Delphi Engineer Recognized With Auto Interiors Lifetime Achievement Award

    WARREN, Mich., May 17 Barbara A. Sanders, director of
advanced development for the Interior Systems division of Delphi Automotive
Systems , has been selected to receive Auto Interiors magazine's
2001 Lifetime Achievement Award.  The official announcement and presentation
was made to Sanders at a ceremony Wednesday night in Detroit.
    (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010517/DETH010
             http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001019/DELPHIAS )
    "It is our privilege and honor to present the 2001 Lifetime Achievement
Award to Barbara Sanders," said Carmen Pang, editor of Auto Interiors.  "She
has had a long and distinguished career in the automotive industry.  Through
her technical expertise and dynamic leadership skills, Sanders has been
instrumental in bringing several innovative technologies to the industry and
marketplace."
    The Auto Interiors Lifetime Achievement Award is dedicated exclusively to
professionals who have led distinguished careers in the automotive interiors
field and is presented annually to recognize special individuals for their
achievements in design, engineering, manufacturing or management.  According
to Pang, Auto Interiors created this award to honor those whose names and
deeds are synonymous with excellence and innovation within the interiors
industry.
    "Throughout her career, Sanders has made significant impacts in all
aspects of vehicle design, development and advanced manufacturing -- interior
as well as exterior," said James A. Maniscalco, general director of
engineering for Delphi Interior Systems.  "Delphi holds her in the highest
regard and she is an extremely valuable asset to our organization.  Barbara
has, and continues to make, significant contributions to the advancement of
automotive safety and interior technologies within our organization."
    While at Delphi, Sanders has provided leadership in bringing several
interior products to realization.  For example, Super Plug(TM), the first
structural door module, has a modular design with fewer attachment points,
which reduces assembly time and investment costs.  Additionally, she led the
development and production realization of an extrudable thermoplastic
polyolefin (TPO) material for instrument panel applications.  This material,
which is 100 percent recyclable, exceeds automakers' durability objectives.
This groundbreaking technology won Delphi the 1999 "Recycler of the Year"
award from the International Society of Plastics Engineers.
    Sanders also led the development of several power products within Delphi.
Delphi's introduction of the power sliding door to North America in 1993
revolutionized the minivan market.  She was instrumental in its design and
development process and in expanding the power sliding door technology into
new applications such as the power liftgate.  Today, Delphi has more than
750,000 power products in service.
    "She also provided significant vision to Delphi's development of occupant
protection systems," continued Maniscalco.  "Sanders, along with the rest of
Delphi's leadership, developed a broader, comprehensive strategy for
automotive safety -- an Integrated Safety System (ISS).  Such vision and
leadership has allowed Delphi to become the only supplier in the world capable
of offering a total safety system resulting from its extensive range of
automotive safety technologies, safety system design capabilities, and in-
house engineering and testing resources."
    "In addition to her strong leadership of new technologies, Sanders has
been a strong mentor of young engineers and scientists," said James A.
Bertrand, president, Delphi Interior Systems.  "She has been instrumental in
bringing the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology)
program to Delphi Interior Systems."  FIRST is a non-profit organization
founded in 1989 to interest and inspire students in mathematics and science.
    She is also a past recipient of the U.S. Black Engineer Award for which
she was recognized as Outstanding Engineer - Professional Achievement.
    Most recently, Sanders has worked to develop technologies in the Advanced
Safety Interior (ASI) -- a key part of the Integrated Safety System.  The ASI
optimizes physical and functional integration of components and subsystems for
more efficient occupant protection systems.  She has helped to tailor and
develop technologies for Delphi's product portfolio to meet the needs of a
global marketplace, which is increasingly focused on occupant safety.
Developments in this area include the side curtain airbag system, adaptive
belt restraints, variable output airbag modules, the active knee bolster and
bias deployment flap.  Sanders, through her direct interface with Delphi's
Delco Electronics division, has also provided specifications for the
development and refinement of occupant mass sensors; frontal, side and
rollover sensors; occupant position sensors; and collision-warning sensors.
    "Barbara directs the advanced development group within Delphi Interior
Systems, through which occupant protection technologies are born," continued
Bertrand.  "It is due to leaders like her that Delphi has grown from being a
component supplier to being a systems supplier with component excellence."
    For more information about Delphi Automotive Systems, visit Delphi's
Virtual Press Room at http://www.delphiauto.com/vpr .

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