The system developed by Johnson Controls for the new Kia cee'd achieved the weight reduction without sacrificing safety by using a lightweight metal structure of high-strength, thin-walled steel for the front and rear seats. Johnson Controls replaced thick-walled seat pipes with wafer-thin metal frames made of high-strength steel. This adds stability to the split rear seat system.
Recent coverage on the PlasticsToday site has also reported success stories of plastic in combination with steel and we've covered our fair share of plastic composite developments contributing to the lightweighting trend as well. Moving forward, I'm sure we'll see a diversity of materials continue to support the weight reduction efforts of automakers.-[email protected]
