Mississauga, Canada -- Woodbridge Group has supplied BioFoam seat cushioning for several FIAT vehicles and IVECO trucks made in Brazil. BioFoam products use a polyol derived from plant materials, rather than petroleum, without compromising comfort performance or durability.
And the group said in a 15 Oct press statement that, "100-percent Bio-Polyol samples have been successfully produced in laboratory trials," and that it aims to offer this level of "green" polyurethane in the future, "to one day reduce fossil oil dependence by millions of barrels annually."
"Woodbridge is receiving broad marketplace acceptance of its green products. Several 2008 vehicles launched in North America also feature BioFoam technology, which is one of our environmentally focused initiatives," said Martin Mazza, senior vice president of marketing and global sales at Woodbridge. The group has also recently launched "GreenLite low-mass solution, offered to help customers looking to improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide emissions," he added, in a company statement.
Woodbridge continues to receive interest from vehicle makers and seat assemblers, globally, Mazza said.
"Several FIAT vehicles assembled in Brazil, will soon feature BioFoam seating components. They include the Palio, Strada, Uno, Siena, Idea and the Punto nameplates. IVECO trucks will also benefit from this technology, said Airton Cicchetto, director & general manager for Woodbridge in South America.
Woodbridge claims that BioFoam "was the first mass-production-ready polyurethane foam solution based on plant-seed oil for automotive applications," and is used in seat cushions, head-restraints, arm-rests and overhead systems.
The company also says that BioFoam products "represent the highest available green content, for automotive polyurethane applications."
Over the next three years, Woodbridge's target is for green inclusion to reach 35 percent for overhead components, occupant protection foams, seat cushions and up to 50 percent for head restraints.
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