CONCEP T

Design your passion

from your

BO OK

Toyota Boshoku develops seats that enable passengers to truly

enjoy the characteristics of each car first-hand, cabin space
interiors that provide people with unforgettable moments and
filtration technology that elicits the best engine performance even
in harsh environments.
By developing products from the perspective of passengers,
envisioning how they feel and taking to heart various settings and
scenes through their eyes, the Toyota Boshoku group is able to
create interior spaces that enrich customers mobility life.
We always consider the features our customers want in a car and
what comfort and safety means to them. As a car interior system
supplier, we work to develop technologies that take into account
everything the customer desires from automobile interior spaces.

Creating attractive automobile interior

spaces through the eyes of passengers

Design your passion

from your

In order to realise our vision, Looking into the future, we will

create tomorrows automobile interior space that will inspire
our customers the world over, the Toyota Boshoku group
strives to look through the eyes of passengers at every
opportunity with the aim of providing attractive interior spaces
for people in each region of the world.

CONCEPT BOOK

Seats

Seats that provide natural

support for the body
enhance the comfort and
pleasure of riding in cars
Car seats play an important role in
supporting the body and ensuring safety
and comfort. As a leading pioneer in seat
creation, the Toyota Boshoku group has
invested many years developing seats that
elicit the maximum potential of each car.

from your

What do you want in a car? A sporty drive? Comfort?

Luxury? The features of a car seat to support the body
differ depending on what the customer wants in a car
and the intended purpose.
The Toyota Boshoku group develops seats that
elicit the maximum potential of each car, seats that
make the vehicle easier to drive and handle, and that
ensure the ultimate in comfort and pleasure.
For instance, we develop seats for sports cars that
provide solid support for the body on any road so
that you feel as if you are one with the car. For family
cars, we provide seats that are highly functional and
user-friendly, such as seats that can be arranged to
suit changing needs as the family grows, and seats
that anyone can fold up easily. For luxury cars, we
provide plush interior spaces with seats equipped
with a massage function and an ottoman that make
you feel like youre travelling in first class.
In order to develop seats for diverse car styles, we
view seats as more than mere products. Instead, we
strive to develop technologies that make seats feel
like a natural part of the car. We aim to produce seats
that maximise performance and that become one
with the car through scientific analysis of shaking and

vibration that occur during driving, having seat assessment experts test cars. We also quantify and evaluate
non-specific aspects such as ride quality and comfort.
Furthermore, as professional seat makers we
meticulously pursue safety. We are constantly conducting research on how to reduce impacts to the
body in the case of an emergency and to commercialise this technology.
We aim to develop seats that provide comfort and
safety for everyone in the car in any setting around
the world.
Luxury seats
We offer passenger a comfortable ride and
relaxing time and space with highly-functional
seats.

Sports seats
These seats ensure that the bodys axis remains
unaffected by the gravitational pull of left-toright, back-and-forth and up-down movements
so that you move in unison with the car.

One-touch folding third row seat

These seats can easily be folded up with a
single touch by pulling a lever under the seat.

CONCEPT BOOK

Interior

Some of the best

memories are made in
the car.
More than just a means for going
places, cars can also provide us with
unforgettable moments. Staying one
step ahead of the times, the Toyota
Boshoku group develops interiors that
enrich users mobility life and which
provide comfortable automobile
interior spaces.

from your

Become closer with your family. Enjoy a drive with a

friend. Create lasting memories with that someone
special Cars are not just a means to get us where we
want to go but also a place that provides us with
unforgettable moments.
The Toyota Boshoku group always considers what
our customers want, their needs and different settings to provide interior spaces perfect for each car,
interiors that stimulate the senses.
For instance, we develop top-quality interior
spaces for luxury cars with an emphasis on aesthetics
to provide a high-class ambiance. We also provide
interiors for family cars that make car travel fun for
the entire family. In compact cars, we offer interior
spaces that maximise limited space.
In addition to providing a diverse range of interior
spaces that meet various needs, we are making
advances in realising cars that are more compact and
energy efficient. We have already made individual
products smaller and lighter. At the same time,
requirements aimed at making interior spaces even
more comfortable are ever-more demanding.
To this end, we consistently conduct research into
interior spaces required for next-generation

automobiles with a view to staying one step ahead of

the times. Aiming to totally coordinate automobile
interior spaces, we focus on diverse elements such as
texture, design and acoustics as well as the use of
light to enhance interior spaces. Efforts have even
extended to the field of electronic components, which
includes various forms of illumination.
We develop attractive automobile interiors based
on our accumulated know-how and technology as a
world-leading supplier of interior systems. Our goal is
to deliver interior spaces in which people from every
country and region of the world can create unforgettable moments that will last a lifetime.

Door trims
Door trim panels are key components in interior
spaces of vehicles.

Headliners
We provide high value-added products such as
sunroofs that enable passengers to enjoy the
wide-open sky and experience the exhilaration
that comes from car travel.

Illuminations
Roomy interiors adorned with stylish
design and soft lighting give the feeling of
being in an upscale lounge.

CONCEPT BOOK

Filtration and powertrain

Filters ensure a
comfortable ride even in
harsh environments.
Filtration technology, which removes
impurities to deliver clean air, is
indispensable to car production. The
Toyota Boshoku group incorporates
our mainstay textile technology into
filtration technology to maximise
engine performance.

from your

Swirling dust impedes your vision as you travel

through the wilderness. The long and winding road
seems like it goes on forever. Under such tough conditions, cars use a variety of filtration technologies to
ensure smooth and stable driving.
The Toyota Boshoku group makes use of textile
technology, one of our mainstay businesses, and
hones filtration technology to realise higher efficiency, longer life and low pressure loss.
We currently command the top global share in the
air filter and oil filter fields based on technologies
that boast the highest standards in the automobile
industry. For engines, we develop air induction system
products that meet the needs for greater efficiency
and reduced size and weight as well as oil filters with
replaceable elements that significantly reduce environmental load. These and other products play a big
part in eliciting the best performance from an engine.
For vehicle air conditioning systems, we develop
enhanced performance deodorising cabin air filters
and pollen removal cabin air filters to deliver a clean
and comfortable vehicle interior space.
We aim to produce filtration and powertrain
components that are one with the car. Besides

evaluating each part individually, we also thoroughly

assess equipment. By enhancing analysis techniques to
visualise the flow of air inside the air filter and the
transmission characteristics of engine intake noise, we
work to create products that elicit the best performance from each car.
We also strive to develop higher value-added
products that meet the needs of society by enhancing
performance, increasing efficiency and lowering costs
in addition to promoting modularisation and systemisation, and improving environmental responsiveness
and comfort.

Separators
(Fuel cell parts)
Air induction systems
By developing the air cleaner, intake manifold,
cylinder head cover and other engine intake
parts as a single system, weight reduction and a
more compact design are realised while also
contributing to improved engine performance.

Stack manifolds
(Fuel cell parts)

Intake manifolds
(For horizontally opposed engine)

Oil filters
Oil filters eliminate dirt from
engine oil and help maintain
engine performance.

Cabin air filters

Air filters maintain a clean and comfortable
interior space by removing foreign matter
that has entered from the air outside.

Oil mist separators

Motor core constituent parts

(For hybrid system)

CONCEPT BOOK

Environment

We seek to make cars

that are kinder to the
earth for the sake of
our children.
Improving the environmental
performance of cars is an ongoing
challenge. In addition to contributing to
improved fuel efficiency in cars by
reducing product weight, the Toyota
Boshoku group works to reduce CO2
emissions through the use of plantderived materials and by promoting
manufacturing with minimal
environmental impact.

from your

What comes to mind when you hear the term environmentally friendly car? In the Toyota Boshoku
group, we aim to make products lighter and more
compact as well as employ plant-derived materials in
order to contribute to the creation of cars that are
kind to the environment.
In terms of initiatives to reduce weight, we conducted a thorough review of the design structure of
our products based on the keywords eliminate,
combine and simplify, and have started to replace
materials. One example is the switch from aluminium
to plastics. Although the reduction in weight in each
product may be minimal, collectively, this contributes
to improved fuel efficiency for the car as a whole.
As an interior system supplier, we strive to provide
more compact interior components that take into
account the entire interior space of an automobile
and that realise energy conservation, lower CO2
emissions and higher levels of comfort and safety.
For instance, by employing plant-derived materials
with high CO2 absorption capabilities and that grow
quickly, such as kenaf, we are working to reduce CO2
emissions throughout a products lifecycle.

Furthermore, we are engaged in development and

manufacturing of next-generation auto components
such as key parts for powertrain, the power source of
fuel cell vehicles.
We also aim to contribute to environmental
conservation by manufacturing products using
eco-friendly processes such as creating production
lines with low environmental impact that focus on
saving energy.
Amid rising environmental awareness worldwide,
we aim to help realise a society in which people in
coming generations can drive with peace-of-mind by
developing future-focused, low-impact products and
by continuously carrying out eco-oriented initiatives
in manufacturing.

Seat cushion that uses plant-derived material

We substituted a portion of the petroleum-based polyol
used as the primary material in polyurethane for seat
cushions with an element of plant-derived castor oil to
realise required levels of impact resilience and durability.

Castor oil plant seeds

Ricinus communis
(castor oil plant) is in the
euphorbiaceae family of
plants.

Door trim using kenaf base material

Kenaf, an annual grass that has high CO2

absorption capabilities

CONCEPT BOOK

10

The Toyota Boshoku group develops technology

that creates attractive interior spaces.
In order to provide appealing automobile interior space for each person in the car, we are dedicated to developing highly
competitive products through the eyes of passengers that also take into account the different values of people around the world.
Furthermore, we undertake challenges to create new technologies and products that go beyond the bounds of automobiles by
developing technology with a view to the future that is at the vanguard of the times.

Satisfaction
Satisfying customers above all else

Globalisation

Pursuing the highest quality to genuinely please customers

Targeting the global market

Optimal development framework for greater

global competitiveness

Developing attractive products with excellent

design sense

Needs related to interior spaces in vehicles differ depending on the

region of the world. The Toyota Boshoku group has a global development framework set up to meet the needs of customers in five
different regions of the world, which are divided into The Americas,
Asia & Oceania, China, Europe & Africa and Japan.
As markets expand, mainly in emerging countries, and customer
needs diversify, we are working to enhance our global competitiveness by connecting R&D centres to combine technological capabilities and maximise potential.

The city of Milan in Italy is a global trendsetter in interior design and

fashion design. At the Toyota Boshoku Design Studio, designers
from Japan and other areas of the world cultivate their sensitivity by
leveraging their individual characteristics, and cooperate and
compete with each other in order to create attractive products with
excellent design sense that will delight customers possessing
diverse values the world over.

production of attractive, high-quality products with exceptional

functionality and design at a low cost that meet customer needs.
In addition, we are pushing forward with the further enhancement and refinement of core technologies that we have accumulated over the years as well as their application to other products.
We continuously pursue top quality by fully leveraging manu
facturing and expanding technological domains in order to fulfil
our customers expectations.

In order to be able to provide first-rate, useful products when

needed by customers and at a price they can afford, we constantly
aim for the highest quality in all product development processes.
Our engineers in charge of design technology, material technology and production technology work closely together as a team
from the design stage to resolve issues and realise optimum manufacturing. This includes further reducing the weight of parts, standardising parts and improving the yield rate to enable mass

Product Development Process

R&D Group

Planning

Product design

Technical design

Production
preparation

Prototype

Manufacturing

Evaluation

Azimuthal Equidistant projection

Toyota Boshoku R&D centres covering our five regions across the world
Design Studio
Toyota Boshoku Milan Design Branch

Europe & Africa Region R&D

Toyota Boshoku Europe N.V.

The Americas Region R&D

Toyota Boshoku America, Inc.

In order to develop products that demonstrate outstanding performance on different road surfaces and under different climatic
conditions around the world, we have set up top-class experimental
facilities and equipment and conduct comprehensive safety, comfort
and durability assessments covering a wide range of settings.

Seat pressure distribution analysis

We analyse pressure distribution on the
seat during driving.

Outdoor testing site

This site is used to confidentially
evaluate the design of products in
natural sunlight.

Sharing Information

Filtration and Powertrain Components

Seat and Interior Components

Km
0

2000

4000

11

Japan Region R&D

Toyota Boshoku Corporation

Electromagnetically controlled chamber

This evaluates the characteristics of
electromagnetic waves emitted from the
seat and interior electrical components,
taking into consideration various
electromagnetic wave environments.

Seat impact sled test equipment

Using a dummy, this test evaluates seat
distortion when a crash occurs.

Interior Components

Interior Design

Vibration device with 6 degrees of

freedom motion systems
This device evaluates comfort by
simulating and reproducing the shaking
and vibrations that occur when driving
on the road through various simulations
and compiling data.

China Region R&D

Toyota Boshoku (China) Co., Ltd.

As a total interior system supplier, we provide interior spaces

that enable safe and comfortable mobility for people around the
world by evaluating not only each individual part but also the car in
its entirety from multiple perspectives.

Key experimental facilities and equipment

Seat

Asia & Oceania Region R&D

Toyota Boshoku Asia Co., Ltd.

For the safety and comfort of people worldwide

NV (noise vibration) evaluation

This includes air intake noise analysis by
estimating noise when the engine is
running as well as analysis of frequency
transmission characteristics.

Chassis bench
This evaluates the performance of filtration
and powertrain components by placing car
drive wheels on a roller and reproducing
actual driving conditions.

Engine bench
This contributes to the development of
filtration and powertrain components that are
connected to the engine.

Large temperature and humidity

controlled tank
This evaluates the durability of
interior parts under severe
conditions in the range from -40C
to 120C

Benchmark room
Persons in charge of development can
directly handle competitor products as
necessary, enabling immediate examination.

CONCEPT BOOK

12

Innovation

Research into unique elemental technologies

m

Bio

ety

Saf

als

ri
ate

e
urc

Res

g
avin

tio
duc

t re

igh

We

Undertaking challenging and forward-looking technological

development with a view to the future of society

At the Research Laboratories, we conduct development of

innovative elemental technologies based in science for
automobile interior spaces that cover the key themes of the
environment, social responsibility and human beings. Current
initiatives are being undertaken from among the four
research domains of polymer science, human science,
bioscience and energy conversion materials.

fort
com
d
n
ea
ienc
ven
n
o
C

e
Rid

Developing strategy from a medium- to

long-term perspective

ears

15 y

We undertake challenging technological development that is ahead

of the times with a view to the future of society.
We carry out advanced technology development that looks
ahead at society 10 to 15 years from now. That means going
beyond the bounds of automobiles and venturing into sciencerelated domains where we pursue research into new technologies
that will benefit people and society in the future.
In advanced development, we aim to commercialise technology
that looks five to 10 years ahead by making use of the results from
this research. That means seeking to further strengthen our proprietary technologies by transcending the general knowledge we have
about automobiles, such as developing technology that supports
next-generation vehicles, an area in which global developmental
competition is growing.
By promoting a development strategy taking a medium- to
long-term perspective, we are striving to create unique technologies
as a unified group.

ears

10 y

ars

5 ye

ad

ahe

nced
Adva logy
no
tech ment
lop
deve

ad

ahe

ad

ahe

uct
Prod ent
pm
lo
e
v
de

Enhancing technological development through genchi-genbutsu (Go, see & study)

The Toyota Boshoku group adopts a basic stance in which we are
fully committed to examining the essence of something through
genchi-genbutsu, swiftly coming to an agreement and making
decisions.
We keep this in mind in technological development as well. As
such, we own a test course that enables dynamic evaluation on
actual parts and vehicles under various conditions via genchi-genbutsu.

Low

ost

n Name:

Toyota Boshoku Tajimi Technical Centre

proving ground

n Location: 
Hatoyashita, Kasahara-cho, Tajimi City, Gifu
Prefecture, Japan

(1) Track (total length: 1,800 m with a 670 m

straight-line stretch of road)
(2) 200 m course that recreates a wide variety
of road surfaces

on the cover expresses the idea that Toyota Boshoku always develops products
The icon
through the eyes of the customer. The phrase from your eyes personifies this commitment.
The word eyes has been made into the shape of a test course.
Fibre cutting

Fibre loosening, mixing

In Indonesia, Toyota Boshoku undertakes seed development of kenaf through to the production of interior materials
and supplies this material to the world.

13

Overview of Tajimi Technical Centre Proving Ground

n Test course:

Drying

Being an interior components maker with our own test course

makes us a leading global force. The construction of this new test
course will enable all concerned parties involved in projects of both
the R&D group and the planning and sales group to promptly carry
out the necessary evaluations on actual parts and vehicles via
genchi-genbutsu. We leverage this advantage to develop even
more appealing and desirable products that enrich our customers
mobility life.

n Area: 
Site area is approx. 360,000 m2 and the test
course area is approx. 140,000 m2

Kenaf: The road from its cultivation to commercialisation

Seed development

nc
ara

App

Greater environmental responsiveness is being demanded of automobile parts in

order to realise a low-carbon and recycling-oriented society. We develop
products that do not increase the amount of CO2 into the atmosphere through
the use of plant-derived materials, thereby helping to meet needs for automobile
production that is in harmony with the environment in each region of the world.
Toyota Boshoku quickly set its sights on kenaf, an annual grass that grows
quickly and has high CO2 absorption capabilities, and succeeded in commercialising a kenaf base material for interior components such as door trims and seat
back boards. In addition, we are taking concerted efforts to apply plant-derived
materials in a wide range of areas that include engine related parts such as air
cleaner cases by developing general-purpose injection-moulding material based
on technology that utilises kenaf.

Harvesting, retting

alit

Qu

nced
Adva ment
p
lo
e
dev

Vehicle production in harmony with the environment

Cultivation

lity

qua

Production of boards

To the world

With an eye on the future, we create interior

spaces that enrich your mobility life.
CONCEPT BOOK

14

1-1 Toyoda-cho, Kariya-shi, Aichi 448-8651, Japan

http : //www.toyota-boshoku.com/global

This booklet is printed on FSCTM certified paper using vegetable oil ink and waterless printing for forest and environmental preservation.
Printed in Japan

1506/03