New processes enable weight savings in BMW components
Johnson Controls is using new production processes to produce the door panels and seat structures for the new BMW 3 Series.
The door panels are made through a combination of wood fibres and plastics that are claimed to be 20 per cent lighter than conventional components.
Geritt Fluess, sales director at Johnson Controls, told The Engineer that the company is taking a combination of existing, well-known and approved processes to produce the panels.
A process known as groove lamination will be used to attach the fabric or leather trim to the door panel, which involves the trim being joined in the recesses, eliminating the need for an additional component and further reducing weight.
Fluess claimed that the door panel reduces the overall weight of the car, while providing reinforcement to its entire structure. He also said that the door panels would allow different degrees of stiffness to be achieved within the same carrier, making the vehicle more flexible and improving its crash performance.
Meanwhile, the new seat structures for the front two seats save 3–4kg, depending on the model.
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