Varroc to produce lightweight seats for two- and three-wheeled vehicles

New Delhi – Automotive manufacturers are increasingly looking to achieve greater efficiency by lightweighting. And this is as true for regional specialist sectors as it is for the makers of global products. The Indian market for small commercial vehicles comprises of compact four-wheeled vehicles, but also many two- and three-wheeled vehicles. Two- and three-wheeled vehicles are also prevalent in India’s personal transportation market. Urethanes Technology International spoke with the polymers lead for global Tier One supplier, Varroc, during last month’s Auto Components show.

Aurangabad, Maharashtra-based Varroc Engineering has been working extensively on lightweighting by replacing large sheet metal parts with polymer components, and also by introducing lightweight micro-cellular polymers and composites in trims and other body parts. 

As a Tier One supplier, Varroc manufacturers components for most two- and three-wheeler OEMs in India. The company has a manufacturing footprint for producing PU foam – for both seats and air filters – across a number of its sites across the country. It has a total of 15 production sites, and two R&D centres, across India. It produces PU foam for two- and three-wheelers at seven of these sites: Pune, Indore, Bengaluru, Chennai, Greater Noida, Pant Nagar, and its largest PU foam site at its corporate home of Aurangabad.

“We have the capability to manufacture more than 1.2 million two/three-wheeler PU foam based seat units per month sites,” said Vidyadhar Limaye, business head, polymers, Varroc Engineering. 

Varroc has recently been awarded a large order for seats for electric and conventionally engined two-wheelers from north India-based Hero Group.   

Limaye said: “We are manufacturing at optimal level as of now however if we see increase in demand, we are well equipped to manage these additional capacities through our manufacturing excellence. Our expansion plans are always in line with the customer demands.” 

Varroc manufactures a wide range of two-wheeler seats: twin seats, pleated seats, stitchless seats, embroidered seats, foam-in-place seats, leak-proof seats, flexi-foam seats, seats with blinkers, PU spray skin seats and seats with integrated luggage hooks, among others.

The “foam-in-place” seat is a “designer” seat without an air gap, and reputed to offer longer durability; the  “PU Spray skin” seat is offered in numerous colours and textures, and features puncture-resistance, and waterproofing; and the “twin seat” a single seat that gives an appearance of twin seat, which is also leakproof, features anti-theft protection, a seat lock, and a cover with HF welding.  

The company will soon introduce hot and cold two-wheeler seats which maintain seat temperature to 36°C in winter and 20°C in summer. It is also scheduled to introduce a height-adjustable seat with a PU foam sandwiched between polyester fibre to enhance seating comfort.