BASF and Toyota collaborate for lightweight success on the Sienna model, due in 2021

BASF, in collaboration with Toyota Motor North America Research & Development, has achieved a lightweight success with the all-new 2021 Toyota Sienna. The vehicle, scheduled for launch later that year, just won the prestigious Altair Enlighten Award for vehicle weight savings achievements for reducing the mass of the third-row seat. In the previous model, the third-row seat was comprised of 15 different steel components, making that part of the vehicle very heavy. Toyota wanted the Sienna’s third seat to be lighter and more cost-competitive for the 2021 model, while exceeding all performance criteria. Toyota turned to BASF to help achieve its goal.

In the words of Todd Muck, “A lightweight material doesn’t always have to be more expensive,” from Toyota’s Strategic Planning Technical Office at the Toyota Research and Development Center in Saline, Michigan. “We were able to meet our cost target and saved 15% compared to the previous generation. The seat is 30% lighter. We had some great partnerships that helped us achieve these goals, one of which was BASF.”

Traditionally, resin seat components have had metal reinforcement, which can make the process more expensive. Toyota also wanted an injection-molded part that was a roll-and-roll part—meaning it was made in one piece and without complexities. That’s where BASF’s expertise in materials and design came in. BASF utilized its unique 35% glass-reinforced polyamide PA6 grade, Ultramid® B3ZG7 CR, and its proprietary computer-aided engineering (CAE) technology. The ULTRASIM® tool enabled accurate CAE simulations throughout the multiple phases of the development efforts.

“The third seat design is what I would classify as an enabling technology,” said Matt Parkinson, Engineering Manager, Application Development and Composites Technologies, BASF Performance Materials. “It’s the first of its kind in the way it’s designed, without inserts like a fully injected seat backrest. One of the challenges was ensuring high elongation and impact resistance for crash requirements. At the same time, we focused on strength and stiffness because the seat also serves as a load floor.”

“BASF helped us bridge the gap in this backrest challenge and meet our objectives,” says Muck.