AMTRI uses serious gaming technology from AGEIA™ to enhance low-cost factory simulation software

Production engineering specialist, AMTRI, has today announced that it is using advanced technology from AGEIA Technologies, creators of the PhysX™ Accelerator, to significantly enhance the performance of its low-cost, factory simulation software. The PhysX Accelerator will enable manufacturers to see more 'realistic' simulations of industrial events and besides Microsoft, AMTRI is one of the first companies in the world to adopt the technology for industrial use.

Using AMTRI's factory simulation system - based on a suite of high quality factory simulation software from Finnish company, Visual Components - AGEIA's PhysX Accelerator will enable real-time, high quality, dramatic and truly representative simulations. These will include collisions, explosions, complex jointed geometries, fabrics that drape and tear, dense smoke and liquids, multiple objects and particles, as well as other physical events.

"AMTRI's integration of AGEIA PhysX is another logical and exciting extension of our leading edge physics software and hardware technology," said Manju Hegde, CEO at AGEIA. "In addition to bringing the power of PhysX to gamers world-wide our technology has now been integrated into cutting edge robotics software, film special effects software and now AMTRI's leading production engineering offering."

AMTRI has also integrated AGEIA's PhysX Software Development Kit (SDK) to work alongside its production engineering consultancy services to create more realistic factory simulation imagery. As a result, AMTRI has become an official developer for the PhysX Accelerator and is licensed by AGEIA to develop industrial applications, using the PhysX SDK.

Bob Lloyd, Simulation Manager at AMTRI, said: "Adopting this advanced technology for industrial use means we can bring new realism, accuracy and immediacy to factory simulation. Decision-makers in many aspects of the supply chain - from design, through manufacturing, to handling and distribution - will be able to far more effectively and affordably test ideas, and plan and implement production, with less risk of error and more certainty of a successful outcome."

Lloyd cites as examples, better simulation and assessment of dynamic robotic systems, clash detection, reconfiguring of machine tools, movement of work in progress, safety and ergonomics, and overall, improved operations management.

He added: "The real value of PhysX is that it helps make a far more realistic decision-support and risk management resource available to SMEs, at least cost. Before, only large companies could afford this kind of important asset. With our solution, SMEs may now commit to vital new business contracts, or test configuration changes, knowing that operations will work to plan and in practice. Any potential difficulties may be foreseen and dealt with before they arise, rather than unprofitably having to be rectified later."

AMTRI has set a new benchmark for quality and realism that improves decision-making, productivity and 'right-first-time' profitability for manufacturers in the small to medium-size (SME) sector. The Macclesfield-based company is poised to exploit the potential of the latest version of the PhysX SDK, and the newly released AGEIA PhysX Accelerator itself. AMTRI has already produced demonstration material to show what can be done.

PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURES

Dramatic images taken from computer games created using the PhysX Accelerator from AGEIA are available from Pattison Mitchell and Nelson Bostock in the UK, or Double Forte in the USA, please see contacts shown below.

Information on AGEIA
AGEIA™ Technologies, Inc., is the pioneer of hardware-accelerated physics for PC games and has developed the world's first dedicated physics processor, the AGEIA PhysX processor. The AGEIA PhysX processor powers massive and pervasive real-time interactive worlds that for the first time obey the laws of classical physics. AGEIA provides a world-class cross platform software development kit to simplify advanced physics programming for the PhysX processor, as well next-generation gaming consoles. AGEIA is changing the face of gaming by working with more than sixty leading developers and publishers to deliver the next generation of physically immersive entertainment. The company, headquartered in Mountain View, California, USA, is privately-held. For more information visit: www.ageia.com.

Information on AMTRI
Based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, AMTRI supplies technical consultancy services to the manufacturing sector in the UK and clients around the world. Its aim is to help clients improve productivity and efficiency and therefore save time and costs by providing technical solutions to production engineering problems across all sectors, mostly in aerospace, automotive, metals and food processing industries.

Now known as AMTRI, the original organisation was established in 1960 as a membership-based research association, known as the Machine Tool Industry Research Association and located in Manchester. It operated as a non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee (all profits are reinvested in the business). In 1986, it changed its name to AMTRI (The Advanced Manufacturing Technology Research Institute). It still has a membership structure, but rather than being primarily a research organisation, its main income is now from contract work.

At one extreme, AMTRI works on high-level national, strategic studies, and at the other it provides rapid response troubleshooting on individual equipment (eg: vibration on steel rolling machines). Most of AMTRI's work comprises conceiving, planning, designing, developing, building, commissioning and installing cost-effective, and often highly innovative, bespoke, special purpose machinery and automation systems. These may be turnkey systems for production, inspection or test, technology demonstrators or prototypes. Its income is either fee-based or through collaborative research assistance from respectively, private sector clients or UK government departments and the European Commission. AMTRI is also a value-added reseller (VAR), working with IT suppliers of digital factory simulation and other systems. For more information please visit: http://www.amtri.co.uk

ENDS

More information from:

Bob Lloyd
Simulation Manager
AMTRI Limited
Hulley Road
Macclesfield
Cheshire
SK10 2NE
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44(0)1625 425 421
Facsimile: +44(0)1625 412 540
Website: http://www.amtri.co.uk
Email: rlloyd@amtri.co.uk

For AGEIA:

(in United Kingdom)
Niamh O'Grady
Nelson Bostock Communications
niamh.ogrady@nelsonbostock.com
+44 (0)20 7229 4400

(In USA)
Peter Evers
Double Forte
pevers@double-forte.com
+1 415-863-4900 x206

Issued by:
Mark Mitchell
Pattison Mitchell & Associates
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7924 7700
E-mail: ptml@btinternet.com