What you should look for in a seating supplier?
All seats should meet and surpass the FMVSS 207/210 requirements, and have passed sled tests simulating frontal and rearward crashes. The structure of the seats is further proven through blast and slam down testing. We believe that the combination of a five point safety harness attached directly to the seat frame, correct ergonomics, angled seat pan and patented blast mitigation provides the most complete safety system. All of these features keep the occupant coupled to the seat bottom during a crash, rollover or vertical impact event lessening any injuries that may occur.

Who do I contact about spare parts/repairs?
GSS has a Warranties and Repair department, associated with the quality assurance department, wherein the seat is brought back to the GSS facility and evaluated. It is first established if the problem or faulty part is a warrantied item or if the seat was somehow damaged by a party other than GSS. It is then determined if there will be any cost to the customer, and if so, the customer is notified of these charges. If it is a warrantied part, however, the seat is repaired and shipped back to the customer.

Contact your program manager, either Michelle Morin (mmorin@globalseating.com) 610-994-5416 or Bernadette Sumner (bs@globalseating.com) 610-994-5438.

What standards are the seats tested?
GSS tests all of our seats for a minimum of FMVSS compliance. This includes but is not limited to FMVSS 207, 208, 209, 210, 302.

What readiness level is GSS?
GSS is a manufacturing facility equipped to TRL and MRL 8 capabilities. A majority of our products are manufactured, tested and assembled on site allowing the research and development, design and production phases of the operation to function simultaneously. This forces communication amongst all departments which in turn generates a better product.

What should I look for in comfort?
Ergonomics and comfort are especially important to occupants sitting for long periods of time. Studies have shown that correct body posture can reduce fatigue and improve overall health. Therefore, our seats can be supplied with a wide range of options that are not only practical, but incorporate comfort as well. Some examples of these options are: removable side bolsters, removable center panel, adjustable back recline, 4-way adjustable headrest, adjustable armrests, manual or pneumatically adjusting lumbar, fixed bases or height adjusters, suspensions, fore/aft slides, etc. All of these features listed above would be beneficial to both work station operators and crew members particularly because most of them can be modified to each passenger’s comfort level regardless of their duty in the vehicle.

What design capabilities should a seating company have?
Our research phase entails the vehicle manufacturer supplying a 3D model of the vehicle so that the engineer can determine space claim, mounting patterns, etc. In most instances, bases or mounting systems need to be designed specific to each vehicle. If a model is not available, a representative from GSS will go to a vehicle manufacturer to retrieve physical measurements so that the design process can begin. During the design phase, if vehicle models are available then a 3D model of our seat will be placed in the model provided and checked for interference issues. Communication between the engineers involved in the construction of the vehicle and the engineers at GSS is especially important during this phase. The engineers will then work with the fabrication and R&D departments so that prototypes of the seats and/or bases can be made and tested. All products are tested internally prior to testing being done by the customer. These steps are critical to the design process so that any issues may surface and can be resolved before the products are supplied to the customer. Once testing is complete, and the designs have been approved by GSS, a sample is sent with an engineer to the vehicle manufacturer for a fit and function. After the seat is mounted in the vehicle and the customer has approved the design, the seat is then ready for production.

What upholstery requirements should be met?
The fabric used on our seats has a type III classification which means that it is highly water resistant, heavy duty cloth that is uncoated, polyester and nylon woven. It is also compliant with the FED-STD-4, FED-STD-191, MIL-STD-105 and MIL-STD-1487 regulations. The standard test conditions for this material meet the ASTM D-618 requirements. The mildew resistance of this fabric is a zero on the ISO Gray Scale unit of measurement in accordance with IAW ASTM G-21. The recommended operational temperature range for type III fabric is -50 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 to 66 degrees Celsius). During testing, it is exposed to -50oF for a four hour period upon which no cracking or flaking shall result. A different specimen from the same roll of material is then exposed to 150oF for a six hour period and shall not exhibit any evidence of tackiness, blistering, or softening. Although this material is rated as water resistant, we currently do not supply any seating that would be suitable for underwater applications.