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HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA (01.14.26) — Leading car audio integrator Automotive Entertainment has announced a three-day, all-inclusive Digital Fabrication Class, scheduled for January 23–25, 2026. The intensive seminar is designed to equip industry professionals, fabricators, and technicians with the digital manufacturing proficiencies required for modern, high-precision vehicle customization and aftermarket component production.

“Vehicle fabrication is rapidly moving beyond traditional hand-built methods,” states JT Torres, Owner of Automotive Entertainment. “Digital fabrication is the necessary evolution for shops looking to achieve increased speed, repeatable accuracy, and superior quality control on every project. Our class is designed to guide participants into these data-driven workflows.”

The hands-on curriculum will provide foundational and practical training in core digital manufacturing processes, including:

• 3D Scanning
• 3D Printing
• Laser Cutting
• CNC Machining

Attendees will also be introduced to industry-standard software such as Autodesk Fusion, CorelDRAW, and LightBurn, illustrating how digital design, data management, and automated tooling integrate for consistent results.

Instruction will be provided by a team of respected industry veterans, including Lino Morales, Ata Ehdaivand, Jason Tzintzun, Andrew Esparza, JT Torres, and Kent Izuka, with additional support from Chris Yato, and Jeremy Katz, Ben Hermance of Hermance Design.

Project Spotlight: Breathing New Life into the 1971 Ford F100 with Digital Fabrication

A key focus of the seminar is the application of these technologies in a real-world production environment. Automotive Entertainment will use the class time to demonstrate the entire digital workflow by building complex door panels and kick panels for a 1971 Ford F100. This project-based approach emphasizes the importance of owning the digital data to ensure future projects can be replicated with maximum efficiency and consistency.

Sponsor Acknowledgment

The class is supported by sponsors Orca Manufacturing and AmplifyAM, who are committed to advancing fabrication standards within the aftermarket. A 3D printer and other digital fabrication-related items will be given away during the event.

The Digital Fabrication Class is an essential opportunity for fabricators, builders, and technicians who need to update their skill set to remain competitive in an industry increasingly defined by data-driven manufacturing.

Seats are limited. For detailed information, class schedule, and registration, please contact Automotive Entertainment directly or connect with them on Instagram.

STAMFORD, CT (01.14.26) – HARMAN International, a global leader in automotive technology and lifestyle audio, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) business of ZF Group, comprising leading automotive compute solutions, smart cameras, radars and ADAS software functions. The transaction is valued at €1.5 billion.

A Strategic Step toward an Integrated, Centralized Vehicle Architecture

HARMAN’s “Consumer Experiences. Automotive Grade.” strategy focuses on bringing the speed, intelligence, and intuitive experiences consumers expect from leading technology brands into vehicles, while also meeting the highest standards for automotive safety, reliability, and long-term platform support. As automakers accelerate toward software-defined vehicles (SDV), this approach enables experiences that seamlessly connect safety and assisted driving functions with comfort, connectivity, and in-vehicle intelligence. With this acquisition, HARMAN has secured strategic inroads in the ADAS and central compute platforms markets, reinforcing a foundation that anchors and advances its role in the fast-growing SDV market.

By integrating ZF’s ADAS capabilities with HARMAN’s flagship Digital Cockpit offerings within a centralized compute design, the acquisition bolsters HARMAN’s roadmap for next-generation vehicle architectures. The combination creates a foundation for future central compute solutions that bring assisted and automated driving solutions, safety and user experiences on a shared platform. This approach streamlines system design, reduces integration complexity, and supports more efficient innovation cycles, allowing HARMAN to enable OEMs to scale differentiated, context-aware vehicle experiences.

“The industry is at an inflection point where safety, intelligence, and in-cabin experience must come together through a unified computing architecture,” said Christian Sobottka, Chief Executive Officer and President, Automotive Division, HARMAN. “With this agreement, we take a strategic step to expand our portfolio with complementary ADAS capabilities that unlock a new class of cross-domain experiences ranging from perception-informed audio cues to more personalized, situation-aware driving. Combined with HARMAN’s long-standing automotive expertise and supported by Samsung’s broader technology leadership, this positions us to help OEMs design the next generation of intelligent, empathetic, and connected vehicles.”

“With HARMAN, we have found the ideal partner to fully unlock the growth and innovation potential of our ADAS business,” said Mathias Miedreich, CEO of ZF Group. “At the same time, this deal makes an important contribution to reducing our company’s debt and allows us to focus our resources on the core technologies in which ZF is a global leader.”

“Samsung has a successful record of strategic acquisitions that accelerate innovation and expand what’s possible for our customers,” said Young Sohn, Chairman of the Board of Directors, HARMAN and Senior Advisor, Samsung Electronics. “Since acquiring HARMAN in 2017, the company has scaled its automotive and audio business from $7 billion to more than $11 billion today. Adding ZF’s ADAS capabilities builds on that momentum. HARMAN will further expand its technology foundation to deliver safer, more intelligent, and more intuitive in-vehicle experiences. This acquisition reinforces HARMAN’s leadership in the industry’s transformation and underscores Samsung’s long term commitment to the future of mobility.”

“This transaction marks a major milestone in the execution of HARMAN’s long-term strategy and further strengthens our portfolio,” said Carolin Reichert, Chief Strategy Officer of HARMAN. “Throughout the process, we worked in a very constructive collaboration with ZF and demonstrated our ability to successfully execute a highly complex carve-out.”

As part of the agreement, approximately 3,750 ZF employees across Europe, the Americas and Asia are expected to transition to HARMAN upon closing of the transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to receiving necessary regulatory approvals.

Upon closing, HARMAN will integrate ZF’s ADAS capabilities into its centralized compute and digital cockpit roadmap, enabling OEMs to deploy more scalable, safety-integrated vehicle architectures. The companies will maintain strong support for existing programs while aligning engineering, ADAS and compute teams to accelerate innovation for next-generation platforms.

Visit harman.com and zf.com.