North America’s leading automotive interior design, component and fabrication showcase, Automotive Interiors Expo, has opened in Novi, Michigan.
As the demand for personalization and sustainability in automotive interiors continues to increase, this year’s show introduces the Innovation Showcase (October 22 and 24) and the InteriVision Summit (October 23) alongside the exhibition to help keep industry professionals abreast of industry trends and find solutions to enhance product quality and brand differentiation.
Here are some Day 1 highlights, as well as what to look forward to on Day 2…
New Innovation Showcase impresses visitors
The new Innovation Showcase kicked off this morning with special short sessions on the expo floor. Chris Williams, mobility sales manager at Sefar, started proceedings with his presentation on innovative heating for interior components; Andrew Dubel, business development manager at Fujikura America, spoke about accomplishing more with less and designing smarter; Jaiprakash Ramani, chief marketing officer for automotive at Supreme Group, talked about sustainable nonwovens for automotive interiors plating; Taiyo Manufacturing’s global sales supervisor, Pablo Javier Ramos Cuevas, looked at the sustainability of chromate in terms of Cr3- and Cr6-free plastic plating; and Karen Guzmán, automotive and sustainability manager at Covestro, explored the evolution in decorative and structural parts with functional integration.
The Innovation Showcase will return on Day 3, highlighting more innovative concepts, prototypes and future trends from those at the forefront of the industry.
Dow presents new LuxSense synthetic leather
At the Innovation Showcase this morning, Dow Performance Silicones’ Dr Binbin Luo, technical service and development scientist for silicone elastomers, and Quin McNamara, marketing manager for North America, talked about using silicone-organic hybrid materials for unlocking design creativity and presented the company’s new synthetic leather, LuxSense. Dow will also be presenting this topic at the inaugural InteriVision Summit on Day 2.
“LuxSense is the world’s first silicone luxury leather approved and commercialized in automotive interiors,” said Dr Luo. “It meets automotive interior specifications, including car seating applications, and exhibits the unique features of 4S: sense of sight, smell, sensation and sustainability.”
McNamara added, “LuxSense is a multilayer liquid silicone rubber construction and can be fabricated on existing PU and PVC leather processing equipment. It combines the advantages of silicones with those of organics in a cost-effective, sustainable system.”
Adhetec’s new range of pressure-sensitive adhesive products for surface protection applications
Adhetec is displaying its Adheform system, including the latest version of its selection guide for Adhefilm, on its booth in Novi and says the tailor-made solution for high-volume production seamlessly integrates into any manufacturing process. Léonard Berne, program manager at Adhetec, said, “Our company offers a comprehensive range of products designed to protect a wide variety of materials, including PP, NFPP, ABS, PC/ABS, natural and synthetic leather, TPO, PVC, mesh fabric, sponge, PET fabric and textile fabrics. Our streamlined processes are designed to meet the specific deadlines our customers require, whether for samples, prototypes, or full production launches.
“At Automotive Interiors Expo North America this year we’re excited to once again meet with engineering, quality and purchasing managers to discuss how our expertise can help drive success with advanced adhesive technologies tailored to the automotive sector.”
Meet Adhetec at Booth A414.
Toyobo MC USA displays high-strength, structural engineering plastic materials
Toyobo is showing expo visitors its high-strength resins for metal replacement and lightweighting, including Glamide JF-30G – a 70% glass-filled nylon material. “As OEMs seek ongoing solutions for weight reduction, cost savings and several other factors for improved performance, high-strength resins provide an innovative solution to these initiatives,” explained Alex Geelhood, Toyobo’s sales and business development representative in the engineering plastics department. “This pertains to a wide array of vehicles, from ICE to EV and everything in between. JF-30G performs admirably due to its high-strength, low warpage and excellent surface appearance properties. It’s strong enough for brackets, beautiful enough for air vents!”
Find out more at Booth A204.
Don’t miss the new InteriVision Summit on Day 2!
The new one-day InteriVision Summit opens at 10:00am tomorrow, October 23, providing a platform for industry professionals, researchers, designers, engineers and enthusiasts to discuss the evolving landscape of interior design through keynote presentations and panel discussions.
The summit will begin with a presentation asking ‘What is safe in our future mobility world?’ from David Muyres, mobility futurist and chief commercial officer at Streetscope. Other highlights include:
- Page Beermann, Pebble Mobility’s head of design, on innovative material usage, human-centric design philosophy and integrating smart technology with aesthetic appeal;
- Maggie Kasper, advanced sales manager at Faurecia Interior Systems, talking about leveraging automotive interior surfaces for an intuitive user experience;
- Nishatha Nagarajan, technical specialist of semiconductor engineering at JLR, exploring ADAS and UX-driven semiconductor advances and AI in automotive;
- VW Design Center’s interior design lead Rodrigo Galdino, on fostering creative synergy between engineering and design, and the nuances of the profession and how its mindset has evolved over the years;
- And Nick Flannery, senior engineer at Toyota Boshoku America, providing an overview of TBA’s vision for future mobility, encompassing its current products and capabilities and highlighting its focus on creating accessible and inclusive mobility.
Find out more here: https://www.automotive-interiors-expo.com/usa/interivision/en/.
There’s still time to join us for Days 2 and 3! Get your FREE FastTrack code here.
