Divergent 3D partners with Altran to deploy 3-D printing for cars

Los Angeles-based Divergent 3D, a manufacturing technology company focused on the automotive sector, has entered into a global development partnership with engineering R&D firm Altran, Burlington, Mass.

Under the agreement, Altran has invested in Divergent 3D and will provide support to accelerate implementation and licensing of its manufacturing technology platform across the continent as part of Altran’s new vehicle architecture initiatives. Together, the companies will help automakers use 3-D printing for design while helping to cut costs and time to market.

Divergent 3D is commercializing the Divergent Manufacturing Platform™, a software-hardware platform for manufacturing that leverages 3-D metal printing. According to the company, the technology can reduce the vehicle structure weight of a standard five-passenger car by more than 50 percent and reduce the number of parts per vehicle by more than 75 percent. It also can reduce the upfront capital cost required for hard metal tooling and stamping equipment (along with the associated factory costs) by up to 10 times or more, the manufacturer states.

Rob Vatter, CEO of Altran North America, said, “The dramatic transformation the auto industry is facing must take into consideration not only how to leverage disruptive innovation, but also how to reduce the capital required to bring connected and intelligent vehicles to market. This partnership will address both considerations by streamlining the process of creating and integrating complex systems that will make up the cars of the near and distant future.”