Arden Software leads packaging innovation with first AI powered features unveiled at Hybrid Fusion

Arden Software has unveiled the first ever AI powered features within its flagship packaging design software, Impact, during a high profile showcase at the Hybrid Fusion Packaging Summit in Amsterdam.

Arden Software is a leading developer of CAD/CAM structural design software for the packaging sector, with its flagship product ‘Impact’ widely used by packaging designers, die makers and converters around the world.

The ‘Shape Similarity’ tools being developed within Impact will transform packaging and tooling design workflow, and the exclusive preview at Hybrid Fusion generated widespread interest from industry leaders looking to harness the power of AI.

Taking centre stage at Hybrid Fusion was a first look at ‘Design Similarity’ – the inaugural feature within the new Shape Similarity suite of AI powered features, set to launch as part of the upcoming Impact 2025 software release later this year.

Design Similarity allows Impact users to effortlessly locate existing design matches within their database, delivering valuable time and cost savings by reusing previous designs. Using a highly trained machine learning (ML) model, the system can search across even the largest design databases in seconds, returning accurate results based not just on similar design profile, but also configurable differences in scale and proportion.

This intelligent search functionality can be further refined by customer, naming conventions, board material, creation date, or any combination of advanced database fields within Impact’s customisable design database.

Matt Hewitt, technical director at Arden Software, said: ‘The level of interest and engagement we saw around Shape Similarity at Hybrid Fusion was incredibly encouraging – it is clear there is real demand for intelligent, AI driven tools in packaging and tooling design.

‘Design Similarity is just the beginning. By bringing AI into the heart of our CAD/CAM software, we are helping our users work smarter, faster, and more competitively. For die makers, designers and converters alike, this feature has the potential to transform everyday tasks, whether it is quoting more accurately, checking for existing tooling, or learning from past manufacturing layouts.

‘As part of Impact 2025, Design Similarity will become a core capability within the software, and we are especially excited about where it is heading next. With research and development already underway, we plan to expand similarity driven intelligence into a series of design and die making processes. This includes future tools for Waste Area matching, which will be especially valuable for die makers, unlocking even more opportunities for automation and optimisation.’

Thanks to its full integration within Impact and its database, the Design Similarity technology can automatically fingerprint every existing and newly created design, making them ready for similarity based searching upon upgrade to Impact 2025, with no third party services or use related costs required.

The launch of Shape Similarity continues Arden Software’s legacy of innovation, following the successful introduction of Dynamic Constraints in Impact 2023, which redefined intelligent drawing with the first ever geometric constraint tools in packaging CAD software.

Arden Software was proud to be a lead sponsor of Hybrid Fusion, organised by long term partner Hybrid Software, which welcomed global attendees from across the packaging and label sectors. The three day event took place in April and featured expert led sessions, product showcases, and hands-on learning, all focused on streamlining workflows, embracing digital transformation, and driving efficiency across the packaging supply chain.