Expliseat deploys its expertise in manufacturing ultra-light aeronautical seats for the railway sector
The French company, which has an assembly plant in Angers, will unveil a preview of a full-size prototype seat at the Innotrans – Berlin trade fair, from September 24 to 27.
www.expliseat.com
Founded in 2011, Expliseat, the French champion of transport decarbonization, has created the lightest aircraft seat in the world. After having put into service more than 10,000 seats since its creation for major airlines, the industrial SME, which plans to deliver its seats to Air France and Air Canada in 2025, is beginning a market diversification towards the rail sector in order to support international rail operators in improving the carbon footprint of their journeys.
Seats 40% lighter than traditional models
Expliseat brings a unique combination of innovation, passenger comfort and aesthetic appeal, while significantly reducing weight. Thanks to a unique technology based on the use of advanced materials, such as composite, and a bonding technique patented, the company lightens the weight of aircraft to reduce CO² emissions from journeys.
Expliseat's innovations will also enable rail operators to increase passenger capacity without affecting the weight of the cars and on-board comfort.
By adapting its aeronautical know-how to the rail transport sector, the SME has developed a prototype seat that has the potential to reduce the weight of carriages by almost 450kg per axle. This represents a mass saving of around 12 to 14kg per double seat of a second-class TGV: “ Our new train seats use advanced composite materials, making them ultra-light: only 26 to 28kg for a double seat, even with sophisticated features such as ambient lighting. The innovative design of the shell back creates large monobloc shapes, reducing parts by up to 50%. This reduction is achieved through the use of composite materials, which allows us to use fewer components while maintaining strength and durability ” - Tanguy Choupin – Technical Director of Expliseat for railway seats.
Two R&D projects are underway with SNCF, for intercity and high-speed trains.
Seats Made in Europe, in collaboration with French industrial partners
Expliseat is opening its first assembly plant this month in Angers. This 6,000m² facility allows the French SME to increase its production capacity and move beyond the industrial SME milestone. This plant, a showcase for Made in France, marks a crucial step in the expansion of the company, which aims to increase its production to 37,000 seats produced per year by the end of 2024, compared to 25,000 today. Expliseat also plans to double the number of its aircraft seats in circulation, from 10,000 to 20,000, by the end of 2024
Expliseat has made the strategic choice to locate its first production line in France, motivated by the desire to contribute to the local and national economy, by creating jobs and reindustrializing the territory. Expliseat thus wishes to create nearly 80 local jobs, increasing the factory's workforce from 35 employees today to 120 by 2026.
The plant integrates 4.0 technologies, which introduce digital and industrial robotization into the production cycle. These technologies make it possible to significantly optimize production and assembly for gains in productivity, quality and ergonomics.
Expliseat also collaborates with a network of French manufacturers and subcontractors for the supply of parts and the assembly of sub-assemblies. Major challenges to significantly improve the carbon footprint of travel
Train operators, on an international scale, are obliged to act on the environment to continue to offer ever more virtuous, comfortable, fast and intermodal alternatives to fossil fuel transport. However, in a context of need for densification of public transport, and while the rail market is characterized by a demand stronger than supply, operators are reaching the end of a system that no longer allows them to act as strongly as desired on the weight of vehicles.
The technologies deployed by Expliseat in the field of aviation make it possible to meet the current challenges of the railway industry by reducing the weight of seats without reducing passenger comfort and on-board service.
Amaury Barberot, CEO of Expliseat : “ Our technology has already proven its effectiveness in the aeronautics sector, and we are ready to apply it to the railway with the same energy! We see that rail transport is becoming increasingly important for sustainable transport. Expliseat aims to be the leader in providing innovative seating solutions that make train travel more attractive and efficient .”
www.expliseat.com
