Automotive Experience2007 AVK Award

Products & Solutions

AVK (German Federation of Reinforced Plastics) confers 3rd place on new natural fiber product Dual FaserTec

Johnson Controls receives Environment Award 2007

Johnson Controls employees Michael Janz (left), Launch Manager, and Werner Klusmeier (2nd from left), Plant Manager, are pleased with third place.
Johnson Controls, one of the world's leading suppliers of automotive interior systems, electronics and batteries, has taken 3rd place in the AVK Innovation Award 2007. The company received the award in the Environment category for its particularly comfortable car seat pads made out of natural fibers. Compared to conventional manufacturing methods, it requires fewer process steps and materials – making it more economical to produce, too. The use of completely unmixed materials also makes it easier to recycle and reduces the overall volume of emissions during production. Johnson Controls not only offers its customers seat pads made out of conventional PU foam, but also car seat pads made of latex-reinforced natural materials – and for good reason. FaserTec seat pads made out of coconut fibers and latex is particularly comfortable. The highly permeable, moisture-absorbing properties of the material ensures an ideal seating climate. Furthermore, the low-profile, yet highly stable material means the seats take up less room inside the vehicle. Not only that – different rigidity zones can be incorporated within a single seat pad, which not only enhances the ergonomic stability of the seat but also increases the degree of lateral hold – just like sports car seating. Innovation for more seating comfort With the aim of engineering a particularly comfortable seating hold, the company has now developed the product further. Dual FaserTec allows for a range of different fiber and latex combinations to be used. "This means the side of the seat facing the passenger can be designed as a soft and comfortable surface, while the back of the seat is constructed out of a more robust, abrasive-resistant mix," explained Werner Klusmeier, plant manager at Johnson Controls. This means that the preference of individual automakers for different degrees of hardness in different seating zones can be met through the targeted use of two different latexes, each with different material properties. Reduced material usage and fewer process steps Production of the new Dual FaserTec pads is more economical than conventional PU and FaserTec methods, since it reduces the cost of the overall system. Savings can also be made in the number of process steps and in materials such as foam and adhesive, since there is no further need to adhere soft foam to the seat pad. This also reduces overall emissions. Reliance on one type of material also makes the product easier to recycle. Automakers are already making use of the climatic, physiological, economical and ecological benefits of such latex-enriched, natural seat pads. Since the middle of this year, Dual FaserTec has also been incorporated within the luxury segment of a German automaker. Another award for the company This is not the first AVK Innovation Award that Johnson Controls has received. Back in 2005, the company earned 1st place in the same category for an innovative recycling process. "Sustainability is a particular concern of ours, so I am very glad we have managed to come up with a new product that goes a little way further towards protecting the environment," said Werner Klusmeier.
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