TRW Announces Value Line Active Seat Belt Retractor System
LIVONIA, Mich., Dec. 7, 2009 -- TRW Automotive GmbH, a subsidiary of TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. , today unveiled its 'ACR2 Basic' seat belt technology (Active Control Retractor 2 Basic). This new addition to TRW's active seat belt retractor portfolio has been designed to enhance driver comfort and safety while offering cost benefits over its production ACR2 system.
Uwe Class, manager of reversible systems for TRW's Occupant Safety Systems, said: "TRW has successfully launched its proven ACR technology on a number of key vehicles including the recent Hyundai Equus and the Mercedes S Class where it remains a standard feature. Ensuring that such advanced safety systems are available for broader vehicle segments and customer markets is vital - we have developed a more affordable active seat belt retractor solution with our ACR2 Basic technology."
Like TRW's production ACR2 system, ACR2 Basic is a perfect example of how TRW is able to link active and passive safety. The technology is designed to use braking and stability control sensor information to recognize critical events such as panic braking or skidding. It then reacts by removing seat belt slack so that the occupant position on the seat is improved in advance of a crash. If the critical situation ends without an accident, the system automatically resets itself via a reversible actuator.
Class continued: "With ACR2 Basic, we are able to provide a more affordable product due to, among other things, simplified electronics. For example, our new product has a smaller Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and the algorithm is implemented within another ECU depending on vehicle manufacturer requirements (this could be within the airbag control unit, for example). The different architecture allows us to reduce packaging, integration effort and ultimately cost for the customer.
"We are experiencing growing vehicle manufacturer interest in our ACR2 Basic product and are working closely with our customers to make this innovative safety system more readily available across all vehicle markets."
TRW was first to supply an active seat belt system when it launched on the Mercedes S Class in 2002. TRW has continued to work to integrate its ACR technology with other advanced comfort and safety systems including drowsy driver warning functions and interaction with radar enabled emergency brake assist technology.
About TRW
With 2008 sales of $15.0 billion, TRW Automotive ranks among the world's leading automotive suppliers. Headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, USA, the Company, through its subsidiaries, operates in 26 countries and employs approximately 64,000 people worldwide. TRW Automotive products include integrated vehicle control and driver assist systems, braking systems, steering systems, suspension systems, occupant safety systems (seat belts and airbags), electronics, engine components, fastening systems and aftermarket replacement parts and services. All references to "TRW Automotive", "TRW" or the "Company" in this press release refer to TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. and its subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated. TRW Automotive news is available on the internet at www.trw.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains statements that are not statements of historical fact, but instead are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties which can cause our actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements, including those set forth in our Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008 (our "Form 10-K"), and our Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended April 3, July 3 and October 2, 2009, such as: any prolonged contraction in automotive sales and production adversely affecting our results, liquidity or the viability of our supply base; the financial condition of OEMs, particularly the Detroit Three, adversely affecting us or the viability of our supply base; disruptions in the financial markets adversely impacting the availability and cost of credit negatively affecting our business; our substantial debt and resulting vulnerability to economic or industry downturns and to rising interest rates; escalating pricing pressures from our customers; commodity inflationary pressures adversely affecting our profitability or supply base; our dependence on our largest customers; costs of product liability, warranty and recall claims and efforts by customers to adversely alter terms and conditions concerning warranty and recall participation; strengthening of the U.S. dollar and other foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations impacting our results; any increase in the expense and funding requirements of our pension and other postretirement benefits; risks associated with non-U.S. operations, including economic uncertainty in some regions; work stoppages or other labor issues at our facilities or at the facilities of our customers or suppliers; assertions by or against us relating to intellectual property rights; the possibility that our largest stockholder's interests will conflict with our or our other stockholders' interests; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in our Form 10-K and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not undertake any obligation to release publicly any update or revision to any of these forward-looking statements.
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