2015 NAIAS
JANUARY 12-15
PRESS RELEASE
FAURECIA UNVEILS LIGHTWEIGHT, SLIMMER SEAT USING
NEW MATERIALS AND DESIGNS
PRODUCTION-READY “LIGHTWEIGHT AND ROOMY” SEAT REMOVES MORE
THAN 5 POUNDS FROM WEIGHT OF MID-MARKET VEHICLE FRONT SEAT
FAURECIA EXHIBIT
DURING NAIAS
DETROIT – January 12, 2015 – Faurecia, one of the world’s leading
automotive equipment suppliers, today introduced a significantly lighterweight, roomier front seat that uses advanced materials and processes and
is ready for production for midmarket vehicles.
JANUARY 12 - 15
MONDAY
7 AM - 7 PM
TUESDAY
7 AM - 7 PM
WEDNESDAY 12 PM - 9 PM
THURSDAY
7 AM - 4 PM
Faurecia’s “Lightweight and Roomy” seat, debuting this week at the North
American International Auto Show (NAIAS 2015) in Detroit, weighs 5.06
pounds less than Faurecia’s lightest current production seat in the C-car
segment. Weight savings are compared to a reference seat being produced
in North America by Faurecia: A six-way manual seat, which is already the
best-in-class lightweight seat in its segment. Faurecia has worked on all
fronts with materials to improve not only cushion and backrest structures
but also trimming components.
This seat also expands the roominess of the vehicle cabin, offering 1.2 inches
of additional space for rear seat legroom or for reducing the overall vehicle
length. Roominess results from fashioning Faurecia’s slimmest-ever backrest
and cover carving technology that reduces the amount of foam required in
the headrest. Curved side members with a sculpted light panel provide more
knee room for second-row passengers. A lower cross member and recliner,
and a more forward-positioned rear tube also provide more legroom.
Inside, the seat features the world’s first hybrid generic frame, which is
composed of traditional and high-strength steels as well as thermoplastics.
The frame has been designed to be fully compatible with Faurecia’s generic
process already in place on a large scale across the globe. The frame meets
all safety and comfort requirements and is compatible with all of Faurecia’s
existing and future seating mechanisms.
WINDSOR BALLROOM
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL
PRESS RELEASE
The following table details the direct weight savings per seat that Faurecia is
proposing to the market.
COMPONENT
TECHNOLOGIES
Frame
Optimized Mechanisms and components
(tracks, spacers, sectors)
LIGHTWEIGHT VS. CURRENT
BEST-IN-CLASS SIX-WAY
MANUAL DRIVER SEAT
1.54 lbs. per seat
Thinner side-members and risers using
high-performance steel grades
1.32 lbs.
Use of hybrid parts: steel + thermoplastics
0.66 lbs.
Foam
Premium foam formula allowing density
reduction at same comfort level
0.88 lbs.
Backrest
Sculpted light panel
0.66 lbs.
TOTAL
5.06 lbs.
“We are proud to unveil this portfolio of lightweight technologies that are
ready for mass production,” said Tony Kmeid, Vice President of Engineering
for Faurecia Automotive Seating North America. “Faurecia is on track toward
approaching the weight reduction of 8.8 pounds per seat proposed in the
Renault EOLAB concept car during the 2014 Paris Motor Show. We continue
to work persistently to further reduce the weight of our seats. We put a strong
emphasis on proposing solutions that are easy to implement and that offer the
expected cost-weight performance.”
This latest innovation shows how Faurecia has built on its extensive experience
working with automakers on the composite backrest and other lightweight
components. That proficiency has led Faurecia engineers toward pragmatic,
cost-accessible hybridization, cleverly blending traditional steel, advanced
high-strength steel and thermoplastics to fashion its latest frames. Designers
incorporate the right material in the right locations to ensure that the frames
meet safety standards and, at the same time, enhance seating comfort.
ABOUT FAURECIA
Faurecia is one of the world’s leading automotive equipment suppliers with
four Business Groups: Automotive Seating, Emissions Control Technologies,
Interior Systems and Automotive Exteriors.
In 2013, the Group posted total sales of €18 billion. At December 31, 2013,
Faurecia employed 97,500 people in 34 countries at 320 sites and 30 R&D
centers. Faurecia is listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris stock exchange and
trades in the U.S. over-the-counter (OTC) market. For more information,
visit: www.faurecia.com.
MEDIA
NORTH AMERICA
Tony Sapienza
Communications Director
Faurecia North America
Tel. +1 248 484 3185
Mob. +1 248 606 1775
[email protected]
Jennifer Korail
Airfoil Group
For Faurecia North America
Tel. +1 248 304 1429
Mob. +1 586 202 4392
[email protected]
INTERNATIONAL
Olivier Le Friec
Head of Media Relations
Faurecia Group Communications
Tel: +33 1 72 36 72 58
Mob: +33 6 76 87 30 17
[email protected]
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