative between the research laboratories of Shell and the commercial acumen of its venture capital arm, Kenda Capital. After five years of development and investment, the new technology is expected to revolutionize the engineered stone market, providing manufacturers and consumers with an eco-friendly alternative which meets the performance characteristics of traditional products.

Echotect used [ Autodesk Inventor ] software to design and engineer equipment that converts shredded PET bottles into durable and sustainable materials. The company relied on [ AutoCAD P&ID ] software to create, modify and manage piping and instrumentation diagrams in the recycling plant, while deploying [ Autodesk Vault ] was essential to maintain design and engineering documentation of the project lifecycle. [ Autodesk Showcase ] software also enabled Echotect to create photorealistic 3D visualizations of how custom modules of their recycling equipment will fit into customer buildings and sites.

The Autodesk [ Clean Tech Partner Program ]a"which provides software for emerging clean tech companies in North America and Europea"enabled Echotect to combine [ Digital Prototyping ] technology with AutoCAD-based P&ID design to bring its innovative recycling process to market more rapidly and achieve competitive advantage.

aWe are delighted to be part of the Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program as digital prototyping was of great importance to us in optimizing our recycling equipment and demonstrating the potential applications in various markets,a said Stephen Eastwood, CEO of Echotect. aAutodesk Inventor and AutoCAD P&ID helped us to design, manage and modify real-time improvements to our equipment and plant, enabling us to focus on providing a high-quality finished product while reducing time to market.a

aEchotecta™s alternative approach to plastic recycling has positive implications for many regions that face a growing post-consumer waste problem,a said [ Robert aBuzza Kross ], senior vice president, Autodesk [ Manufacturing Industry Group ]. aThe company is a model of how advantageous Digital Prototyping can be to drive innovation, while saving time and money.a

About the Clean Tech Partner Program

The Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program supports early-stage clean technology companies by providing design and engineering software that accelerates their development of solutions to the worlda™s most pressing environmental challenges. Clean tech companies in North America and Europe who can benefit from Autodesk solutions for Digital Prototyping are invited to apply to receive up to $150,000* worth of software for only $50. Access to a collection of Autodesk industry-leading software applications includes up to five licenses of [ AutoCAD Inventor Professional Suite ], [ Autodesk Showcase ], [ Autodesk Vault Professional ], [ Autodesk Revit Architecture ], [ Autodesk Alias Design ], [ Autodesk Algor Simulation ] and [ Autodesk Inventor Publisher ] software. For additional information, visit [ http://www.autodesk.com/cleantech ].

About Echotect

Dutch-based Echotect brings high performance and sustainability to the existing building materials market. Echotect is a portfolio company of Shell Technology Ventures Fund 1 B.V. focused on a new Sustainable Building Material. For additional information, visit [ www.echotect.com ].

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc., is a leader in [ 3D design ], engineering and entertainment software. Customers across the manufacturing, architecture, building, construction, and media and entertainment industries -- including the last 15 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects -- use Autodesk software to design, visualize and simulate their ideas. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art software for global markets. For additional information about Autodesk, visit [ www.autodesk.com ].

*Value is based on up to five commercial licenses of each application.

Autodesk, AutoCAD, Algor, Alias, Autodesk Inventor, Inventor, Revit and Showcase 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.