Faurecia has signed a cooperation agreement with FAW Foundry in Changchun (China) to develop magnesium alloy seat frames, says the company’s press release. The agreement will run for three years.
FAW Foundry is wholly-owned by the FAW Group.
Significance: Faurecia has been focusing on developing lightweight components to meet stringent regulations in reducing fuel consumption and emission. For instance, the French supplier uses composite materials for body parts, semi-structural and structural parts. The company is also making use of laser welding and injection brazing processes in order to cut down on CO2 emissions. The latest agreement with FAW will further help Faurecia develop magnesium seat frames which offer a 25% weight reduction compared with state-of-the-art steel frames. “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% weight reduction compared with state-of-the-art steel frames” said Jean-Michel Vallin, President of Faurecia China.
The stringent CO2 regulations mandated by the Chinese government open up a huge market for suppliers such as Faurecia. The investment in China highlights Faurecia’s strategy to strengthen its R&D capabilities and engineering localisation in the country. In the beginning of this month, Faurecia opened a new technical centre and regional headquarters in Shanghai (China). Overall, the company operates 39 production facilities and four R&D centres in China, employing 8,500 people. In 2012, Faurecia generated EUR1.5bn in sales from China.
