Lectra, an equipment supplier to fabric, leather, textile and composite material processors, said Japanese side-curtain airbag cushion supplier Sumisho Airbag Systems is introducing its new laser airbag cutting system FocusQuantum OPW.
Sumisho is the only Japan-based manufacturer of one-piece woven (OPW) airbag cushions, and one of the world's leading providers in terms of quality, according to Lectra. The company weaves and cuts technical textiles for airbags that are produced for global automobile brands based in the US, Germany, Japan and elsewhere.
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Anticipating new orders from customers, Sumisho is forecasting a significant increase in production volume. The company already had eight Lectra laser cutters and approached the maker for help boosting capacity without increasing manufacturing footprint, while being able to meet stringent cutting quality standards.
Tests showed the FocusQuantum delivered more production capacity than previous generation laser cutting systems. Sumisho was impressed by the high level of cutting quality, as well as the potential of the new SmartCutting process, which prepares OPW fabric using pre-production software that enables cutting path correction in real time.
Sumisho subsequently selected a system including an airbag laser cutter, a pre-production software suite and project collaboration with Lectra to ensure proper production, minimise risks and meet further demand for volume increase.
Sumisho also valued Lectra's strong presence in Japan, with a full support structure – its has seven call centres worldwide and teams of specialised field service engineers in all countries where airbags are produced. Remote monitoring and predictive maintenance enabled by smart services allow for optimum uptime.
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By GlobalData"Consumer expectations in the area of vehicle safety continue to evolve at an accelerated pace," said Akira Kanehachi, President & CEO of Sumisho. "To meet our customers' growing demand for advanced airbag designs and to reduce overall cost, it is important for us to invest in the right technology and equipment."
Established in 2004 in Matsuura City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Sumisho Airbag Systems produces and sells side-curtain airbag cushions. The company's shareholders are Sumitomo Corporation, Suminoe Textile and Asahi Kasei Corporation, a producer of technical yarn for airbags.
