Cockpit module and its components: instrument panel, center console, cross car beam
As world leader in instrument panels and
center consoles, Faurecia has developed a unique expertise to provide
automakers with high quality, cost-effective instrument panels in
all market segments.
In order
to reach the increasingly high level of perceived
quality required by automakers and end-users, Faurecia uses
a wide range of technologies. For low and medium range vehicles,
the injected carrier can be grained, painted, or covered with various
types of skins providing an excellent appearance and touch. For
high range vehicles, two-tone skins applied on a soft foam offer
a unique "feel". Thanks to advanced technologies such
as laser weakening, passenger airbags are integrated in an invisible
way on all types of instrument panels.
Powerful computer
simulations and “virtual reality” are increasingly used during the development
of new instrument panels, thereby reducing the development time and making it
possible to check functions such as airbag deployment at various temperatures.
Through SAS, its joint
venture with Siemens-VDO, Faurecia integrates the latest electronic
technologies in the cockpit and provides the automaker with innovative
mechatronic solutions for the future. From its JIT assembly plants, SAS delivers turnkey cockpits to
automakers throughout the world.
Capitalizing on its leading
position, Faurecia has developed the expertise to provide automakers with
complete cockpit modules, including the cockpit, the cross-car beam, various safety
devices, electric/electronic components, the heating system and the
steering column. As the main interface between the car and front passengers, the
cockpit plays a major role in terms of comfort
and ergonomics.
As the "backbone" of the
cockpit, the cross-car beam is a key element to optimize
the mechanical architecture of this complex module. Faurecia is developing and
producing various types of cross-car beams, including the award-winning Syntes, a recent innovation in its field.
Customer benefits through innovations
Syntes
is a hybrid metal-plastic structure which integrates air distribution
and safety functions. It
offers significant weight reduction and an improved performances compared
to steel.
For instrument panels, Faurecia’s innovative PU
cast skin meets the most demanding specifications, enabling the designers
to obtain sharp radii, leather-like grain and a unique soft touch.
Design trends are continuously monitored through
contacts with automakers’ design studios, consumer research and end-user
clinics. New features and materials are then developped to match these
trends and make future vehicles attractive. The translucent
floating center stack delivered by Faurecia for the new Volvo S40
Ice Aqua model is a typical example.
New Faurecia cockpit solutions currently in
production include the following vehicles:
