TROY, Mich., Feb. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Altair, (Nasdaq: ALTR) a global technology company providing solutions in product development, high-performance computing and data analytics, is pleased to announce that the 2020 Altair Enlighten Awards is now open for submissions. Presented jointly with the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), the 8^th Annual Enlighten Awards were created to acknowledge the world’s best initiatives to reduce vehicle weight and meet emissions targets, inspiring breakthrough innovations to push the industry towards a more sustainable future.

Recognizing commercial automotive lightweighting achievements and technologies, the Enlighten Awards will be presented in four categories:

• Full Vehicle – exceptional achievement in the lightweighting of an entire vehicle.
• Module – innovation in the lightweighting of a subsystem or component.
• Enabling Technology – any technology that enables lightweight innovation in a vehicle, such as a material or joining technology.
• Future of Lightweighting – innovative ideas, processes, materials, and technologies that have significant potential to support lightweighting initiatives but have yet to be leveraged on a production vehicle platform.

“At Altair, when we contemplate the perils of global warming and climate change, we think ‘what can we do to help?’ We believe passionately that our solutions help customers fundamentally rethink and redesign vehicles to reduce weight without reducing performance,” said James Scapa, Altair’s chief executive officer and founder. “So, eight years ago, we introduced the Altair Enlighten Awards to recognize industry innovative ideas that drastically lower vehicle weight for emission reduction and cost saving.”

“We are once again pleased to partner with Altair for this award in conjunction with the annual CAR Management Briefing Seminars,” said Carla Bailo, president and chief executive officer, Center for Automotive Research. “The initiative offers a tremendous opportunity for entrants to be known globally for their unique approach to innovative solutions for the future of mobility. We look forward to rewarding the key contributors to this success.”

The 2019 Altair Enlighten Award recognized seven projects including:

• Ferrari’s Portofino, weighing an impressive 80 kg less, while being 35 percent stiffer than the outgoing model.
• FCA’s fourth generation Jeep Wrangler weighing 92 kg less than the previous generation vehicle, it employs an advanced strategy of lightweight aluminum, SMC and high strength steel.
• ZF with its latest knee airbag (KnAB) design, claimed the Module category, with General Motors & Continental Structural Plastics for the CARBONPRO Pickup Box as runners up.
• A feasibility study for #ULTRALEICHTBAUSITZ, a collaborative effort by Alba tooling & engineering, Automotive Management Consulting GmbH, and csi entwicklungstechnik GmbH. #ULTRALEICHTBAUSITZ aims to completely re-think car seat design from scratch through consequent use of cutting-edge generative technologies with the philosophy of “form follows force.”
• Material Sciences for MSC Smart Steel, the first ever spot weldable low-density composite laminate to be used in a body application.

For more information, including information on the 2019 winners and to submit an entry please visit https://www.altair.com/enlighten-award/. Entries must be received by May 31, 2020. Final judging will occur in June and winners will be announced in an awards ceremony on August 4, 2020 at the annual CAR Management Briefing Seminars (MBS) held in Traverse City, Michigan.

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.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
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2019 Altair Enlighten Award winners

The 2019 winners were presented the award and recognized at the CAR MBS event in Traverse City, MI.

Ferrari Portofino

Ferrari’s Portofino was the 2019 winner in the Full Vehicle, low-volume production category. Innovative design approaches and manufacturing processes were applied to achieve a much lighter and stiffer body-in-white structure.