Lear Corp., a leading global supplier of automotive seating and electrical systems, this week introduced “Crafted by Lear,” a new dedicated team offering advanced development solutions to create differentiated design for next generation seating.
Crafted by Lear aims to work closely with automakers early in the design process to bring their most imaginative seat designs into production. At the heart of Crafted by Lear is the new Center for Craftsmanship, a dynamic studio housing a world-class team of seasoned seating design and engineering professionals.
Lear utilizes its core team of experts to develop solutions consistent with automakers’ design visions by leveraging its complete seat system level expertise, global manufacturing network and vast experience with premium OEM customers.
The event included a tour of the facility showcasing its capabilities and services, and featured Lear experts in a range of disciplines, including advanced engineering, color and trim, industrial trending, benchmarking and materials.
“Car buyers are becoming more selective than ever about interiors,” said Raymond Scott, Lear executive vice president and president of Lear Seating. “Seats obviously play a large role in the overall appearance, quality and comfort of interiors, and our premium service can give our automotive customers a unique approach to achieve the best solutions.”
Scott revealed that Crafted by Lear is in a pilot phase this year focusing on three premium OEM projects that will launch between 2019 and 2021. He added, however, the service is not limited to upscale cars. “We’ll cover the full range of cars, SUVs, CUVs and trucks,” he said.
Automakers traditionally have selected seats that were already designed and then modified to fit their brand before moving into full production. Crafted by Lear encourages OEMs to partner with Lear early in the design process to foster innovation and to ensure that their design vision is fully expressed at the onset of a program.
A key proprietary element in Lear’s craftsmanship process, called “Harmonic Precision,” begins in the Center for Craftsmanship studio and monitors the program’s performance through to production to assure flawless execution. Harmonic Precision leverages Lear’s full range of seating capabilities and the “X-Factor,” which scores seat designs based on differentiation such as “wow” features and innovations.
