Latest mass-reducing innovations honored by Altair

The fourth-generation Jeep Wrangler, which eliminated 92 kg (203 lb) compared to the previous-generation vehicle, and Ferrari's Portofino, which is 80 kg (176 lb) lighter yet 35% stiffer than the outgoing California T it replaces, were the Full Vehicle category winners of the 7th annual Altair Enlighten Awards, the widely-anticipated lightweighting competition sponsored by Altair and presented at the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) 2019 Management Briefing Seminars (MBS) conference in Traverse City, Mich.

In the competition's Module category, mega-supplier ZF won for its latest low-mounted knee airbag design that replaces the typical metal housing with an industry-first fabric housing. Material Sciences Corp. (MSC) won top honors in the Enabling Technology category for MSC Smart Steel, the first ever spotweldable, low-density composite laminate to be used in a body application.