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Cockpit : a leading position
Central to the structure and animation of the car interior,
cockpit modules combine design with functionality.
Faurecia, together with its customers, develops increasingly
complete, user-friendly, and high-performance cockpits
and cockpit components.
From instrument panel to full cockpit A manufacturer of the cockpit’s principal constituent
parts —instrument panel, cross-car beam, steering
column and central console— Faurecia has gradually
become a designer and manufacturer of complete
cockpits. The Group offers automakers unique expertise
in modular architecture, assembly, and logistics, with
turnkey delivery of lightweight cockpits offering a wide
range of functions specifically adapted to their
production lines. Faurecia is always seeking to optimize
its service by expanding its capabilities, which now
include the integration of electric and electronic
components via SAS, its joint venture with Siemens-VDO.
The best performance at the lowest cost
The cockpit is a key part of the body, connected to the
vehicle’s exterior systems by the instrument panel and
steering column, and there are strict regulations
governing its solidity and resistance. Faurecia’s R&D
is focusing on materials and production techniques
to meet these design challenges.
By providing impeccable design, esthetics and
comfort, Faurecia’s cockpits satisfy the desires of the
end user and the specifications of the automaker. The
aspect and texture of the instrument panel play an
important role in the look of the vehicle interior and its perceived quality. Faurecia’s unique range of
technologies includes surface treatment processes
such as paint, sheet thermoforming, and slush skins in
polyurethane or leather. These processes allow
designers to exploit a full range of effects for interior
differentiation. The inclusion of functions such as
heating and airbags is another R&D focus, which also
draws on the Group’s increased acoustic and electronic
expertise.
Offering every guarantee of safety and resistance
The first requirement of a cockpit is to protect
passengers in the event of impact. Faurecia has a twopronged
approach to interior safety : optimized design
of cross-car beams and steering columns, in order
to boost resistance and energy absorption; and the
integration of safety functions, such as airbags and
the protection of lower limbs, to prevent serious injury
to passengers.
Contributing to automakers’ competitiveness
Faurecia’s priorities are those of its customers: making lighter cars
and reducing costs. Its modular approach has generated solutions that
allow automakers to equip several different brands with the same cockpit,
while varying fittings and finishings according to the style of the particular
model. The Group made further progress in weight reduction by creating
a cross-car beam in a metal-plastic hybrid material, with integrated air
ducts.
 more
about the Cockpit module |
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