NEUSS/LAS VEGAS – Yanfeng, a leading global automotive supplier, is revolutionizing design and production with their new modular steering wheel concept, ClickRim. The innovative steering wheel will make its debut at the 2024 CES in Las Vegas on January 9, 2024.
ClickRim offers a new level of customization with the ability to tailor the surface materials of the steering wheel to specific requirements. This includes options such as fabric, leather, artificial leather, or other wrapped or molded materials. The changeable segments of the steering wheel allow for endless possibilities in design. Not only is this steering wheel a design feature, but all components used are also recyclable.
The traditional process of manufacturing a steering wheel is extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive, taking an average of 60 minutes. The majority of this production time is spent on the wrapping process, which involves a complex and manual process. Yanfeng’s ClickRim steering wheel eliminates this lengthy process by introducing a fully automated production process.
The ClickRim concept involves the use of individual segments or half shells that are clipped onto the steering wheel rim and connected to each other. This allows for a variety of design options, including alternating between wood and leather, fabric or natural fibers. Additionally, all lighting, hands-off detection functions, and heating mats are pre-assembled and integrated directly into the shells.
Yanfeng has developed a new manufacturing process that combines two production steps, resulting in significant time and cost savings. The shells are wrapped fully automatically with spacer fabrics and leather, while the injection-molded part is already wrapped with the spacer fabric and fitted with the heating mat. The company’s logo or vehicle model branding can also be integrated into the shell during the wrapping process.
The collaboration between Yanfeng’s interior, electronics, and passive safety product departments has allowed for the development of this new, modular steering wheel concept. “Through this cross-business unit collaboration, we are able to rethink and reorganize processes,” said Patrick Nebout, Chief Technology Officer at Yanfeng Technology.
One of the main benefits of the ClickRim concept is its sustainability. The individual components of the steering wheel can be easily disassembled and returned to the material cycle, making recycling and maintenance simple. The use of spacer fabrics instead of traditional foam in the wrapping process also reduces CO2 emissions by 1.0 kg per steering wheel.
The new steering wheel has successfully passed all standard prototype tests, including head impact and body block tests. ClickRim is targeted towards the premium and mid-range segments and is ready to be used in the next generation of vehicles in model year 2025.
For more information, please contact:
Yanfeng International
Jagenbergstraße 1
41468 Neuss
Germany
Astrid Schafmeister
Tel.: +49 2131 609-3028
E-Mail: astrid.schafmeister@yanfeng.com
About Yanfeng
Yanfeng is a leading global automotive supplier, specializing in interiors, exteriors, seating, cockpit electronics, and passive safety. With over 240 locations and approximately 57,000 employees worldwide, Yanfeng has a team of 4,200 experts working across 12 R&D centers and regional offices. Their focus on smart cabin and lightweight technology allows them to help automakers explore future mobility concepts and provide leading cabin solutions. For more information, please visit www.yanfeng.com.
Distributed by https://pressat.co.uk/
