Autodesk Inventor^® Design Accelerator: 
the new standard in the world of 3D design

So what is this Design Accelerator that everyone is talking about? If you haven’t heard, the Design Accelerator is rapidly becoming the new standard in the world of 3D design. The Design Accelerator extends design beyond 2D drafting and 3D geometric descriptions to physically based, real-world mechanical relationships. It’s time to move beyond sketching and constraints and accelerate designs by working with parts that are based on mechanical relationships, rather than geometric descriptions. The Design Accelerator provides tools that help you create parts and assemblies based on real-world attributes, such as speed, power, and material properties. This allows designers to shift their focus from creating geometry to ensuring that a model functions accurately.

The Design Accelerator contains three basic components. Let’s take a look at each of these three components.

1) Component Generators:



The component generators provide tools that automate very tedious tasks. These tools help you design, analyze and create common machine components based on real-world attributes such as lubrication conditions, working temperatures, torque, and speed. For example, the bolted connection component generator walks you through part selection, hole creation, and assembles the components for you. It simplifies assembling nuts, bolts, washers and other components and makes you more efficient. Using the component generators, you can design components such as:

a) Bolted Connections
b) Gearing
    i. Spur
    ii. Bevel
    iii. Worm
    iv. Power Screw
c) Belt & Chain Drives
    i. V-Belts
    ii. Synchronous Belts
    iii. Chains & Sprockets
d) Shafts, Hubs, & Cams
    i. Shaft Generation
    ii. Keys
    iii. Hubs
    iv. Cams
    v. Straight & Involute Shaft Splines
e) Springs
    i. Compression
    ii. Extension
    iii. Torsion
    iv. Belleville

With the component generators you can rest assured that your components have been validated for strength and will work the first time.

2) Mechanical Calculators:



Engineering calculators use standard mathematical formulas and physical theories in design and validation of mechanical systems. With these calculations you can:

a) Calculate, validate, and design weld and solder joints.
b) Calculate and optimize bearing life.
c) Analyze shaft and hole mating for clearance, transition, or interference fits.
d) Calculate overall tolerance from a closed linear chain of tolerances.
e) Design and calculate cone, shoe, disc and band brakes.
f) Calculate and validate three types of clamping joints.
g) Calculate, validate, or design plates.

Avoid costly rework and improve design efficiency with easy-to-use online engineering guidance and analysis tools. A comprehensive set of engineering calculators builds on standard mathematical formulas and physical theories used in both design and validation of mechanical systems.

3) Engineers Handbook:



The Engineer’s Handbook is an online reference that includes engineering theory, formulas, and algorithms used in machine design. It represents a design reference library, and is accessible when working with mechanical calculators and component generators. With engineering theory, formulas, and algorithms at your fingertips, you dramatically reduce time spent on engineering research. This comprehensive online reference and manufacturing knowledge base is easily accessible from anywhere in the Autodesk Inventor^® application.

With these component generators and calculators at your fingertips you now have the ability to create mechanically correct components in a fraction of time. These tools are all wizard based with up to three user input levels so each designer can work at a level they are comfortable with. And the best part is… these components are all included at no additional cost with Autodesk Inventor 10.