In September, auto 3D printing start-up Divergent 3D received a series boost from the PSA Group—owners of Peugeot, Citroën and DS Automobiles. Now, the firm has announced news that will drive the company even further, a global development partnership with engineering research and development firm Altran.
Divergent 3D may be a potentially game-changing start-up due to the fact that it aims to overhaul the way we manufacture automobiles. Rather than use massive stamping and tooling operations, the company has developed a hardware and software platform for building cars with 3D-printed metal nodes. These nodes are connected to one another using carbon fiber tubes already in use in the aerospace industry, making the basis for the car's chassis. According to Divergent 3D, this will not only lower the barrier to entry for auto manufacturing, but will also significantly reduce the greenhouse gases emitted to produce cars.
€1.945 billion R&D firm Altran made a minority investment in the start-up and will provide engineering services to speed up the development of Divergent 3D's technology and implementation of its licensing. Together, the two companies will go to market in the United States, Europe and China.
Rob Vatter, CEO of Altran North America, said of the partnership, “By teaming up with Divergent 3D, Altran takes a step to further develop its presence in the United States, which is a priority market for the group, as part of the Altran 2020 Ignition strategic plan. Divergent 3D is a like-minded critical thinker who is as focused as we are on addressing and managing complexity for clients. 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. At the same time, Divergent 3D's platform will help us optimize our customers' value chains by lowering costs and speeding up development timelines.”