Adient, Jaguar Land Rover and Dow develop closed-loop polyurethane foam seats
Adient, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), and Dow have collaborated to create an industry-first closed-loop recycled seat foam for luxury vehicles. The innovative process involves collecting 'post-consumer' polyurethane (PU) foams from end-of-life vehicles, which are processed into new circular polyol and integrated into Adient's seating formulas. The resulting Front Seat Cushion prototypes currently contain 20% re-polyol from recycled vehicles. The project aims to reduce environmental impact and advance circular economy in automotive manufacturing. Production scale testing with JLR is scheduled for early 2025.
Adient, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) e Dow hanno collaborato per creare un'innovativa schiuma per sedili riciclata in circuito chiuso, la prima del settore, per veicoli di lusso. Il processo innovativo prevede la raccolta di schiume di poliuretano (PU) 'post-consumo' da veicoli a fine vita, che vengono trasformate in un nuovo polialcol circolare e integrate nelle formule per sedili di Adient. I prototipi dei cuscini del sedile anteriore contengono attualmente 20% di re-polialcol da veicoli riciclati. Il progetto mira a ridurre l'impatto ambientale e promuovere l'economia circolare nella produzione automobilistica. I test su scala di produzione con JLR sono programmati per all'inizio del 2025.
Adient, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) y Dow han colaborado para crear una espuma de asiento reciclada en circuito cerrado, la primera en la industria, para vehículos de lujo. El proceso innovador implica la recolección de espumas de poliuretano (PU) 'post-consumo' de vehículos al final de su vida útil, que se procesan en un nuevo polialcohol circular e integrados en las fórmulas de asientos de Adient. Los prototipos del cojín del asiento delantero contienen actualmente 20% de re-polialcohol de vehículos reciclados. El proyecto tiene como objetivo reducir el impacto ambiental y avanzar en la economía circular en la fabricación de automóviles. Las pruebas a escala de producción con JLR están programadas para principios de 2025.
Adient, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) 및 Dow는 럭셔리 차량을 위한 업계 최초의 재활용 시트 폼 폐쇄 루프를 만들기 위해 협력했습니다. 혁신적인 과정은 사용이 끝난 차량에서 '소비 후' 폴리우레탄(PU) 폼을 수집하고, 이를 새로운 순환 폴리올로 처리하여 Adient의 시트 포뮬러에 통합하는 것이 포함됩니다. 결과적으로 현재 앞 좌석 쿠션 프로토타입은 재활용 차량에서 온 20% 재폴리올을 포함하고 있습니다. 이 프로젝트는 환경 영향을 줄이고 자동차 제조에서 순환 경제를 촉진하는 것을 목표로 합니다. JLR과의 대규모 생산 테스트는 2025년 초에 예정되어 있습니다.
Adient, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) et Dow ont collaboré pour créer une mousse de siège recyclée en boucle fermée, une première dans l'industrie, pour les véhicules de luxe. Le processus innovant consiste à collecter des mousses de polyuréthane (PU) 'post-consommation' provenant de véhicules en fin de vie, qui sont transformées en un nouveau polyol circulaire et intégrées dans les formules de sièges d'Adient. Les prototypes de coussins de siège avant contiennent actuellement 20 % de re-polyol provenant de véhicules recyclés. Le projet vise à réduire l'impact environnemental et à faire progresser l'économie circulaire dans la fabrication automobile. Les tests à l'échelle de la production avec JLR sont prévus pour début 2025.
Adient, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) und Dow haben zusammengearbeitet, um einen branchenweit ersten geschlossenen Recyclingprozess für Sitzschaumstoffe in Luxusfahrzeugen zu entwickeln. Der innovative Prozess umfasst die Sammlung von 'Post-Consumer'-Polyurethan (PU)-Schaumstoffen aus Altfahrzeugen, die in ein neues zirkuläres Polyol verarbeitet und in die Sitzformeln von Adient integriert werden. Die resultierenden Prototypen der vorderen Sitzkissen enthalten derzeit 20% Re-Polyol aus recycelten Fahrzeugen. Das Projekt zielt darauf ab, die Umweltauswirkungen zu verringern und die Kreislaufwirtschaft in der Automobilproduktion voranzutreiben. Die Tests in Produktionsmaßstab mit JLR sind für Anfang 2025 geplant.
- First-to-market innovation in closed-loop recycled seat foam technology
- Strategic partnership with major luxury car manufacturer (JLR)
- Production scale testing scheduled for early 2025
- Positions company favorably for European End-of-Life Directive compliance
- recycled content at only 20% re-polyol currently
- Further research needed to increase recycled material percentage
- Production scale implementation not yet achieved
Insights
This closed-loop recycling innovation represents a significant technological breakthrough in automotive sustainability. The achievement of
The partnership's circular manufacturing process addresses multiple environmental challenges: reducing landfill waste from end-of-life vehicles, decreasing virgin material usage and lowering the carbon footprint of automotive seating. With the upcoming European End-of-Life Directive compliance requirements, this technology positions Adient favorably in the regulatory landscape while potentially creating competitive advantages in the growing sustainable automotive components market.
This development has strong market implications for Adient's competitive position. As major automakers increasingly prioritize sustainability in their supply chains, this first-to-market innovation could secure preferred supplier status with luxury brands beyond JLR. The partnership with Dow provides reliable access to recycled materials, while JLR's involvement validates the technology for high-end applications.
The timing aligns with growing consumer demand for sustainable luxury vehicles and stricter environmental regulations. This positions Adient to capture market share in the premium automotive segment while potentially commanding higher margins for environmentally sustainable products.
BURSCHEID, Germany, Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Adient, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Dow have worked together to produce seat foam for the luxury car manufacturer's vehicles using closed-loop recycled components. This represents an industry-first in the automotive sector, heading towards a circular economy and a lower CO2 footprint for cars as the end product.
In order to address the environmental impact of polyurethane (PU) foams used in car seats, the industry partners decided to team up. This means so-called 'post-consumer' PU molded foams have previously been collected from end-of-life vehicles, sorted, and shredded. On this basis, Dow produces a new, circular polyol, which is subsequently processed and integrated into Adient's seating formulas. As a result, the Adient Front Seat Cushion prototypes are currently composed of
This is the first time, to the awareness of all parties involved, that a PU molded foam for seating applications has been produced under these conditions. This milestone represents a significant leap forward for the automotive industry, positioning PU at the heart of a circular economy system. By integrating recycled components into luxury vehicle seat foams, the partners are not only reducing the environmental impact but also paving the way for a more sustainable future in automotive manufacturing.
"Developing components with closed-loop recycled foams represents a major milestone for the team and simultaneously spurs us on to continuously increase the proportion of recycled materials in our seating systems in the future," said Frank Toenniges, Director Sustainable Product Design & Business Process Improvements at Adient at Adient. "Additionally, it positions the actors along the value chain favorably to comply with the proposed European End-of-Life Directive."
Andrea Debbane, Chief Sustainability Officer at JLR stated: "This breakthrough is a great example of how the automotive value chain can work as a collective to demonstrate that full circularity is feasible and unlock meaningful change at scale. This way of working holds significant potential for increasing sustainability and is critical to JLR's transition to more circular vehicles."
As a next step, further research will be conducted to increase the percentage of re-polyol content. At the same time, the closed-loop seat foam will be tested with JLR on a production scale from early 2025.
About Adient:
Adient (NYSE: ADNT) is a global leader in automotive seating. With 70,000+ employees in 29 countries, Adient operates more than 200 manufacturing/assembly plants worldwide. We produce and deliver automotive seating for all major OEMs. From complete seating systems to individual foam, trim and metal components, our expertise spans every step of the automotive seat-making process. Our integrated, in-house skills allow us to take our products from research and design to engineering and manufacturing — and into millions of vehicles every year.
For more information, visit www.adient.com.
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SOURCE Adient
FAQ
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