Faurecia Will Present New Solutions to Advance the Use of Composites and Improve the Autonomous Driving Experience at SAE World Congress

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- At the 2016 SAE World Congress and Exhibition (April 12-14) in Detroit, the automotive industry's "best and brightest" will gather to discuss and explore topics covering the spectrum of automotive engineering. Two of Faurecia North America's foremost experts will join the conversation on issues surrounding two of the auto industry's most important trends: lightweighting through composites and occupant comfort in the era of the connected car.

As part of SAE's Management program, the FEV Innovation Forum sessions bring in high-level technical managers to focus on important issues and advances in vehicle and propulsion system technologies. Participating in an Innovation Forum session, Faurecia Vice President of Automotive Exteriors Pat Szaroletta will present on the topic of material science and lightweighting, addressing four areas of concern regarding the use of composites:

• E-coat compatibility
• Resin cycle times
• Cost of fibers
• Integration of mixed materials

Industry lightweighting experts will join Szaroletta on the panel, titled "Material Science and Innovative Engineering Practice Is Putting the Auto Industry on a Diet," set for 1 p.m. on April 12 in Cobo Center's Grand Riverview Ballroom.

The following day, Faurecia Vice President of Innovation and Ventures Rob Huber will participate in a technical-expert panel discussion on the ways autonomous driving technologies affect interiors design, packaging and occupant behaviors. Huber will present significant findings that have emerged from Faurecia's autonomous driving research, with a focus on:

• Creating a confident occupant experience
• Safely enabling new user scenarios
• Mitigating motion sickness

The technology panel, which will also feature Michigan State Senator Rebekah Warren and other experts in technology and policy, is scheduled for 2 p.m. on April 13 in Cobo Center's Room 251B.

"These SAE sessions reflect the core focus areas of Faurecia North America research and development activities over the past several years," said Faurecia North America President Mark Stidham. "We have served as a leader of the industry's lightweighting movement for seating, emissions control technologies, interiors and exteriors; and we are among the first to have examined the potential impact of autonomous driving on the well-being of vehicle occupants. At SAE, we will be reviewing answers to some of the key obstacles that have confronted the industry in these areas."

With the theme of "Powering Possibilities," the SAE 2016 World Congress is where automotive industry experts gather to collaborate and address current challenges, seek new windows for discovery and exploration, and promote the multitude of opportunities fundamental for a successful future.

About Faurecia

Faurecia is one of the world's largest automotive equipment suppliers. The company consists of four key Business Groups: Automotive Seating, Emissions Control Technologies, Interior Systems and Automotive Exteriors. In 2015, the Group posted sales of $23 billion. As of December 31, 2015, Faurecia employed 103,000 people in 34 countries at 330 sites, including 30 R&D centers. Faurecia is listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris stock exchange and trades in the U.S. over-the-counter (OTC) market. For more information, visit: http://na.faurecia.com/en   

In North America, Faurecia had sales of $6.4 billion in 2015. It employs more than 20,000 people at 48 locations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

SOURCE Faurecia

Related Links

http://na.faurecia.com/en