Eyeing to transform vehicle manufacturing with AI, creating lighter, greener components and slashing carbon emissions, Altair has leapt into a £5.8 million PIVOT project in the UK.
Altair, the US-based computational intelligence company, has announced its participation in the £5.8 million Performance Integrated Vehicle Optimisation Technology (PIVOT) project, supported by Innovate UK and the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) on Wednesday.
The initiative aims to transform vehicle manufacturing by developing lighter, more sustainable components through Altair’s artificial intelligence (AI) and simulation technologies.
Funded partially by a £2.9 million government grant, the PIVOT project, led by Sarginsons Industries, includes collaboration with partners such as Aston Martin, Brunel University London, and metal recyclers GESCRAP. The project aims to create innovative software that integrates casting simulation, topology optimisation, and AI, demonstrating how these can enforce sustainable vehicle manufacturing.
This software will further allow organisations to design components that are optimised for weight, structural integrity, and manufacturability, resulting in cast aluminium structures that are up to 30% lighter while meeting performance standards.
Moreover, the project aims to utilise 100% recycled aluminium to cut embedded carbon emissions in-vehicle components by up to 95%. It will address mechanical weaknesses in recycled aluminium using advanced grain refinement techniques from Brunel University London, allowing for the use of secondary alloys in vehicle chassis systems.
Critical advancements are expected in the coming years, enabling original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and foundries to adopt more efficient and sustainable production methods.
Commenting on how the collaboration would be beneficial for industries, granting access to Altair’s AI-powered engineering technology, Sam Mahalingam, Chief Technical Officer, stated, “We are proud to work with like-minded organisations to showcase how innovations in manufacturing contribute to a more sustainable automotive future.”
Seeing PIVOT as a step forward for the casting industry, Mark Nunan, Managing Director of Sarginsons Industries, stated, “With Altair’s state-of-the-art technology, we are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, creating components that are not only lighter and stronger but also significantly greener.”
