Material trends
Opel Adam’s ‘starry sky’ headliner (left) and trim library (above)
three of those aspects by proposing clever solutions combining them.” One area where this will happen
is in-vehicle lighting. Recently, Johnson Controls developed the starry ‘Planetarium’ headliner in the Opel Adam. With 64 LED elements inset into the headliner material, the effect is a star-like twinkling in the roof, a feature that has only been available in much more luxurious, and expensive, vehicles until now. The same component offers five textile cover options and a variety of headliner designs, with dimmable lighting controlled via a unit integrated into the overhead console.
The light touch The component was developed to use minimal energy – power consumption is just four watts – and the ‘starry sky’ within the headliner is less than 1mm thin. The component weighs only 200 grams, including
May/June 2013
wiring. That’s a lot of flexibility for a part offering an additional personalisation option to the end user and a further opportunity to add profit at the dealership. Yet, according to Hendricks,
future progress will see the ability to integrate the wiring and light sources into a component, so that it becomes, essentially, a single unit. “One example we’re working on is printed light technology, so the light source is actually printed on a surface, instead of a separate component, and it’s the same for wire harnesses and so forth,” he states. “We’re looking at consumer needs and opportunities to enhance the consumer experience of the interior, but also looking at the manufacturing processes that allow us to address those needs, as well as take cost and weight out. It’s called printed digital ink; or printed light.” Suppliers including Faurecia and
Johnson Controls are looking at significantly reducing weight in the IP. This will involve not just substituting materials and designing specifically with new materials in mind, but also integrating functions and components. “We’re asking why can’t this
structure be the A-surface, when right now it’s separate components?” says Hendricks. “We’re also eliminating certain functions in areas where they require higher weight components or more components than in other areas.
www.automotivedesign.eu.com
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