Lightweight and Sporty: The New Recaro Sport Seat Platform

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany, September 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ - Lightweight construction was one of the key topics at the IAA 2015 which has just ended in Frankfurt. Whether the issue is pollution emissions by cars with combustion engines, or energy-efficient travel with electro mobility, competence in lightweight construction will be a decisive factor for the future of both automakers and their suppliers. The Recaro Sport Seat Platform (RSSP), which was presented by the Johnson Controls product group Recaro Automotive Seating, is ready for series production and combines a very lightweight, compact design with maximum safety and greater levels of individualization. The carbon backrest of the RSSP can also be used on its own as part of a composite solution.

"With our Recaro sport seat platform, which is ready for series production, we once again prove the technological capability and competence of Johnson Controls in the mega trend of lightweight construction," said Dr. Detlef Juerss, group vice president and general manager product group seating components at Johnson Controls. With the RSSP "Sport Extreme" and the RSSP "Comfort" concepts, the Recaro group presented two very different versions of the new seating solution in Frankfurt: The extremely slender "Sport Extreme," with its contrast of black and bright green, was designed by Recaro for super sports cars, while the discrete black "Comfort" version has visibly more generous upholstery and is ideally suited for sports sedans.

"The RSSP is a further demonstration that Recaro is synonymous with premium sport seats," explained Elmar Deegener, vice president of Johnson Controls and general manager of Recaro Automotive Seating. In addition to the lightweight aspect - depending on the configuration, the carbon backrest weighs up to 40 percent less than conventional backrests - the great advantage of the sport seat platform is its modularity. All versions are based on the same lightweight construction, while the exterior design can be modified to meet customer requirements. "With the RSSP we have presented a consistent package, which perfectly complements the Johnson Controls product range," said Deegener. "In addition to sports car manufacturers, companies from the field of electro mobility are highly enthusiastic about the excellent use of space and the low H-point of the RSSP. For these manufacturers, the use of lightweight materials is important in order to gain space for the batteries."

In addition to the RSSP, which is targeted for small-scale series production, Johnson Controls has another project in the pipeline for lightweight construction geared to large-scale series production: the CAMISMA project, which is now in development. Using a completely new multi-material approach, the proportion of lightweight materials, such as glass-reinforced plastic (GRP), carbon or aluminum can be increased in vehicle seats. As a result, the CAMISMA backrest is about 40 percent lighter than conventional metal backrests, with the same safety performance. Thanks to new production methods, not only can the weight of the seat be reduced, but the amount of carbon waste can also be lowered from 50 percent to less than 5 percent.

Cross reference: Picture is available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) and http://www.presseportal.de/nr/104627/bild/

Recaro Automotive Seating

Recaro Automotive Seating is a product group of Johnson Controls. At eight locations in Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Japan, Mexico and the United States we design, manufacture and market complete seats representative of our core competencies design, ergonomics, craftsmanship, robustness, lightweight construction and high-class workmanship under the brand name Recaro. Recaro Automotive Seating consists of two units: Recaro Car Seating offers passenger car seats for OEMs and the aftermarket, Recaro Commercial Vehicle Seating focuses on commercial vehicle seats in the OEM and aftermarket segments.

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