BALTIMORE, MD, USA, Aug 10, 2020 – With Autodesk’s CAM Specialized Partner designation, IMAGINiT Technologies now offers manufacturers a complete CAD/CAM solution that connects and automates the entire design and manufacturing process. Dedicated CAD and CAM experts make IMAGINiT the clear choice to support manufacturing companies who are looking to leverage advanced CAD and CAM software solutions to generate toolpaths that increase the productivity of their computer numerical control (CNC) machines.

“As an Autodesk Platinum Partner and Premier Service Provider, we’re excited that IMAGINiT has demonstrated proficient knowledge in CAM to earn the Autodesk CAM Specialization,” says Joe Bailey, sales manager, Advanced Manufacturing Division, Autodesk. “With this designation manufacturers will be in good hands with IMAGINiT regardless if they’re looking to improve their CNC mill-and-lathe-programming, create complex mold and die components or focus on optimizing and automating their overall workflow.

“Our CAM specialists have undergone rigorous training from Autodesk experts and are ready to bring their skills into the shops of our customers to help them modernize their complete tooling and machining workflows,” says Scott Hale, vice president consulting solutions, IMAGINiT Technologies. “Through the use of Autodesk’s CAM solutions, our customers can now generate high-speed machine toolpaths that reduce cycle times and create less tool and machine wear, resulting in faster and more accurate production of parts.”

To learn more about how IMAGINiT’s CAM experts can help your next manufacturing project, join us at one of our upcoming, complimentary webcasts:

1. “Automating CAM Processes with Autodesk FeatureCAM” which will run on August 19, 2020 at 1:00 PM EST.

Registration for these webcasts is free but required. For more information on IMAGINiT’s CAM capabilities, visit www.imaginit.com/CAM or call 1-800-356-9050.

About IMAGINiT Technologies

IMAGINiT Technologies, a division of Rand Worldwide (OTCBB: RWWI), advances the way architects and engineers design, develop, and manage projects. Customers of this leading professional services and technology company include organizations in the building, infrastructure, manufacturing and facilities management industries. Organizations of all sizes work with IMAGINiT Technologies to gain competitive advantages through expert technology consulting, implementation, training, and support services. As one of the world’s largest integrators of Autodesk 3D design and engineering software, the team leverages unrivalled industry experience to design systems that accelerate innovation while improving project quality and profitability.

Invitation

SURREY, UK, Aug 10, 2020 – Hexagon released  DELTA OPERA, the large volume CMM that simplifies loading of very large parts in industrial environments. DELTA OPERA’s unique open structure enables users to load workpieces from three sides of the CMM, making part loading quicker, more flexible, and protecting workpieces by avoiding collisions with the CMM structure.

Open structure of DELTA OPERA offers unprecedented efficiency and confidence in loading very large workpieces

Ideal for large aerospace and milling applications, DELTA OPERA allows for loading from the front, rear, and one side of the measuring volume. DELTA OPERA can also offer a smaller factory footprint than traditional gantry machines, reducing temperature control costs.

“For manufacturers inspecting very large workpieces, loading parts can be challenging and time-consuming,” says Marco Mussino, Product Manager and Project Management Leader, Manufacturing Intelligence, Hexagon. “With the innovative DELTA OPERA, part loading is made easier, driving more efficient inspection. With its open structure and outstanding performance, DELTA OPERA is the most significant evolution in large-volume CMMs for many years.”

As well as delivering high performance, DELTA OPERA comes with a range of usability enhancements, including status and speed lighting indicators, and Hexagon’s seamless probe head swapping system Manual Application Changer (MAC).

DELTA OPERA is now available worldwide. For more information, visit Hexagonmi.com.

About Hexagon

Hexagon is a global leader in sensor, software and autonomous solutions. We are putting data to work to boost efficiency, productivity, and quality across industrial, manufacturing, infrastructure, safety, and mobility applications.

Our technologies are shaping urban and production ecosystems to become increasingly connected and autonomous – ensuring a scalable, sustainable future.

Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division provides solutions that utilise data from design and engineering, production and metrology to make manufacturing smarter.

Hexagon (Nasdaq Stockholm: HEXA B) has approximately 20,000 employees in 50 countries and net sales of approximately 3.9bn EUR. Learn more at hexagon.com and follow us @HexagonAB.

PUNE, India, Aug 8, 2020 – La Fondation Dassault Systèmes (Dassault Systèmes Foundation in India) launched the first India edition of “Made in 3D – Seed The Future Entrepreneurs,” a dedicated program to inspire school students to become future innovators and entrepreneurs. The program was initiated in France by La Main à la Pate Foundation and La Fondation Dassault Systèmes and it is now proven to be successful in developing the innovative and creative potential of students.

The India edition of the “Made in 3D – Seed The Future Entrepreneurs” program kicked off with ten schools from Pune: Dr. Kalmadi Shamarao High School, Aundh, BREI’S Blue Ridge Public School, City Pride School, Muktangan Exploratory Science Centre, Jnana Prabodhini Prashala, Dr. Kalmadi Shamarao High School, Ganesh Nagar, The Orchid School, Millennium National School, Flora Valley School and Sanskriti School. The schools have a proven track record, appropriate infrastructure and highly motivated team of science teachers. The aim of the program is to introduce students to the exciting world of product design, 3D digital technologies, 3D printing, and product promotion, as well as to the culture of “makers” and startups. For young students, such a challenge is an opening toward an innovation mindset.

The selected schools will form teams comprising of one teacher and six students with one team per school and students in the age group of 12 to 16 years between 8th and 10th standard. These students need to design and manufacture their dream product using specialized 3D design software and 3D printing technology. The product should be physically tangible, can be an assembly of parts, and major portions of the product should be 3D printed. Each team is expected to work as a startup and the students are required to participate in the entire process of creation, from the early design to the marketing of their “product,” with the help of promotional videos, mailers and communication campaigns.

The teachers and students will be mentored by technical experts on various technology topics. Experts from Dassault Systèmes as well as external domain experts will conduct a series of workshops for all the teams.

The program was inaugurated at a virtual function by Dr. Shekhar Mande, Director General of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, and Dr. Jerome Bove, Scientific and academic attaché, Embassy of France in India, in the presence of Marie-Pierre Aulas, Global General Manager, La Fondation Dassault Systemes; David Jasmin, Director, La Main à La Pate Foundation, and Manish Tambe, CEO, Dassault Systèmes Global Services, India.

La Fondation Dassault Systèmes aims to expand the program to all India levels next year. Schools selected in the first year will play the nodal centers / mentors role for new schools joining the program in the next year and onwards.

About Dassault Systèmes

Dassault Systèmes, the 3DEXPERIENCE Company, is a catalyst for human progress. We provide business and people with collaborative virtual environments to imagine sustainable innovations. By creating ‘virtual experience twins’ of the real world with our 3DEXPERIENCE platform and applications, our customers push the boundaries of innovation, learning and production.

Dassault Systèmes’ 20,000 employees are bringing value to more than 270,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, in more than 140 countries. For more information, visit www.3ds.com.

MUMBAI, India, Aug 8, 2020 – Dassault Systèmes hosted “The World After: Sustainable and Resilient Urban Future,” a virtual conference that provided insights on technology trends accelerating smart cities, infrastructure and building construction projects in India. Dassault Systèmes also showcased the “Inclusive Urban Future”, “Integrated Built Environment”, “Civil Infrastructure Engineering”, “Creative Building Design” and “Design for Fabrication” industry solution experiences based on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform for driving digital transformation of cities, infrastructure and building construction projects in India. During the event, Dassault Systèmes showcased how the 3DEXPERIENCE platform can contribute to pandemic emergency planning by city administrators.

“The infrastructure sector is of strategic importance to the economy to create growth and employment in the country. Technology can play a major role to support infrastructure development through design, simulation and predictive analysis to help urban planners build smart cities involving construction of roads, bridges, tunnels, airports, railways, dams, optimizing solar energy, waste management, healthcare infrastructure to pandemic planning,” said Deepak NG, Managing Director, India, Dassault Systemes. “The virtual twin experience on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform can enable stakeholders to visualize, manage and execute infrastructure projects in a collaborative environment with reduced costs, time and resource planning.”

Dassault Systemes showcased a  “Planning Pandemic Emergencies” solution that can enable public authorities and city administrators with thorough preparedness and response planning for a large-scale healthcare crisis. It offers a single window for “Area Referential for Pandemic Emergency Planning”, “Citizen Sentiment Analysis for Improving the Services Rendered” and “Mass X-ray Analytics for Testing and Segregation of COVID-19 positive Patients”. The 3DEXPERIENCE Platform enables digital referential for city, planning the hotspot clusters and containment zones in 3D context, planning the access to essential services, generation of  heat maps based on data sets and analytics.

The virtual conference “The World After – Sustainable and Resilient Urban Future” had a great line of speakers from global technology experts in infrastructure, to Indian policy makers, to users of technology in enterprise, public sector, to global consultants and architects to skill development authorities. The keynote in the plenary session was delivered by Sylvain Laurent, Executive Vice President and Chairman, Infrastructure & Cities, Dassault Systèmes. Eminent and notable speakers included Mr. Rajeshwara Rao, Additional Secretary of Niti Aayog, Jayant Damodar Patil, Whole Time Director and Senior Executive Vice President (Defence and Smart Technologies), Larsen & Toubro, Akhilesh Srivastava, CGM-Technical, NHAI, Dr. S Selva Kumar IAS Skill Secretary to Government of Karnataka. The event also had two tracks on Infrastructure & Cities and Buildings & Facilities.

About Dassault Systèmes

Dassault Systèmes, the 3DEXPERIENCE Company, is a catalyst for human progress. We provide business and people with collaborative virtual environments to imagine sustainable innovations. By creating ‘virtual experience twins’ of the real world with our 3DEXPERIENCE platform and applications, our customers push the boundaries of innovation, learning and production.

Dassault Systèmes’ 20,000 employees are bringing value to more than 270,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, in more than 140 countries. For more information, visit www.3ds.com.

MUMBAI, India, Aug 8, 2020 – Dassault Systèmes  has partnered in the Drug Discovery Hackathon 2020 (DDH2020), a joint initiative of AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education), CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), C-DAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing) and supported by the Office of Principal Scientific Advisor, Govt. of India, NIC (National Informatics Centre) and MyGov. Under the partnership, Dassault Systèmes is offering academic researchers, faculty and participants of the hackathon, access to BIOVIA Discovery Studio powered by 3DEXPERIENCE platform to assist in the search for rapid, safe and effective therapeutic drugs against COVID-19. Dassault Systèmes is also offering technical video trainings and demonstrations on in silico drug discovery that include target identification and modeling, virtual screening, pharmacophore screening aiding discovery of novel candidates, bioactivity predictions, and toxicity assessment with machine learning algorithms to the participants and researchers of the hackathon.

The Drug Discovery Hackathon 2020 (DDH2020) vision and mission is to establish an “open innovation model” for in silico drug discovery against COVID-19 and will cover the various processes in drug discovery including, but not limited to, in silico screening of molecules, lead optimization and identification of druggable non-toxic targets. The targets, tools or lead molecules identified through the process of DDH2020 will be taken forward for synthesis followed by subsequent steps in a routine drug discovery program.

“We are extremely delighted to have Dassault Systèmes as our esteemed ‘Partner’ for our Drug Discovery Hackathon 2020,” said Dr. Abhay Jere, Chief Innovation Officer (CIO), Innovation Cell – Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India. “Dassault Systèmes’ BIOVIA packages like Modeler, Topkat and CHARMm are hugely popular in the global drug discovery community and availability of these packages for the participants of the Drug Discovery Hackathon will certainly help in expediting our efforts in identifying lead molecules against COVID-19.”

As an active supporter of the scientific community worldwide that is collaborating on COVID-19 solutions, Dassault Systèmes has developed BIOVIA Discovery Studio. This world-class life sciences modeling and simulation environment brings together over 30 years of peer-reviewed research and in silico technique. It provides researchers with a complete toolset for use, from target identification through lead optimization including tools for biologics design and analysis, classical simulations, structure- and fragment-based design, virtual ligand screening, as well as ADME (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion) and toxicity prediction.

“As the world has come together to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, we at Dassault Systèmes are fully committed to enabling the ecosystem in its endeavor to find effective cures and vaccines at the earliest,” said Deepak NG, Managing Director, India, Dassault Systèmes. “Our partnership in the Drug Discovery Hackathon 2020 represents this unwavering commitment to empower Life Sciences industry and the broader healthcare ecosystem, from those working in research and clinical development, to manufacturing and patient care, at the forefront of the race to contain and fight COVID-19.”

About Dassault Systèmes

Dassault Systèmes, the 3DEXPERIENCE Company, is a catalyst for human progress. We provide business and people with collaborative virtual environments to imagine sustainable innovations. By creating ‘virtual experience twins’ of the real world with our 3DEXPERIENCE platform and applications, our customers push the boundaries of innovation, learning and production.

Dassault Systèmes’ 20,000 employees are bringing value to more than 270,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, in more than 140 countries. For more information, visit www.3ds.com.

LOS ANGELES, CA, USA, Aug 8, 2020 – Chaos Group released V-Ray 5 for Maya, a major new version of its Academy-Award winning production renderer. For more than a decade V-Ray has been used by the world’s leading studios to render over 300 television series and feature films, including Terminator: Dark Fate, Avengers: Endgame and Game of Thrones. To meet the growing demands of high-end production, V-Ray 5 for Maya builds on its extensive rendering toolset with integrated compositing, interactive light mixing, powerful scene management and more.

V-Ray is rock solid, no matter what you apply it to,” said Bob White, lighting department supervisor at Digital Domain. “We’ve used it on everything from Thanos to Terminator and we get a consistent output back every time. As we continue to push the boundaries of CG characters, we need tools that can keep up. V-Ray has been there for us every step of the way.”

Beyond Rendering

The redesigned V-Ray Frame Buffer now plays host to two of V-Ray 5’s most anticipated features, opening up even more control to artists who want to do more in one program.

With Light Mix, artists can create dozens of lighting scenarios from a single render. Color and light intensity can now be adjusted instantly without ever having to render again. Once everything is right, artists can save their recipes, send the layers to compositing and update the lights in their scenes.

For the first time, a new Layer Compositor will allow artists to composite their renders directly in the new V-Ray Frame Buffer. Users can now combine and grade render passes, set blending modes and adjust colors for more in-depth previews before sending the layers on to NUKE.

Light Path Expressions

With the addition of Light Path Expressions, artists can construct their own render passes, providing better control while compositing. Specific lighting contributions can now be outputted with time-saving presets, custom expressions or even combined with boolean operations to get a pass ready for comp.

Lighter Scenes, More Flexibility

V-Ray 5 introduces a brand-new VRayProxy node that is fast and easy to use. With proxies loading in the background, artists can now start working right away, using a new hierarchy view to select, hide or assign materials to different objects inside the proxies. Rules can also be created, making it easier to modify multiple objects at once.

Other New Features in V-Ray 5 Include: 

1. Native ACEScg Support – Artists can now create color-accurate workflows in the new standard for professional production. Once selected, V-Ray makes automatic colorspace adjustments for textures, dispersion, sun & sky and light temperature, bringing immediate consistency to a shot.
2. Coat Layer – The updated V-Ray Material can now generate reflective coatings on surfaces without the use of blend materials.
3. Sheen Layer – Easily simulate soft, microfiber fabrics like velvet, satin and silk inside the updated V-Ray Material.
4. V-Ray GPU Updates – V-Ray GPU supports every new feature in V-Ray 5, as well as 2D displacement, OSL textures and memory tracking. Initial support for out-of-core geometry has also been added to help users render scenes when they are too big for a GPU’s RAM.
5. Material Presets – Save time making common materials with new presets for metals, plastics, glass and more. Presets for common hair colors like blonde, brown and black have been added as well.
6. Texture Randomization – For more realistic textures and materials, artists can now add more variety and subtle imperfections with the new VRayUVWRandomizer map and improved VRayMultiSubTex controls.
7. Stochastic Texture Tiling – Automatically remove tiling artifacts with the new VRayUVWRandomizer.
8. Dirt and Weathering – With the improved V-Ray Dirt texture, users can add dirt to cracks and crevices, create procedural streaks or cover an entire surface.
9. New Sun and Sky Model – Improves accuracy when the sun is at the horizon, including the magic hours right before sunrise and after sunset.
10. Blue Noise Sampling – New algorithm update can make images (and noise) look cleaner through fewer samples.
11. Filmic Tonemapping – HDR images can now mimic the properties of film to give images a cinematic look.

For a full feature tour, please visit the V-Ray 5 for Maya product page.

Availability and Pricing

V-Ray 5 for Maya is available now for Windows, Linux and Mac OSX. A perpetual license is priced at $1,180, with upgrades available for $590. Term licensing is available at $470 (annually) and $80 (monthly). V-Ray 5 for Maya is also included in V-Ray Collection, an annual plan that gives users full access to 15 Chaos Group products and services for $699/year.

About Chaos Group

Chaos Group is a worldwide leader in computer graphics technology, helping artists and designers create photorealistic imagery and animation for architecture, design, and visual effects. Chaos Group’s award-winning physically-based rendering and simulation software is used daily by top design studios, architectural firms, advertising agencies, and visual effects companies around the globe. Today, the company’s research and development in ray-traced rendering, cloud computing and real-time ray tracing is shaping the future of creative storytelling and digital design. Founded in 1997, Chaos Group is privately owned with offices in Sofia, Los Angeles, Prague, Seoul, and Tokyo. For more information, visit: chaosgroup.com.

Luxembourg, Aug 5, 2020 – e-Xstream engineering, part of Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division, has added the Senvol Database, the most comprehensive database of additive manufacturing materials and machines on the market, to its 10X Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) solution, making it easier for manufacturers to shortlist and evaluate how the latest 3D printing capabilities can improve their products.

By embedding the Senvol Database within MaterialCenter, e-Xstream’s state-of-the art material data management system, product R&D teams now have immediate access to a wealth of 3D printing intelligence for metal, polymer, composite and advanced materials. Teams can review the capabilities of different additive manufacturing materials, processes and machines and compare them to their existing designs and processes to identify opportunities for innovation, cost reduction or faster turnaround.

Furthermore, shortlisted material candidates can be exported directly from MaterialCenter to computer aided engineering tools for conceptual design exploration. Design, materials and manufacturing professionals can then collaborate to develop the product virtually, using detailed proprietary material models and process definitions from suppliers to ensure optimal results using the 10X ICME solution.

Philippe Hébert, Product Marketing Manager at e-Xstream engineering, said: “Since its inception, the 3D printing industry has been grappling with a lack of data on material behavior and printing processes, which is preventing it from being used for more widespread industrial production.

“The combination of the Senvol Database and MaterialCenter has made what used to be disparate, specialized knowledge much more accessible. I believe greater understanding of the rapidly evolving capabilities of additive manufacturing will enable product development teams to rapidly explore new design possibilities and encourage wider collaboration to adopt new manufacturing techniques within organisations.”

Zach Simkin, President of Senvol, said: “We are very pleased to announce our partnership with e-Xstream engineering. MaterialCenter is one of the leading software solutions for materials data management, and it is a natural fit for the Senvol Database to be offered through their platform. MaterialCenter users will now have a comprehensive database of additive manufacturing machines and materials at their fingertips.”

The Senvol Database enables users to identify and compare additive manufacturing machines based on supported processes, manufacturer, required part size, cost, or compatible materials and their properties. Using the MaterialCenter web interface, users can trace the full pedigree of data (powders, machines, builds, parts, tests, post-process, design, CAE models) to understand the relationship from feedstock through build, post-process, and material testing. All data is recorded and available to others throughout the organization to avoid repeating unnecessary work throughout the product development process.

For more information please visit: www.e-xstream.com/product/materialcenter

About Hexagon | e-Xstream engineering

Hexagon is a global leader in sensor, software and autonomous solutions. We are putting data to work to boost efficiency, productivity, and quality across industrial, manufacturing, infrastructure, safety, and mobility applications.

Our technologies are shaping urban and production ecosystems to become increasingly connected and autonomous – ensuring a scalable, sustainable future.

e-Xstream engineering, part of Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division, provides Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) solutions to innovate and optimise product performance using the right materials and manufacturing process for the right application. Learn more at e-Xstream.com. Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division provides solutions that utilise data from design and engineering, production and metrology to make manufacturing smarter.

Hexagon (Nasdaq Stockholm: HEXA B) has approximately 21,000 employees in 50 countries and net sales of approximately 3.9bn EUR. Learn more at hexagon.com and follow us @HexagonAB.

About Senvol

Senvol provides data to help companies implement additive manufacturing. The data is provided through various products and services, including the Senvol Database, Senvol API, Senvol Indexes, Senvol SOP, and Senvol ML. Senvol’s products and services are used by a variety of Fortune 500 companies and government agencies in industries such as aerospace, oil & gas, consumer products, and automotive. To learn more about Senvol, visit www.senvol.com.

TROY, MI, USA, Aug 4, 2020 – Altair (Nasdaq: ALTR), a global technology company providing solutions in product development, high-performance computing (HPC), and data analytics, is pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 Altair Enlighten Awards. Presented jointly with the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), the 8th Annual Enlighten Awards acknowledge the world’s best initiatives to reduce vehicle weight and meet emissions targets, inspiring breakthrough advancements that push the industry towards a more sustainable future.

“As we sit at the crossroads of science, engineering, art, and design, creating a more sustainable future is the essence of Altair as we are a pioneer in lightweighting technologies and methodologies,” said James Scapa, founder and chief executive officer of Altair. “I am proud to see that the Altair Enlighten Awards have become a sought-after recognition that acknowledges the world’s greatest automotive lightweighting innovations, while inspiring interest from industries, engineers, policymakers, educators, students, and the public.”

Presented in four categories, the Enlighten Awards recognize commercial automotive lightweighting achievements and technologies. The 2020 winners include:

1) Full Vehicle winner: Harley Davidson Motor Company utilized electrification to improve energy capacity of its Livewire electric motorcycle by 90 percent, while increasing the ratio of energy capacity to vehicle mass by 60 percent. In addition to further improvements, this initiative established mass and stiffness design and optimization practices for future motorcycle programs.

The Harley-Davidson LiveWire is a dynamic electric motorcycle. To meet targets for range, acceleration, and handling, the vehicle’s energy capacity was improved 90% while the ratio of energy capacity to vehicle mass (kWh/kg) was increased by 60%. Chassis

Runner-up: Nissan for its new Sentra 2020 platform, designed to dramatically improve safety and dynamic performance without increasing weight by using simulation to place the right materials in the right locations.

2) Module winner: An industry first, Toyota created a free standing two occupant injection molded back-frame with no molded reinforcement for the 2021 Sienna. It consolidated 15 components to one part with one injection, driving down costs by 15 percent, reducing mass by 30 percent and improving safety performance by two times.

CAD rendering of the 2021 Toyota Sienna resin third row seatback panels developed by Toyota Motor North America Research & Development with supplier partner BASF and manufactured by Flex-N-Gate. The design and materials met lightweighting and improved cus

Runner-up: ZF created the first-to-market electric park brake (EPB) with more than 75 million vehicles fitted with EPB for world roadways. The Heavy Duty EPB offers a weight savings of 25 pounds or more for large trucks and SUVs when compared to conventional drum-in-hat park brakes.

3) Enabling Technology winner: Mubea developed a glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) Tension Leaf Spring with weight savings of up to 75 percent compared to a standard multi-layer steel spring. The company used a scripted and automated workflow that begins from a parametrized spring model in which all spring parameters can be adapted.

Mubea’s full composite Tension Leaf Spring to substitute multi-layer steel leaf springs with a weight advantage of up to 75%.

Runner-up: DuPont’s BETASEAL bonded thermoplastic liftgates for its use of BETASEAL X2500 structural adhesive, which quickly joins thermoplastic inner and outer panels and enables modular lightweight assembly. The company’s Magna thermoplastic liftgates bonded with BETASEAL X2500 structural adhesive have realized a 20-30 percent weight savings compared to welded steel liftgates.

Honorable mention: Mazda’s computer-aided engineering (CAE) multi-disciplinary design optimization (MDO) methodology captures top technology trends by applying simulation-driven design and data analytics for product design.

4) Future of Lightweighting winner: Marelli developed a new advanced sheet compression molded suspension steering knuckle that ensures a 25 percent mass savings compared to the aluminum version used on the Jeep® Compass and a 50 percent savings compared to the cast iron version.

ASMC Suspension Steering Knuckle from Marelli (right view)

Runner-up: Nissan’s ultimate lightweight aluminum/carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) body side panel using topology design reduced weight by utilizing a multi-material structure of aluminum and short fiber carbon fiber reinforced thermal plastic (CFRTP). Compared to conventional steel body side panels, it can reduce weight by approximately 50 percent.

“We are proud to offer the automotive industry’s only award dedicated to vehicle lightweighting and are thrilled to see how many advancements are made through the use of optimization technologies,” said Richard Yen, Altair senior vice president, global industry verticals. “Each year the entries are more and more impressive, making it increasingly difficult to select the winners as entrants are making great strides in lightweighting, and using inventive approaches through simulation and materials.”

“On behalf of myself and the Toyota North American Research and Development team, it is an honor to accept this Altair Enlighten Award for the resin back-frame in the new Toyota Sienna 3rd row seat. We are excited to release this industry-leading seat back that focuses on customer satisfaction with lighter touch and ease of operation,” said Todd Muck, senior principal engineer, Toyota TSPO – Advanced Development Group. “Strong teamwork and collaboration allowed us to accept the monumental challenge of lightweighting and improved performance while still achieving a lower cost. The final design, which demonstrates a reduction in both weight and cost, is a testament to our entire Toyota development team and the invaluable support of our supplier partner, BASF. We turned a dream into reality by creating something entirely new for this vehicle segment.”

“Design optimization is critical for every new product in the automotive industry and lightweighting is a key component. We are honored to collaborate with Altair in acknowledging these design innovations in the automotive sector,” said Carla Bailo, president and chief executive officer at CAR. “CAR’s multidisciplinary approach gives us a clear viewpoint on critical issues facing the global automotive industry and it is thrilling to see advancements in lightweighting making an immediate impact.”

Winners will be announced in an awards ceremony on August 4, 2020 at 7:30 a.m. ET, which can be viewed for free here: https://www.cargroup.org/mbs/2020-enlighten-award/.

For more information on the Enlighten Award, please visit https://www.altair.com/enlighten-award/.

About Altair (Nasdaq: ALTR)

Altair is a global technology company that provides software and cloud solutions in the areas of product development, high performance computing (HPC) and data analytics. Altair enables organizations across broad industry segments to compete more effectively in a connected world while creating a more sustainable future. To learn more, please visit www.altair.com.