Brose says it has manufactured the five millionth front seat structure since the start of production in 2012 for a joint project between Daimler and BMW.
By 2026, the mechatronics specialist will produce around 32m structures, with manufacturers using these in various models such as the Mercedes C-Class, E-Class or the BMW 7 Series and 5 Series.
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The seat is manufactured worldwide on four continents and in eight plants.
“The project was and is the largest single order in Brose’s history and places special demands on our international project management,” said Brose EVP Seat Systems, Periklis Nassios.
“We need to have a competent team on site in order to meet our standards at the same level worldwide.”
Brose cross tubes and side panels are made of high-strength steels, while most of the metal components have been replaced by plastic in the power seat adjuster. The complete structure weighs less than 15kg, making it around 20% lighter than rival series products maintains the manufacturer.
Brose engineers created 30 inventions during the development process; patents have been registered for roughly two thirds of these.
The seat is based on a modular design combining standard components and custom parts. The structure is manufactured with up to 16 different adjustments in fully-electric and semi-electric versions.
The fully-equipped version of the seat comes with electromechanical lumbar adjusters, which feature an additional massage function.
