With Moldflow, arguably the most mature of the acquired technologies, Autodesk made the strategic decision to cater to two distinct personas: An engineer with limited mold expertise and a mold expert with the need to perform complex analyses. “It allows us to solve a lot more problems, overcome other inhibitors and provide a better experience.” However, the workflow is “much better in the intentional platform we put together,” says Hindman. The purpose of the acquisitions is not to create “walled gardens,” according to Whatmough. However, in the integrated Fusion 360 environment, “You get instant feedback so you can make decisions in real time,” says Whatmough.
“But as we added the Delcam features to Fusion 360, Fusion got ahead of HSMWorks.”Īfter the acquisition, Autodesk continues to develop and sell CAMplete as a package for rival products to Fusion 360. “For a time, HSMWorks and Autodesk Fusion 360’s CAM tools were in parity,” says Whatmough. Today, HSMWorks is still available as a CAM plug-in for independent CAD packages, including SolidWorks. HSMWorks was initially developed to augment SolidWorks, as apparent in its brand name. “Whereas HSMWorks allows us to connect CAD and CAM, Delcam gives us the breadth of manufacturing technologies we need,” notes Al Whatmough, director of product management, Autodesk. “What people want us to deliver is a seamless integration of different tools,” says Seth Hindman, director of product management and strategy, Autodesk. In 2023, the manufacturing simulation technologies from these purchases have been woven into the digital fabric of Autodesk Fusion 360, Autodesk’s mainstream product development and manufacturing platform. It went on to acquire Delcam, another CAM package, in 2014 Netfabb, a metal-additive simulation package, in 2015 and CAMplete, an advanced machine-tool simulation package, in 2020. In 2012, the company also acquired HSMWorks, a CAM package.
In 2008, Autodesk acquired Moldflow, which allows users to simulate and analyze plastic injection molding of parts. This article examines the corporate handshakes, partnerships and milestone acquisitions that paved the way. Now, manufacturing simulation is a standard part of design programs-so much so that the original term, computer-aided design, may need to be revised. The integration of design and manufacturing, or CAD and CAM, got tighter over time. The merger had been happening in slow motion over two decades, right under our eyes in plain sight.
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