London (PRWEB) October 23, 2013 -- The global seating market is clearly led at the tier one level by two US companies and one European company, JCI, Lear and Faurecia. Lear and JCI are also very strong in China owing to their having been early entrants into this market, following General Motors and Volkswagen there in the early days of the Chinese market development.
The individual pictures for the major regions show how Lear, JCI, Magna and Faurecia have over two-thirds of the North American and European markets; by contrast the data for Japan/Korea shows how these regions are supplied almost entirely by Japanese/Korean companies.
The Japanese supplier Toyota Boshoku is ranked fourth globally owing to its presence in North America and a rapid rise in its business in China and the rest of Asia in recent years. JCI is unique among the European/North American companies in having a presence in Japan; this is a result of its acquisition of the Ikeda seat company some years ago.
About this report
This fourth edition report takes an in-depth look at the global seating market including the key changes currently underway in the industry and what the future holds for this key sector. The report considers in-house seat manufacture and supply chain developments along with advances in safety, comfort and convenience.
An inside industry view is provided by an interview with Johnson Controls and the study also considers trends in seat comfort and material developments in foam, plastics and metal structures. This research is complemented by case studies, along with profiles of all the major industry players.
Executive Summary/Overview
Introduction
Definitions
Global Market Overview
Increasing fitment of value-added features to seats
Global fitment of key technologies
Suppliers for comfort and convenience features
Changes are appearing in the nature of OEM supplier relationships
Comfort and convenience are increasingly important
Slim seats designed to provide the maximum interior space are attracting significant interest
Lightweight materials are much in demand
Eco friendly materials more commonplace
The Global Seat Market
Market Structure Overview
In-house seat manufacture in Germany
Seat development and manufacture at the vehicle companies
The Industry View – Keynote Interview with Johnson Controls and an overview of the design development process at Fiat
Fiat – The seat design development process
Main factors in seat design
The cost of the interior is significant
Comfort, safety, perceived quality and usability are all prime purchase considerations
In summary
Seat developments – designing for, space, comfort and safety, lightweight and flexibility.
Seat design
Johnson Controls ComfortThin seat
Faurecia’s Urban Rhythm Seat
Materials
Polyurethane (PU) foams
Bio based foams
Polymers replace foam
BASF
Weight reduction
Faurecia’s generic seat process - Apollo and Dragon seats
Faurecia and the Volkswagen Up!
Johnson Controls has also developed lightweight front seats
Recycled Materials
Ford uses recycled materials in its seats where possible
Ford is actively researching and developing renewable materials
Seats designed for working and relaxing
Vehicle Company Seat developments
Introduction
Audi puts seat comfort high on the agenda
Pull out thigh support
BMW focuses on weight savings
Ford features All Belts to Seat system and inflatable seatbelts
GM’s Cadillac brand introduces Safety Alert seat
Mercedes develops active seat-belt buckle for rear seats
Volkswagen has looked to lightweight innovation for small vehicles
Japanese vehicle manufacturers developing anti-whiplash and fatigue free seats
Nissan is developing "fatigue-free” seats
Toyota has developed the Whiplash Injury Lessening (WIL) Concept Seat
Company Profiles
Alfmeier
Brose
Camaco
Car Trim
CRH
Dura Automotive
F S Fehrer
Faurecia
FXI
Grammer
Grupo Antolin
Johnson Controls
Kongsberg Automotive
Lear
Magna
NHK Spring
Recitel
Sitech
Tachi-S
Toyota Boshoku
Trim Masters
TS Tech
Woodbridge
TABLES AND FIGURES
Figure 1: Global market share analysis for front seats [Source: IHS Automotive]
Figure 2: Johnson Controls new Gen 3 Synergy Seat
Figure 3: Johnson Controls Inspiration Seat
Figure 4: Customer priorities in the decision-making process [Source: Fiat]
Figure 5: Opel Insignia Seat
Figure 6: Faurecia Oasis Seat [Source: Faurecia]
Figure 7: Audi A6 Allroad seat
Figure 8: Ford Rear Inflatable Seat Belts
Figure 9: Cadillac XTS Safety Alert seat
Figure 10: Active seat belt pre-tensioning that improves protection for rear passengers
Figure 11: Volkswagen up! rear seat [Credit: Autoevolution]
Figure 12: Nissan Comfortable seat with spinal support
Table 1: Global fitment rate for five key comfort and convenience seat technologies [Source: IHS]
Table 2: Sitech’s main main plants and activities
Table 3: Car seat sets using the generic approach forecast to be used per year by 2016 [Source: Faurecia]
Table 4: Recycled-content interior materials in recent Ford vehicles[Source: Ford Motor Company]
Read the full report:
The Automotive Seating Systems Report
For more information:
Sarah Smith
Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +44 208 816 85 48
Website: http://www.reportbuyer.com
Sarah Smith, Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com, +44 208 816 85 48, [email protected]
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