SEAT AIRBAG SEAMS & CERTIFICATION
QUALITY AND SAFETY
WARNING! - No Air bag seam is created equal.
RVE has New Zealand’s and Australia’s only in-house seam testing laboratory to record the Side Impact Air Bag (SIAB) seam data for each vehicle, as this varies widely between make and model.
Since 1999, comparative SIAB seam tests have been completed for verification, and your peace of mind.
RVE is a Tier 2 supplier to OEM programs with full:
PPAP - Product Parts Approval Process
CTR - Compatibility Testing Regime
Independently Audited Comparative procedures
AIRBAG SEAM TESTING PROCEDURES & COMPARATIVE TESTING
Since 1999, RVE has engaged in approved side impact airbag seam (SIAB) leather replacement covers for new vehicles.
As a major automotive upholstery market leader, RVE has an extensive list of these test results, which allows us to sew compliant airbag seams with full assurance that the seams will deploy as intended by the manufacturer and vehicle safety is not compromised.
Airbag deployment through the seat seam is filmed using ultra-high speed ballistics-style cameras which confirm RVE Comparative Test results. These cameras allows us to record that the airbag will deploy within the time frames specified in OEM factory test results.
RVE is certified by Land Transport New Zealand as satisfying the legal requirements of the appropriate Act.
We strive to maintain high standards of safety compliance and quality. As airbag technology evolves we constantly implement the latest overseas equipment and methodology.
HOW DO CAR SEAT AIRBAGS WORK?
Seat airbags are designed to deploy upon side impact only.
In an accident, sensors detect the impact and send a signal via the SRS control module to the correct seat airbag.
Airbags are carefully internally "tethered" and reinforced to guide them and prevent any ripping or deviating under the extreme pressures involved when they go off.
At the centre of every airbag is the hybrid gas generator canister, filled with high-pressure gas.
When the sensor signal reaches the canister, it triggers the release of the high-pressure gas. The airbag then breaks out of its holder, bursts through the seat seam the right way, and inflates fully. This all happens within approximately 0.007 of a second.
If a seat seam has been altered outside of the manufacturer’s specifications, the airbag could deploy too early, or too late, or even in the wrong position, and be ineffective.
Deployed Seat Side Airbag Removal
And that could void warranty and insurance, and lay the person altering the seating open to serious charges in case of a vehicle occupant's injury or death.
Replacing new seat upholstery should only be done by qualified persons who understand how airbags work and have access to the manufacturer’s specifications for the specific seat. The work must be done on equipment that can give exact tolerance stitching and within legal parameters.
So sit back and relax, RVE have been sewing, refitting and certifying Side Impact Airbag Seat Seams in new vehicles since 1999.
HOW ARE AIRBAG SEAMS SEWN?
Every vehicle model needs a different thread combination, stitch length & tension to remain compliant.
Airbag seams are sewn according to data from comparative tests on correct thread combinations to confirm they meet the same tensile strength and burst ratios of the original factory seams.
The data is recorded on a tag that must be sewn into the airbag seam by a certified installer. Each seam has a unique serial number that can be traced to reveal all the information about the seam and the technician that sewed it. This ensures accountability and compliance with vehicle safety standards.