Case Study: Johnson Controls achieves production flexibility and reduced fabric costs with Lectra's Vector cutting solutions

Johnson Controls Redesigns Its Production Strategy With Lectra

Johnson Controls, a global leader in automotive seating systems, faced mounting pressure as interior personalization increased customer demand for more fabrics, styles and features. Their legacy die-press cutting process created long changeovers, high material waste and limited pattern flexibility, making it impossible to meet tighter schedules and a wider range of options without a major production overhaul.

Lectra partnered with Johnson Controls to replace die presses with VectorAuto high-ply CNC cutters (MX9 and later iX9), providing technology, training and long-term support during a multi-year European rollout. The result was higher throughput and cutting precision, reduced fabric waste and faster changeovers, a standardized cutting platform across plants (180+ Vectors installed) and improved agility to win contracts, support just‑in‑time delivery and scale globally.

Johnson Controls

Willy van Looy

Global Director, Advanced Manufacturing Engineering