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Design for Circularity Sparks Innovation in Car and Aircraft Seating
Car and aircraft seating manufacturers are reviewing their material sourcing strategies in response to supply chain disruptions and sustainability demands from regulators, consumers and airlines. The transition to bio-based materials and recyclable designs is paying dividends in lightweighting, cost reductions and competitive position for seating industry leaders.
Sustainable seating is not an entirely new trend. Almost two decades ago Lear Corporation developed a flexible foam material from soybean oil, imaginatively branded as SoyFoam. The material was used in Ford Mustang, Escape and Focus around 2007.
Lear built on that first-to-market success by putting self-blended sustainable foam formulations at the heart of their products. In 2024 Lear announced FlexAir with General Motors, which is supposedly not a foam, but a patented seating material system designed to replace foam. FlexAir is claimed to be 100% recyclable, half CO2 emissions and reduce weight by up to 20%.
Innovation in sustainable car seating has accelerated in recent years. Almost all leading manufacturers and suppliers have put out press releases about initiatives in sustainable products.
Forvia, one of the biggest companies in seating foam and structures, introduced Auraloop, a sustainable cushioning material made from 100% recyclable polyester fibers that should cut the carbon footprint of car seat pads in half compared to polyurethane (PU) foam products. Forvia developed Auraloop in partnership with Indorama Ventures, a company that produces and recycles polyethylene terephthalate (PET), also known as polyester.
Adient, another global automotive seating suppier that delivers to all major OEMs, in 2023 presented the lightweight Pure Essential seat constructed from only two materials; sustainably sourced steel and recycled polyester (PET). The seat is designed for disassembly and recycling. The environmentally-conscious design approach also helps the bottom line, by reducing manufacturing complexity and costs.
Ontario-headquartered Magna International in 2023 introduced the EcoSphere product line, a 100% recyclable foam and trim seating solution. The EcoSphere products are also based on polyester as a mono-material, meaning that the entire seat consists of only one material, making it easier to recycle. Magna partnered with techical textiles and nonwovens manufacturer TWE Group to source the recycled and biodegradable fibers. The material used in EcoSphere is still a foam.
Even if traditional flex foams end up getting phased out of car seats, there is still a future for foam elsewhere in automotive interiors. Parts that were traditionally made from hard moulded plastics, like dashboards and door panels, are increasingly produced with injection moulded particle foam solutions. Using foam not only helps reduce weight, but also offers additional advantages in shock absorption and sound dampening.
Seating is also a focal point in the decarbonisation efforts in the aviation industry. Aircraft seats account for one-third of the cabin weight. Airbus has been working to implement more bio-based materials in seat covers and structures, even investigating the use of algae as a base material for seat foams. The leading European airplane manufacturer is also looking for slimmer, lighter seat designs. Weight reduction is an key element in Airbus efforts to eventually make electric aviation a commercial reality.
When RECARO Aircraft Seating announced their latest solutions in sustainable products last year, the company emphasized the rigorous life cycle assessment that informed their product development process. In 2024 Recaro expects to receive certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for four materials integrated into their R Sphere concept seat, including wood, upcycled fishing nets, recycled plastic and recycled foam sourced from old mattresses. The foam is used in the seat base and back panel in short-haul economy seats.
Several smaller players in aircraft seating, like Geven in Italy and Expliseat in France, have successfully staked out growing market positions with innovation in sustainable products. Expliseat claims to have the world’s lightest aircraft seat. One of the key innovations of UK-based Acro Aircraft Seating is their slimline seats, using thinner foams to increase legroom and seating capacity without sacrificing comfort. Acro has a modular design approach, works with suppliers to develop sustainable foams and claims 99% recyclability for their Series 9 seats.
Innovation in car and aircraft seating and design for recycling are central themes at the Foam and Adhesives & Bonding Expo Europe conference, December 3-5 in Stuttgart. The themes will be covered in several keynotes and panel discussions.