The 2021 Altair Enlighten Award will expand beyond recognising innovative lightweighting efforts in the automotive industry to include sustainability initiatives. The awards, presented annually with the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), is now open for submissions.
“Year after year, the Altair Enlighten Award sparks growing interest from policymakers, educators, and engineers to industry leaders from all around the world, and we are proud to use this platform to showcase the most impactful innovations in lightweighting and sustainability,” said James Scapa, founder and chief executive officer, Altair. “The convergence of simulation, high-performance computing, and AI solutions is empowering the automotive sector to produce smarter, more connected, sustainable vehicles, and we are proud to lead this evolution.”
2020 Altair Enlighten Award Full Vehicle Winner – Harley Davidson Motor Company utilised electrification to improve energy capacity of its Livewire electric motorcycle by 90%, while increasing the ratio of energy capacity to vehicle mass by 60%. Additionally, the initiative established mass and stiffness design and optimisation practices for future motorcycle programs.
Sustainability efforts that help reduce carbon footprint, mitigate water and energy consumption, and engage in material reuse and recycling will gain recognition at this year’s award.
The Enlighten Award judging categories are:
- Sustainable Product – Emissions, lightweighting, and safety advances in a production vehicle or major system module
- Sustainable Process – Material reuse / recycling and water conservation advances in manufacturing
- Module Lightweighting – Mass reduction of a vehicle module, subsystem, or component
- Lightweighting Enabling Technology – Technology advancement that enables vehicle lightweighting, including a material, production process, design method, or joining technology
- Future of Lightweighting – Process, material, or technology not in production, but has significant potential to advance vehicle lightweighting
2020 Altair Enlighten Award Enabling Technology Winner – Mubea developed a glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) Tension Leaf Spring with weight savings of up to 75% compared to a standard multi-layer steel spring.
“Collaborating with Altair on the Enlighten Award is always an honor, and we are excited to see it evolve to acknowledge innovations in sustainability,” said Carla Bailo, president and chief executive officer, Center for Automotive Research. “As the industry moves forward with electrification, the drive for increased lightweighting and sustainability is critical. This award co-sponsored with Altair demonstrates the breakthroughs needed to propel our industry forward.”
For more information and to submit an entry, please visit https://www.altair.com/enlighten-award/. Entries must be received by 31 May, 2021. Final judging will occur in July and winners will be announced in an awards ceremony on 4 August, 2021 at the annual CAR Management Briefing Seminars (MBS).
Keyword: 2021 Altair Enlighten Award To Include Award For Sustainability Initiatives