FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, USA, September 2005—Wohlers Associates, Inc., in partnership with Cyon Research, has found that the mechanical CAD (MCAD) and product lifecycle management (PLM) market grew to nearly $4 billion in 2004—$3.871 billion to be exact for the top four firms—up 14.5% from the $3.38 billion the year before. Net income among the four major companies (Autodesk, Dassault, UGS, and PTC) grew an impressive 79.7% to $487 million, up from $271 million in 2003.

The leading MCAD product in 2004 (in commercial seats), according to the study, was Autodesk Inventor, followed by CATIA, UGS NX, SolidWorks, Pro/ENGINEER, and Solid Edge. MCAD products not counted in the study include Alibre, KeyCreator, OneSpace Designer, IronCAD, thinkdesign, VX CAD/CAM, and Cobalt.

Cyon Research worked closely with Wohlers Associates to determine CAD solid modeling growth trends. This information has helped Wohlers Associates forecast the expansion and acceptance of additive fabrication technology for applications such as rapid prototyping, the primary focus of Wohlers Report 2005. This worldwide study presents the rapid prototyping, tooling, and manufacturing state of the industry in a 256-page softbound publication.

Wohlers Report 2005 sells for $425 in the U.S. and $445 in all other countries. The report's table of contents, as well as additional information on the rapid prototyping market and industry, are available at http://wohlersassociates.com.

Wohlers Associates, Inc. is a 19-year old independent consulting firm located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The company has provided assistance to more than 130 client organizations in 15 countries around the world. Much of this guidance has dealt with equipment purchases, company acquisitions, partnerships, product positioning, competitive issues, whether to enter a particular market segment, industry trends, and growth forecasts.

Cyon Research provides design, engineering, construction, and manufacturing firms with a strategic outlook on the software tools and processes they rely on to create the world around us. Cyon Research also supports the vendor community with its unbiased insight, vision, and expertise to help them understand the complex nature of their markets by serving the needs of their customer base.