Established in 1998, Altair Consulting was a pioneer in additive manufacturing. This meant it could offer watchmakers and jewellers innovative technology for design and tooling, helping them to bring new collections into production. Now headed by Émeric Lignier, the company has expanded its areas of expertise, thanks in particular to a partnership with Metalizz in 2018 and the subsequent acquisition of its brand and patents in 2024. These include three flagship products: Uscleaner, an ultrasound surface cleaning and decontamination solution, and two spraying processes for aesthetic purposes but also used for electromagnetic shielding (EMC) with a silver-based solution. Altair Consulting is responsible for sales and related services, while Eidos Coating, led by Metalizz’s founder Philippe Sapet, handles R&D on a partnership basis.
“We thought the technology developed by Metalizz would be ideal for adding aesthetic finishes to watchmaking projects,” explains Lignier. “We’re increasingly focusing on electronics and medical technology. EMC shielding and biocompatible coatings can protect robots and other products used in operating theatres. We’ve moved from a purely aesthetic line of business to a functional and technical one.”
“Essentially what we’re creating is a Faraday cage”
One field of application for electronics is defence. Altair Metalizz’s customers include an optronics company that manufactures control and camera boards for drones and helicopters, which need to be protected from external elements. The application of different layers to injection-moulded or printed plastic parts reduces interference from outside. “Essentially what we’re creating is a Faraday cage,” says Lignier. “The first layer is pure silver and the second is an organic varnish with metal components, which is sprayed onto a cover made using additive manufacturing. This is lighter than aluminium and may involve complex shapes.”
Altair Metalizz started working with defence and aerospace manufacturers four years ago, a move facilitated by the decade that Lignier spent working as an engineer in these sectors. The testing phase is fairly lengthy as this represents a big technological shift for some major clients. “We don’t do a lot of publicity; we prefer to take things slowly to make sure we don’t skip any steps in the validation process, which requires a lot of testing,” says Lignier. “We want to be quietly confident by the time the solution is rolled out.” The validation process takes between six and 18 months, and involves mechanical and electrical parameters including resistance to temperature, tearing and harsh environments.
Altair Metalizz’s small size makes it highly responsive, providing manufacturers with flexibility and agility. On the commercial front, it offers various packages, from full implementation to selling the entire solution, including consulting, installation, training and after-sales service.
Patrice Desmedt
Altair : Booth Q67
