Hexagon AB, a global leader in digital reality solutions combining sensor, software, and autonomous technologies, has invested $100 million (a portion of which is subject to certain regulatory approvals) in Divergent Technologies Inc., a pioneer of green manufacturing technologies with the first modular digital factory for the automotive industry.
Divergent Technologies has developed an alternative production process to traditional vehicle manufacturing called DAPS (Divergent Adaptive Production System) that addresses economic and environmental challenges head-on. DAPS is a fully integrated software and hardware solution creating a complete modular digital factory for complex structures. The patented process combines AI-optimised generative design software, additive manufacturing,
The design software optimizes the weight, strength, and cost of vehicle models. Parts are 3D printed and assembled autonomously – reducing manufacturing time and human intervention. Regardless of the design, part manufacturing and assembly can be carried out using the same hardware infrastructure – enabling quick design iterations or seamless switches between different vehicle models without downtime. The design-agnostic process is less energy– and resource-intensive, delivers faster and more efficient structure, and achieves weight reductions between 20% and 70% – leading to dramatic improvements in vehicle efficiency.
Kevin Czinger with the trademark 3D printed frame developed through his Divergent company.
“Manufacturing a car’s parts has a much greater impact on the environment than the car’s exhaust emissions, which is why new manufacturing concepts will win,” said Ola Rollén, President and CEO of Hexagon. “We must find ways to empower car makers with more efficient and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes that minimize material usage and total system cost. Incremental steps are simply not enough to save the planet.”
Manufacturing on Demand
“In my keynote speech at HxGN LIVE Global 2022, I delivered a message of hope for a sustainable future by naming the culprit aloud: all of us,” continued Ola Rollén. “While the steep climb in emissions over the last 30 years happened on our watch, none of us want to go down in history as the CO2 Generation – the one that polluted and warmed this planet. For that reason, Hexagon continues to invest in disruptive and unconventional technologies that make giant leaps forward. We are the perfect partner to ensure quality is delivered throughout this new, innovative manufacturing process. Together, Hexagon and Divergent will deliver the smart manufacturing concepts of the 21st Century.”
“We are humbled and honored to be partnering with Hexagon,” said Kevin Czinger, Founder and CEO of Divergent Technologies. “Having their vote of confidence in what we’ve built and our vision for the future of manufacturing brings new energy and enthusiasm to our team.”
Czinger hypercars.
“This significant investment will allow us to accelerate our plans to build a global network of DAPS factories, each serving multiple OEM clients,” said Lukas Czinger, Divergent’s SVP of Operations at Divergent Technologies, and Co-Founder of Czinger Vehicles. “We look forward to a long-term relationship with Hexagon as Divergent and Czinger Vehicles scale.”
Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Torrance, California, USA, Divergent Technologies transforms car manufacturers into agile, design-driven organizations free from capital expenditure constraints. A tier-one supplier, its proprietary end-to-end solution is widely applicable to any structure-based, discrete manufacturing process and has already proven to meet the most demanding automotive and aerospace applications.
Protected by more than 500 patents, Divergent’s digital, modular, flexible, and automated production solution produces significantly fewer lifecycle emissions than traditional manufacturing. The company not only leads the automotive industry in breaking down capital, geographic, and environmental barriers, but it also has its own portfolio of hypercars – Czinger Vehicles – which produces one of the fastest production vehicles in the world – the 21C.
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Author: Edward Wakefield
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