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Management

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Robert Eller Associates LLCCONSULTANTS TO THE PLASTICS AND RUBBER INDUSTRIES

AUTOMOTIVE INTERIOR CHALLENGES: MATERIALS AND FABRICATION TECHNOLOGY RESPONSES

Management

DECISIONSANALYSIS

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Robert Eller Associates LLCCONSULTANTS TO THE PLASTICS AND RUBBER INDUSTRIES

PRESENTED BY:

Robert Eller Robert Eller Associates LLC Phone: +1 330-670-9566 Email: bobeller@robertellerassoc.com Web Site: www.robertellerassoc.com

PRESENTED AT:

Ward’s Auto Interiors Conference

Detroit, MI (USA)

May 22, 2013 r/mydox/papers/ATI 2013

OBJECTIVES

• Identify forces driving innovation in auto interiors

• Examine specific challenges and opportunities

• Example innovative approaches

• Identify trends future directions

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INNOVATION

FABRICATION PROCESSES Combined process steps

- Stitching; Foaming - Sandwich construction

-Downgauging

CONSUMER - Luxury

- Acoustics - Connectivity - Ergonomics

- Haptics - Scratch resistance

- Comfort

EXTERNALS - Fuel prices - MPG rules

- Cost save; Weight save - Safety; Sustainability

- VOC; CO2

MATERIALS

- Composites - PEs

- ETPs - Reinforcements

- Fillers - Films

- Coatings

AUTO INTERIOR INNOVATION DRIVERS

SOURCE: ROBERT ELLER ASSOCIATES LLC, 2013

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Sun Shade

Headliner IP Skin Trunk Trim

Load Floor

Knee Bolster

Door Trim

Seat Cushion Panel

Package Trim

Seat Back

Spare Tire Wheel Well

INTERIOR INNOVATION TARGETS

Spare Tire Wheel Well

PHOTO: Courtesy of Hanwha

COCKPIT: CHALLENGES AND INNOVATION ZONES

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Challenges: - Weight - Process steps - Crash and safety req’ts.

Separate steering wheel supports from cockpit

Display

Soft skin multi-material/multi-process battleground

Trend to two color: - Upper and lower - Haptics

HVAC control by voice recognition (VR)

Stitching Decrease weight of support structure

INFOTAINMENT: NEW MATERIALS AND DESIGN BATTLEGROUND

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Innovative Current State • Retainer

• Injection mold retainer

• Skin

• Vacuum form skin

• Stitch manually or robotically

Retainer

Wrap retainer with skin

Skin

Laser score

Skin with stitching

• Combine skin to retainer with press lamination

• Cycle time = 1 minute

• Mono material construction

• Reduced labor by ~1 to 2 hours

• Fewer process steps • Higher quality process

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EXAMPLE: PROCESS, LUXURY, QUALITY INNOVATIONS

SOURCE: Inteva

PHOTO SOURCE: Chrysler Group LLC

EXAMPLE OF CURRENT LIGHTWEIGHTING IN COCKPIT: 2014 JEEP CHEROKEE

SOURCE: Robert Eller Associates LLC, 2013 8

Shifts role of steering column component support Thinwall (to 2mm) glass fiber reinforced PP for IP substrate Parts consolidation 13% weight save with no styling sacrifice Incorporates innovations from Dart weight reductions Potential for primary and secondary weight savings

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2011 2019

REV

ENU

E, $

MM

DATA SOURCE: IMS RESEARCH, 2013

WORLD MARKET FOR AUTOMOTIVE VOICE RECOGNITION

55% OF VEHICLES SOLD

CAGR= 9.7%/YR

AUTO ELECTRONICS/INFOTAINMENT: VOICE RECOGNITION (VR)

• Drivers becoming comfortable with VR (Apple SIRI on smart phones)

• Legislation hands free • Increased awareness of risks of texting and hand held device use • Global revenue growth to $155MM • Potential for extending control to vehicle systems (e.g. HVAC) • Fewer knobs • Reduced wiring

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AUTO ELECTRONICS: THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER COVER

• Challenge: Balance light transmission while minimizing reflection/glare • Interior targets: Touch displays especially with • Requirements: Transmission > 98%; reflection < 1%, scratch resistance • Innovation: Reactive, solvent free PMMA coating with anti-glare microstructure introduced directly into the injection compression mold • Technology sources: Flabeg (TIER 1 for Anti-glare glass); Evonik & KraussMaffei (CoverForm® Technology)

PHOTO SOURCE: Kunststoffe International 03/2013 p. 43ff

Non-anti-glare surfaces on automotive dashboard instrument displays reflect the light and interfere with vision while driving

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FLABEG ANTI-GLARE (AG) AND ANTI-REFLECTIVE (AR) COATING FOR DISPLAY APPLICATIONS

SOURCE: Kunststoffe International 03/2013, Hoeing, Walder, Schröbel, Flabeg Deutschland GmbH p 43.ff

Instrument display cover without anti-glare microstructure and anti-reflective coating: 4% of incident light is reflected and the display is unreadable

Instrument display cover with an anti-glare microstructure (AG) incorporated in the CoverForm scratch-resistant layer and a subsequently applied anti-reflective coating (AR): only 0.5% of incident light is reflected which makes the display much clearer to read

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N. AMERICAN SEATING SHIFTING TO LIGHTER SHADES

SHARE OF LIGHT COLORED SEATING - N. AMERICA,

2000/2010/2015

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2000 2010 2015

SOURCE: EAGLE OTTAWAr/mydox/seating/Vehicle Shares 050610.xls

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SHIFT TO LIGHTER SHADES IN SEATING EVEN FOR COMPACT CARS

HYUNDAI ELANTRA CHEVY CRUZE DODGE DART

PHOTO SOURCES: United Paint

NOTE: Seat backs and bolsters are the main affected areas . Denim staining has become a significant warranty issue .

SOURCE: Robert Eller Associates LLC, 2013 13

THE PROBLEM: AVOIDING DENIM STAIN ON SEATING THE SOLUTION: DENIM RESISTANT TECHNOLOGY (DRT)

Before Denim

Test

LP-463KC-04-03

LP-463KC-04-03

Before Denim

Test

After Test

After Test

Typical PVC Coated Fabric

PVC Coated Fabric with new DRT Technology

SOURCE: United Paint

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THE PROBLEM: DARK COLORED SEATING HEATS UP DURING SUNLIGHT EXPOSURE

154.04 ° F

95.18 ° F

133.34 ° F 153.68 ° F

Cool Colors Coating No Coating

SOURCE: O’Sullivan Films/HornschuchGroup

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Visible Range of Sunlight

White Black

Wavelength (nm)

% R

efle

ctio

n

- White: Reflects up to almost 100% of the infrared radiation of the sun. (Cooler material) - Black: Complete absorption of IR radiation - Standard: Reflects only 20% of IR radiation - Cool Colors: Reflects 80% of IR radiation

SOURCE: O’Sullivan Films/HornschuchGroup

IMPROVING RELECTION REDUCED SURFACE TEMPERATURE

····· White Black Cool Colors Standard

Cool Colors

Standard

Cool Colors reflect IR

Standard does not reflect as well as Cool Colors

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SEATING: MAJOR INTERIOR INNOVATION TARGET

Foam: - Thinner - Multi-layer/Multi-density - Foam-in-place (Better seat cover conformity) - Soy-based polyols

Head Rest: - EPP foam - New construction methods

SEAT COVER: - New coated fabric surfaces - Improved denim & stain resistance - Improved mesh underlay for temperature control and breathability

FOAMS: - Thinner - Multilayer - Foam-in-place - Soy-based polyols

Seat Pan: -Glass fiber reinforced Polyamide

SEAT FRAME: - Thinner - Glass fiber reinforced Polyamide

SEAT TRACK: - Composite target

EXPOSED COMPOSITE FRAME: - Glass fiber Reinforced Polyamide (short glass, with selective continuous glass inserts)

SEAT BACK: - Mesh increases conformity and comfort (similar to Aeron chair) - Composites started

SOURCE: ROBERT ELLER ASSOCIATES LLC, 2013

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SMART TEXTILES: EMERGING FROM R&D/PROTOTYPE STAGE

CHALLENGES: Interior as feel good zone. Design individuality TARGETS: seating, cockpit, door trim, headliner, carpet SMART TEXTILE FUNCTIONS • Ambiance: - Controlled lighting(mood lighting, cockpit light ) via LED threads and/or electroluminescence - Project images(introduced by Nissan on headliner in 2010) - Project logos(woven into seating for example) • Control/sensory : - Conduct electricity - Textile touch pads - Monitor body bio-signals • In seating : - Heat and cool (via the textile rather than buried in seat/door trim foam) - Sense weight (control airbag deployment)

SOURCE: Robert Eller Associates LLC, 2013

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COMPOSITE FLOORS

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INNOVATION DOES NOT ALWAYS FOLLOW A STRAIGHT LINE

INNOVATION STATUS

EPP bead foam for seating Started at Audi in rear seat bottom

Elimination of heavy layer in acoustic constructions

- Replaces heavy layer/felt in dash mat inner - Dual impedance films starting (Ford and H.P. Pelzer) on current C-Max, future Focus

TPE coated fabrics In development

Continuous glass fiber reinforced polyamide seat frames

- Introduced by Faurecia/BASF - On 2014 models - Potential for LGF reinforced polyamide

Continuous fiber reinforced seat pan BASF development on Opel Astra OPC

2-shot molded instrument panels Starting. Dolphin process, other

PVC replacement of PVC in instrument panel skins

- SEBS slush molded skins starting - TPO sheet skins available

Polymer optics for head-up display - In development (BMW) - Replaces glass mirrors

Smart textiles -Prototype stage

SOURCE: Robert Eller Associates LLC, 2013

SUMMARY

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• INNOVATION DRIVERS - Weight Reduction - Cost save sustainability - Luxury - Safety - Increased functional control - Increased connectivity - Control emissions • EXAMPLE OPPORTUNITY TARGETS - Seating (major weight save potential) - Cockpit - Composite floors - Electronics (beyond infotainment) - Composites in semi-structural applications - Acoustic system - Polypropylene compounds