Faurecia with FAW Foundry to develop magnesium alloy seat frames

August 17, 2013 12:49 pm

Faurecia, the world’s 6th largest automotive equipment supplier, signed a 3-year cooperation agreement with FAW Foundry in Changchun (China), for the development of magnesium alloy seat frames. The agreement, signed in the presence of Yann Delabrière, Chairman and CEO, Faurecia; Jean-Michel Vallin, President, Faurecia China and Sun Feng, General Manager, FAW Foundry, marks a new milestone in Faurecia’s business and technology development in the seat frames business and with China’s FAW Group.
Through this project, Faurecia expects to further cut down the weight of automotive seats, reducing the environmental impact as well as to consolidate its leading position in automotive seating.
“The challenge of reducing emissions calls for new breakthrough innovations in the automotive industry, particularly in the field of weight reduction. Magnesium alloy seat frames potentially offer a 25 per cent weight reduction compared with state-of-the-art steel frames. This breakthrough development will also allow both Faurecia and FAW Foundry to be in a leading position worldwide for this promising material and its processes as it opens a potentially important market” said Mr Vallin.
“We are eager to start cooperating with Faurecia, the world’s No 1 in automotive seat frames and mechanisms and also a long-term partner of FAW Group Corporation. We believe that this will be a win-win partnership and enable us to contribute to a greener automotive industry,” said Mr Feng.
Faurecia is one of the global leaders in automotive seating, and seat frames and mechanisms. FAW Foundry, Faurecia’s partner, is wholly owned by China FAW Group Corporation and currently one of the largest auto casting manufacturers in China.