from yourDesign your passion

C O N C E P T B O O K

Toyota Boshoku develops seats that enable passengers to truly

enjoy the characteristics of each car first-hand, cabin space

interiors that provide people with unforgettable moments and

filtration technology that elicits the best engine performance even

in harsh environments.

By developing products from the perspective of passengers,

envisioning how they feel and taking to heart various settings and

scenes through their eyes, the Toyota Boshoku group is able to

create interior spaces that enrich customers’ mobility life.

We always consider the features our customers want in a car and

what comfort and safety means to them. As a car interior system

supplier, we work to develop technologies that take into account

everything the customer desires from automobile interior spaces.

In order to realise our vision, “Looking into the future, we will

create tomorrow’s automobile interior space that will inspire

our customers the world over,” the Toyota Boshoku group

strives to look through the eyes of passengers at every

opportunity with the aim of providing attractive interior spaces

for people in each region of the world.

2

Creating attractive automobile interior spaces through the eyes of passengers

Design your passion

from your

CONCEP T BO OK

Car seats play an important role in supporting the body and ensuring safety and comfort. As a leading pioneer in seat creation, the Toyota Boshoku group has invested many years developing seats that elicit the maximum potential of each car.

vibration that occur during driving, having seat assess-ment experts test cars. We also quantify and evaluate non-specific aspects such as ride quality and comfort. Furthermore, as professional seat makers we meticulously pursue safety. We are constantly con-ducting research on how to reduce impacts to the body in the case of an emergency and to commer-cialise this technology. We aim to develop seats that provide comfort and safety for everyone in the car in any setting around the world.

What do you want in a car? A sporty drive? Comfort? Luxury? The features of a car seat to support the body differ depending on what the customer wants in a car and the intended purpose. The Toyota Boshoku group develops seats that elicit the maximum potential of each car, seats that make the vehicle easier to drive and handle, and that ensure the ultimate in comfort and pleasure. For instance, we develop seats for sports cars that provide solid support for the body on any road so that you feel as if you are one with the car. For family cars, we provide seats that are highly functional and user-friendly, such as seats that can be arranged to suit changing needs as the family grows, and seats that anyone can fold up easily. For luxury cars, we provide plush interior spaces with seats equipped with a massage function and an ottoman that make you feel like you’re travelling in first class. In order to develop seats for diverse car styles, we view seats as more than mere products. Instead, we strive to develop technologies that make seats feel like a natural part of the car. We aim to produce seats that maximise performance and that become one with the car through scientific analysis of shaking and

Luxury seats We offer passenger a comfortable ride and relaxing time and space with highly-functional seats.

One-touch folding third row seat These seats can easily be folded up with a single touch by pulling a lever under the seat.

Seats

Sports seatsThese seats ensure that the body’s axis remains unaffected by the gravitational pull of left-to-right, back-and-forth and up-down movements so that you move in unison with the car.

3 4

Seats that provide natural support for the body enhance the comfort and pleasure of riding in cars

from yourCONCEP T BO OK

automobiles with a view to staying one step ahead of the times. Aiming to totally coordinate automobile interior spaces, we focus on diverse elements such as texture, design and acoustics as well as the use of light to enhance interior spaces. Efforts have even extended to the field of electronic components, which includes various forms of illumination. We develop attractive automobile interiors based on our accumulated know-how and technology as a world-leading supplier of interior systems. Our goal is to deliver interior spaces in which people from every country and region of the world can create unforget-table moments that will last a lifetime.

Become closer with your family. Enjoy a drive with a friend. Create lasting memories with that someone special… Cars are not just a means to get us where we want to go but also a place that provides us with unforgettable moments. The Toyota Boshoku group always considers what our customers want, their needs and different set-tings to provide interior spaces perfect for each car, interiors that stimulate the senses. For instance, we develop top-quality interior spaces for luxury cars with an emphasis on aesthetics to provide a high-class ambiance. We also provide interiors for family cars that make car travel fun for the entire family. In compact cars, we offer interior spaces that maximise limited space. In addition to providing a diverse range of interior spaces that meet various needs, we are making advances in realising cars that are more compact and energy efficient. We have already made individual products smaller and lighter. At the same time, requirements aimed at making interior spaces even more comfortable are ever-more demanding. To this end, we consistently conduct research into interior spaces required for next-generation

Interior

5 6

Door trimsDoor trim panels are key components in interior spaces of vehicles.

HeadlinersWe provide high value-added products such as sunroofs that enable passengers to enjoy the wide-open sky and experience the exhilaration that comes from car travel.

IlluminationsRoomy interiors adorned with stylish design and soft lighting give the feeling of being in an upscale lounge.

More than just a means for going places, cars can also provide us with unforgettable moments. Staying one step ahead of the times, the Toyota Boshoku group develops interiors that enrich users’ mobility life and which provide comfortable automobile interior spaces.

Some of the best memories are made in the car.

from yourCONCEP T BO OK

Filtration technology, which removes impurities to deliver clean air, is indispensable to car production. The Toyota Boshoku group incorporates our mainstay textile technology into filtration technology to maximise engine performance.

evaluating each part individually, we also thoroughly assess equipment. By enhancing analysis techniques to visualise the flow of air inside the air filter and the transmission characteristics of engine intake noise, we work to create products that elicit the best perfor-mance from each car. We also strive to develop higher value-added products that meet the needs of society by enhancing performance, increasing efficiency and lowering costs in addition to promoting modularisation and systemi-sation, and improving environmental responsiveness and comfort.

Swirling dust impedes your vision as you travel through the wilderness. The long and winding road seems like it goes on forever. Under such tough condi-tions, cars use a variety of filtration technologies to ensure smooth and stable driving. The Toyota Boshoku group makes use of textile technology, one of our mainstay businesses, and hones filtration technology to realise higher effi-ciency, longer life and low pressure loss. We currently command the top global share in the air filter and oil filter fields based on technologies that boast the highest standards in the automobile industry. For engines, we develop air induction system products that meet the needs for greater efficiency and reduced size and weight as well as oil filters with replaceable elements that significantly reduce envi-ronmental load. These and other products play a big part in eliciting the best performance from an engine. For vehicle air conditioning systems, we develop enhanced performance deodorising cabin air filters and pollen removal cabin air filters to deliver a clean and comfortable vehicle interior space. We aim to produce filtration and powertrain components that are one with the car. Besides

Filtration and powertrain

7 8

Filters ensure a comfortable ride even in harsh environments.

from yourCONCEP T BO OK

Cabin air filtersAir filters maintain a clean and comfortable interior space by removing foreign matter that has entered from the air outside.

Air induction systemsBy developing the air cleaner, intake manifold, cylinder head cover and other engine intake parts as a single system, weight reduction and a more compact design are realised while also contributing to improved engine performance.

Oil filtersOil filters eliminate dirt from engine oil and help maintain engine performance.

Intake manifolds(For horizontally opposed engine)

Motor core constituent parts(For hybrid system)

Separators(Fuel cell parts)

Stack manifolds(Fuel cell parts)

Oil mist separators

Improving the environmental performance of cars is an ongoing challenge. In addition to contributing to improved fuel efficiency in cars by reducing product weight, the Toyota Boshoku group works to reduce CO2 emissions through the use of plant-derived materials and by promoting manufacturing with minimal environmental impact.

Furthermore, we are engaged in development and manufacturing of next-generation auto components such as key parts for powertrain, the power source of fuel cell vehicles. We also aim to contribute to environmental conservation by manufacturing products using eco-friendly processes such as creating production lines with low environmental impact that focus on saving energy. Amid rising environmental awareness worldwide, we aim to help realise a society in which people in coming generations can drive with peace-of-mind by developing future-focused, low-impact products and by continuously carrying out eco-oriented initiatives in manufacturing.

What comes to mind when you hear the term “envi-ronmentally friendly car”? In the Toyota Boshoku group, we aim to make products lighter and more compact as well as employ plant-derived materials in order to contribute to the creation of cars that are kind to the environment. In terms of initiatives to reduce weight, we con-ducted a thorough review of the design structure of our products based on the keywords “eliminate, combine and simplify,” and have started to replace materials. One example is the switch from aluminium to plastics. Although the reduction in weight in each product may be minimal, collectively, this contributes to improved fuel efficiency for the car as a whole. As an interior system supplier, we strive to provide more compact interior components that take into account the entire interior space of an automobile and that realise energy conservation, lower CO2 emissions and higher levels of comfort and safety. For instance, by employing plant-derived materials with high CO2 absorption capabilities and that grow quickly, such as kenaf, we are working to reduce CO2 emissions throughout a product’s lifecycle.

9 10

We seek to make cars that are kinder to the earth for the sake of our children.

from your

Environment

CONCEP T BO OK

Kenaf, an annual grass that has high CO2 absorption capabilities

Ricinus communis (castor oil plant) is in the euphorbiaceae family of plants.

Castor oil plant seeds

Door trim using kenaf base material

Seat cushion that uses plant-derived materialWe substituted a portion of the petroleum-based polyol used as the primary material in polyurethane for seat cushions with an element of plant-derived castor oil to realise required levels of impact resilience and durability.

12CONCEP T BO OK

In order to develop products that demonstrate outstanding perfor-mance on different road surfaces and under different climatic conditions around the world, we have set up top-class experimental facilities and equipment and conduct comprehensive safety, comfort and durability assessments covering a wide range of settings.

As a total interior system supplier, we provide interior spaces that enable safe and comfortable mobility for people around the world by evaluating not only each individual part but also the car in its entirety from multiple perspectives.

11

Key experimental facilities and equipment

Product Development Process

In order to provide appealing automobile interior space for each person in the car, we are dedicated to developing highly

competitive products through the eyes of passengers that also take into account the different values of people around the world.

Furthermore, we undertake challenges to create new technologies and products that go beyond the bounds of automobiles by

developing technology with a view to the future that is at the vanguard of the times.

The Toyota Boshoku group develops technology that creates attractive interior spaces.

GlobalisationSatisfaction

Targeting the global market

Satisfying customers above all else

Optimal development framework for greater global competitiveness

Developing attractive products with excellent design sense

Pursuing the highest quality to genuinely please customers

Needs related to interior spaces in vehicles differ depending on the region of the world. The Toyota Boshoku group has a global devel-opment framework set up to meet the needs of customers in five different regions of the world, which are divided into The Americas, Asia & Oceania, China, Europe & Africa and Japan. As markets expand, mainly in emerging countries, and customer needs diversify, we are working to enhance our global competitive-ness by connecting R&D centres to combine technological capabili-ties and maximise potential.

The city of Milan in Italy is a global trendsetter in interior design and fashion design. At the Toyota Boshoku Design Studio, designers from Japan and other areas of the world cultivate their sensitivity by leveraging their individual characteristics, and cooperate and compete with each other in order to create attractive products with excellent design sense that will delight customers possessing diverse values the world over.

In order to be able to provide first-rate, useful products when needed by customers and at a price they can afford, we constantly aim for the highest quality in all product development processes. Our engineers in charge of design technology, material technol-ogy and production technology work closely together as a team from the design stage to resolve issues and realise optimum manu-facturing. This includes further reducing the weight of parts, stand-ardising parts and improving the yield rate to enable mass

production of attractive, high-quality products with exceptional functionality and design at a low cost that meet customer needs. In addition, we are pushing forward with the further enhance-ment and refinement of core technologies that we have accumu-lated over the years as well as their application to other products. We continuously pursue top quality by fully leveraging manu-facturing and expanding technological domains in order to fulfil our customers’ expectations.

For the safety and comfort of people worldwide

4000 2000

Km

0

Azimuthal Equidistant projection

Toyota Boshoku R&D centres covering our five regions across the world

Design StudioToyota Boshoku Milan Design Branch

Asia & Oceania Region R&DToyota Boshoku Asia Co., Ltd.

China Region R&DToyota Boshoku (China) Co., Ltd.

Japan Region R&DToyota Boshoku Corporation

The Americas Region R&DToyota Boshoku America, Inc.

Europe & Africa Region R&DToyota Boshoku Europe N.V.

R&D Group

▶ ▶ ▶ ▶

Planning Product design Technical design Prototype Evaluation

Vibration device with 6 degrees of freedom motion systemsThis device evaluates comfort by simulating and reproducing the shaking and vibrations that occur when driving on the road through various simulations and compiling data.

Seat pressure distribution analysisWe analyse pressure distribution on the seat during driving.

Large temperature and humidity controlled tankThis evaluates the durability of interior parts under severe conditions in the range from -40°C to 120°C

Inte

rior C

om

po

nen

ts

Outdoor testing siteThis site is used to confidentially evaluate the design of products in natural sunlight.

Inte

rior D

esig

n

NV (noise vibration) evaluationThis includes air intake noise analysis by estimating noise when the engine is running as well as analysis of frequency transmission characteristics.

Chassis benchThis evaluates the performance of filtration and powertrain components by placing car drive wheels on a roller and reproducing actual driving conditions.

Engine benchThis contributes to the development of filtration and powertrain components that are connected to the engine.

Filtration and Powertrain C

omponents

Benchmark roomPersons in charge of development can directly handle competitor products as necessary, enabling immediate examination.

Sh

aring In

form

ation

Seat

Electromagnetically controlled chamberThis evaluates the characteristics of electromagnetic waves emitted from the seat and interior electrical components, taking into consideration various electromagnetic wave environments.

Seat an

d In

terio

r Co

mp

on

en

ts

Seat impact sled test equipmentUsing a dummy, this test evaluates seat distortion when a crash occurs.

Productionpreparation Manufacturing

Undertaking challenging and forward-looking technological development with a view to the future of society

Developing strategy from a medium- to long-term perspective

We undertake challenging technological development that is ahead of the times with a view to the future of society. We carry out advanced technology development that looks ahead at society 10 to 15 years from now. That means going beyond the bounds of automobiles and venturing into science- related domains where we pursue research into new technologies that will benefit people and society in the future. In advanced development, we aim to commercialise technology that looks five to 10 years ahead by making use of the results from this research. That means seeking to further strengthen our propri-etary technologies by transcending the general knowledge we have about automobiles, such as developing technology that supports next-generation vehicles, an area in which global developmental competition is growing. By promoting a development strategy taking a medium- to long-term perspective, we are striving to create unique technologies as a unified group.

CONCEP T BO OK

Overview of Tajimi Technical Centre Proving Groundn Name: Toyota Boshoku Tajimi Technical Centre proving ground

n Location: Hatoyashita, Kasahara-cho, Tajimi City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan

n Area: Site area is approx. 360,000 m2 and the test course area is approx. 140,000 m2

n Test course: (1) Track (total length: 1,800 m with a 670 m straight-line stretch of road)

(2) 200 m course that recreates a wide variety of road surfaces

15 years ahead

10 years ahead

5 years ahead

Resource saving

Biomaterials

SafetyWeight re

duction

Convenience and comfort

Ride quality

Quality

Appearance

Low cost

Advanced

technology

development

Product

development

Advanced

development

13 14

Innovation Research into unique elemental technologiesAt the Research Laboratories, we conduct development of innovative elemental technologies based in science for automobile interior spaces that cover the key themes of the environment, social responsibility and human beings. Current initiatives are being undertaken from among the four research domains of polymer science, human science, bioscience and energy conversion materials.

The icon on the cover expresses the idea that Toyota Boshoku always develops products through the eyes of the customer. The phrase “from your eyes” personifies this commitment. The word “eyes” has been made into the shape of a test course.

Enhancing technological development through genchi-genbutsu (Go, see & study)

The Toyota Boshoku group adopts a basic stance in which we are fully committed to examining the essence of something through genchi-genbutsu, swiftly coming to an agreement and making decisions. We keep this in mind in technological development as well. As such, we own a test course that enables dynamic evaluation on actual parts and vehicles under various conditions via genchi-gen-butsu.

Being an interior components maker with our own test course makes us a leading global force. The construction of this new test course will enable all concerned parties involved in projects of both the R&D group and the planning and sales group to promptly carry out the necessary evaluations on actual parts and vehicles via genchi-genbutsu. We leverage this advantage to develop even more appealing and desirable products that enrich our customers’ mobility life.

Kenaf: The road from its cultivation to commercialisation

Vehicle production in harmony with the environment Greater environmental responsiveness is being demanded of automobile parts in order to realise a low-carbon and recycling-oriented society. We develop products that do not increase the amount of CO2 into the atmosphere through the use of plant-derived materials, thereby helping to meet needs for automobile production that is in harmony with the environment in each region of the world. Toyota Boshoku quickly set its sights on kenaf, an annual grass that grows quickly and has high CO2 absorption capabilities, and succeeded in commercial-ising a kenaf base material for interior components such as door trims and seat back boards. In addition, we are taking concerted efforts to apply plant-derived materials in a wide range of areas that include engine related parts such as air cleaner cases by developing general-purpose injection-moulding material based on technology that utilises kenaf.

Seed development

Cultivation Harvesting, retting Drying Fibre cutting Fibre loosening, mixing Production of boards

▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ To the world

With an eye on the future, we create interior spaces that enrich your mobility life.In Indonesia, Toyota Boshoku undertakes seed development of kenaf through to the production of interior materials

and supplies this material to the world.

1506/03

1-1 Toyoda-cho, Kariya-shi, Aichi 448-8651, Japanhttp : //www.toyota-boshoku.com/global

This booklet is printed on FSCTM certified paper using vegetable oil ink and waterless printing for forest and environmental preservation.

Printed in Japan