Inventor of the Month - January 2012

Autodesk has named Tolar Manufacturing, a California-based manufacturer of transit shelters, street furniture and advertising kiosks, as the Autodesk Inventor of the Month for January 2012. Tolar was recognized for its use of Autodesk software in creating custom products tailored to the needs of municipalities throughout North America.

Tolar offers more than 500 shelter types within the company’s four main product lines, each designed and engineered to be long-lasting, attractive and environmentally friendly. This includes complying with a wide range of building code requirements across North America and community design requirements from economical transit shelters to high volume bus rapid transit facilities.

Tolar has significantly expanded its Digital Prototyping portfolio in recent years and now relies on Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Inventor Publisher, Autodesk Showcase and Autodesk Vault software.

On a typical project, Tolar begins by creating 3D models of the proposed shelter using Inventor software. To further communicate design intent to customers, Tolar can create a near-photorealistic image of the model in Showcase software, and then superimpose it over an actual streetscape from the customer’s town, enabling customers to see exactly what Tolar’s product will look like when installed in the community.
   
Next, the Inventor manufacturing models are used to fabricate the multiple components that make up the shelter. These models provide clear, concise and comprehensive communications, resulting in fewer errors on the shop floor.

Additionally, Tolar uses Vault software to centrally store and manage its digital data, making it easier for the company to access and reuse drawings of specific parts for multiple projects rather than having to start each time from scratch - significantly reducing project turnaround time. Tolar also uses Inventor Publisher software to create installation instructions for customers.

Tolar Manufacturing

Inventor of the Month - January 2012 Official Press Release

Here is the YouTube video about Tolar Manufacturing.


Image Credits: Tolar Manufacturing.