Hyundai Transys, the global auto parts manufacturer and Hyundai Motor Group affiliate, unveiled its innovative future mobility seat concept at Lineapelle International Leather Fair 2022, the largest trade show of its kind, taking place in Milan, Italy, Feb. 22–24.
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At the show, Hyundai Transys is exhibiting its color-material-finish (CMF) concept seat in the fair’s innovation section under the theme ‘Shift to Regenerative Mobility’. The company developed new sustainable leather and other regenerative materials in partnership with Italian and Korean manufacturers to create an innovative seat concept from tanning waste. Hyundai Transys selected the leather fair to showcase the concept in line with the company’s push for a sustainable future.
Launched in 1981, Lineapelle is the most important international exhibition dedicated to leather, accessories, components, synthetics and models for footwear, leather goods, garments and furniture. With a shared value of sustainability, Hyundai Transys worked with Lineapelle to utilize upcycled leather and other sustainable materials developed by innovative Italian manufacturers Dani S.P.A., Manifattura di Domodossola and Dyloan as well as Korean suppliers Dual and ATKO Planning.
The concept seat embodies their shared value of sustainability through its use of regenerative materials, and visualizes that value transcending time and space with a design concept called ‘Seoul to Milan.’ The concept links the cities through colors and patterns, particularly the two main hues, dubbed ‘Seoul Grey’ for the Korean capital’s metropolitan cityscape and granite peaks, and ‘Milano Brown’ for the Italian city’s classical buildings and legendary tanneries. In addition, Seoul’s city lights are translated as pixels while Milan’s towering gothic Duomo cathedral is conveyed as stripes.
Tanned leathers are used in the seat sections where durability is required, and woven leathers are used in the seatback bolsters, giving a different textural twist while minimizing leather waste from cutting. Leather scraps were ground to powder and regenerated into yarn, which was later combined with yarn made from recycled PET bottles to create a unique regenerated fabric for the floor area.
Along with these innovative materials, Hyundai Transys used upcycled felt fabric and 3D printing to structure the headrest out of regenerated aluminum powder to give the model a cohesive look while demonstrating sustainable applications of such materials. The seat frame model is also an upcycled product from 2018, brought back to life for this project to provide a sustainable approach inside-out.