As part of just-auto’s bi-annual review of seating technologies, Matthew Beecham talked with Randy Koenigsknecht, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, and Imtiyaz Syed, Vice President, Engineering, Intier Automotive Seating
Just-auto: What are the factors driving seat innovation?
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Randy Koenigsknecht: “There are two primary factors: one is roominess in the vehicle and the other is comfort. We have some standard design criteria and technologies which address roominess in the vehicle. We fight the challenge between creating thinner seats, in particular creating more room in the rear passenger compartment, while adding more content and comfort to the seats. We strive to really support the baby boomer ageing population which is reaching the stage where they are looking for those additional features yet need to have that roominess in the vehicle.”
Imtiyaz Syed: “Basically the need for roominess is threefold. One is occupant comfort, particularly for the rear seats; they want more knee or foot room so the second row and third row must be as comfortable as the front row seats. The second need for roominess is the ability to add features, whether they are safety or comfort features. The third need is to create a large storage and cargo space.
“As commutes are getting longer and longer, cars are becoming our second home. Younger drivers, in particular, are leaving gym clothes, DVDs and CDs in their car while on the move. So it is becoming important to have the roominess. With that in mind, Intier has developed a technology called Membrane Seating. We used a special membrane material in place of foam and trim in order to create a seat that is equally as comfortable as a conventional seat.
“Also, when we need to stow seats in the floor then we use different materials. For example, our Stow-and-Go seats use super high-density foam for the second row in order to achieve a thinner seat so that the ‘stack’ that folds into the floor is not too high. The roominess can also be achieved by providing flexibility in seating. So by using different materials, it helps us create more cargo space, seat reconfigurability for comfort and convenience as well as cargo passenger flexibility.
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By GlobalData“Typically when you want to store seats to the floor or in the floor, you tend to make seats thinner because you don’t want them to take up too much room. However, comfort requires that you have good lateral support on seats with bolsters and a nice contour to capture the body.”
Just-auto: How do you achieve both at the same time?
Imtiyaz Syed: “We have created what we call deployable bolsters. For example, when the armrest is deployed down in the seating position, the bolsters emerge out of a flat seat. However, when you fold the armrest, the bolsters disappear resulting in a smaller ‘stack height’.”
Randy Koenigsknecht: “We use that same technology applied in second and third row seats where a customer has the desired effect of having first row comfort but also has the occasional need to have a three passenger availability in that second or third seat row where we can have the deep deployable bolsters in the outward seating position. It means that when a third centre occupant is not in place, you can achieve the comfort level of two bucket seats in a bench seat configuration.”
Imtiyaz Syed: “What Randy referred to was our 2-3-1 seat configuration. This is a typical vehicle driven by a driver who has two or three passengers with the centre occupant is occupied in the rear. By applying our 2-3-1 seat configuration, we are able to create essentially two bucket seats with the centre seat becoming an armrest, a console or even a booster seat. So there are multiple functions achieved by a very simple power or mechanical operation.
“Given that 99% of the time all the seating positions are not occupied – and critically the centre is very seldom occupied — so you are avoiding the compromise to achieve that centre position and provide the rear seats with the same level of comfort as the front seats.
“Also, we are increasingly adding adjustability mechanisms in the second and third row seats. Again, the idea is to make the rear seat passengers as comfortable as the front seat occupants. “
Just-auto: What does ‘reconfigurability’ actually mean in terms of seating design?
Imtiyaz Syed: “It is the ability of seats to create either additional cargo space or comfort feature. For example, seats can be swiveled, reversed, achieve different positions or they can disappear into the floor or on the sides of the vehicle body. So what you are trying to do is two things. One is when you want to haul cargo, you are creating a lot of space by making the seats fold out of the way. Second, you can change the position of the seats.”
Randy Koenigsknecht: “From a consumer expectation viewpoint, there is an expectation that the vehicle would achieve all of this so you don’t have to actually remove seating from your vehicle and then find a place to store it. Consumers also expect to be able to do this with ease of functionality, preferably in a single step operation but certainly single-handed.”
Imtiyaz Syed: “The other thing that we are seeing more and more of is power articulation of seats into the stalled or articulated position. We are also seeing remote release mechanisms appear. For example, offering the ability to dump the second row seat back by pushing a button in the trunk.”
Just-auto: How much further can seating reconfigurability go?
Randy Koenigsknecht: “I think that so far we have seen [reconfigurability] focused in larger vehicles such as SUVs and minivans. But you will see it happening in smaller vehicles, even B class segment cars. Here, the [consumer] expectation is that these are no longer economy boxes but must have good feature content levels with additional functions. So I think you will continue to see both an extrapolation of features available [in larger vehicles] but also the same type of features in smaller vehicles.”
Just-auto: With so many devices and materials stuffed into new vehicle seats these days, is there competition for ‘real estate’ in the seat?
Imtiyaz Syed: “It is becoming more and more challenging as seats become content heavy. That creates a lot of challenges from a technical perspective. Yet that is where Magna International technologies can help us. For example, one of Magna’s divisions produces a special type of magnesium that is more injection molded than die cast. It is very good for high impact strength and therefore can be easily used for seating applications. Also, we draw on the group’s expertise in laser welding parts in order to generate more space for packaging seat components. We are also involved in miniaturisation of mechanisms and structures, again to create more space and improve comfort.”
Randy Koenigsknecht: “I would like to expand on one of Imtiyaz’s comments about design efficiency. As an example next-generation of stow-in-floor seating, you will see a higher feature content, more functionality and higher level of comfort available. This will also address the FMVS202A requirements. We are achieving all of this with a thinner package; a lightweight seat with less complexity and at lower cost. In addition, there are more and more niche vehicles coming into the segments. That means you have to achieve all of these things cost effectively at lower volumes using some standardised technologies. So it really requires some innovative applications of miniaturised mechanisms.”
Just-auto: US motor vehicle regulations pertaining to occupant head restraints have gone unchanged for about two decades, but a new mandate [FMVS 202A] is designed to improve head restraints to minimize potential whiplash injuries. What are the options to comply with the new code?
Imtiyaz Syed: “From a theoretical perspective, the aim is to move the headrest closer to the head so that head rotation is prevented in the event of a rear-end collision. However, that leads to comfort issues, particularly for smaller people where the head restraint would actually interfere with their seating position. [In response to the new federal requirements], Intier has its own active head restraint. It is a very efficient concept which moves the head restraint forward upon rear impact so that the time to contact is minimised and head rotation is minimised. We have also created a membrane head restraint which complies with FMVS202A. This allows more visibility and feeling of roominess rather than a very large head restraint which block the views from the rearview mirror.”
Just-auto: Electric motors have long since raised the comfort levels for premium class cars, but do you see them permeating down the car segments?
Imtiyaz Syed: “Although power seats were typically reserved for premium cars that is really no longer true. The power option is now being offered in other cars. We see the percentage of take rates for the power option is growing in the market in general. That is very true of the North American market. Consumers are getting so used to it these days that they are demanding power seats.”
Just-auto: In terms of seat design, where do you get your inspiration from?
Imtiyaz Syed: “Our marketing department and design studios keep an eye on consumer goods trends. So we derive our inspiration for styling, colours and themes from anything that catches the eye.”
Randy Koenigsknecht: “It is very important to look outside the automotive industry — in office furniture, sporting goods, and the electronics industries — to catch the wider trends of the consumer mindset and expectations level and then create solutions that can apply to seating to achieve those high levels of expectations.”
See also: Global market review of vehicle seating – forecasts to 2012
