Delphi Wins $750M in Occupant Protection Systems Contracts
21 April 1999
Delphi Wins $750M in Occupant Protection Systems Contracts, Unveils First Hydraulic Test Sled in North America
VANDALIA, Ohio, April 21 -- With its occupant protection
system business already rising sharply this year, Delphi Automotive Systems
unveiled a new hydraulic test sled here today that provides the
company with a clear competitive advantage in North America.
Delphi's Mannesman-Rexroth sled is the only one of its kind in the United
States, Canada and Mexico. With thrust force greater than two 747 aircraft --
or about 2.5 times the power of a standard pneumatic test sled -- the
Mannesman-Rexroth model gives Delphi the capability to test occupant
protection systems with a level of accuracy and repeatability not available
elsewhere in North America.
The increased technological capability will help Delphi grow its already
expanding occupant protection system business.
New Business Announcements -- Occupant Protection Systems
Delphi announced today that it has won 21 occupant protection system
contracts in the last 8 months, totaling over $750 million (US) in new
business. Delphi has also expanded 5 existing contracts to incorporate
Delphi's Adaptive Restraint Technologies(TM) or "smart" airbag technology.
Delphi's new business represents a range of occupant protection products,
including driver, passenger, and a full portfolio of side airbags, including
an array of head airbag curtain solutions, and seatbelts. The business is
with various North American, European and Asian passenger car and truck
manufacturers.
In several contracts, Delphi has responsibility for the full occupant
protection system, including "smart" airbags from its Adaptive Restraint
Technologies product line. The system will monitor both the characteristics
of the occupant and the severity of the collision, and then tailor airbag
deployment to meet the situation.
Delphi has also expanded its portfolio to comprehend seatbelts and has
achieved more than $30 million (US) in annual seatbelt sales through its July
1998 acquisition of majority ownership of Korean occupant protection company
Sungwoo.
According to Lon Offenbacher, product line director, Occupant Protection
Systems, Delphi Automotive Systems, "Our customers recognize our portfolio of
innovative products as pragmatic solutions to meet their needs. The
combination of our world class competitive manufacturing operations in the
United States, Mexico, Europe and Asia, with our 26 years of experience and
innovation in occupant protection systems places us as one of the leading
total system suppliers in the global occupant protection business."
Delphi's Test Sled and Engineering Center
Delphi's new test sled provides OEM customers with the highest level of
responsiveness and the most sophisticated testing data available in North
America, said Bill Hanna, chief engineer, Delphi Airbag Systems.
"The sled has tremendous repeatability of test results with extremely
rapid set-up," Hanna said. "We can fully develop a customer's crash pulse
within two hours of receiving information from the customer. We believe with
this sled, we're able to provide our customers with faster, more sophisticated
results than any of our competitors using North American facilities."
The sled is the latest addition to Delphi's 250,000-sq.ft. engineering and
testing facility in Vandalia. Over the past year, Delphi has invested more
than $4 million (US) in the sled, digital image and updated data acquisition
and computer capability at the facility.
"Our Vandalia engineering center is a cornerstone of Delphi's occupant
protection systems business. It is where we innovate, design and test several
interior and occupant protection system products, including a range of
airbags, instrument panels and steering wheels. In addition to frontal system
testing, we also have side impact testing capability. Our side sled developed
in-house provides the impact and intrusion that offers unparalleled
correlation," Hanna said. "With the additions we have made to this facility,
we truly have achieved world-class status," Hanna continued.
"I am particularly proud of our extensive capabilities in dynamic analysis
which ensure our safety products not only meet customer requirements, but also
maximize the safety and comfort for every passenger during the lifetime of the
vehicle," Hanna said. "Further, we are linked globally with comparable
testing and engineering capabilities in our Wuppertal Technical Center in
Germany and our Asia Pacific Tech Center in Munmak, South Korea, providing
full service to our global customers," Hanna continued.
Delphi Automotive Systems, with headquarters in Troy, Mich., USA, is a
world leader in automotive components and systems technology. Delphi's three
business sectors -- Dynamics & Propulsion; Safety, Thermal & Electrical
Architecture; and Electronics & Mobile Communications -- provide comprehensive
product solutions to complex customer needs. Delphi has more than 200,000
employees and operates 168 wholly owned manufacturing facilities, 40 joint
ventures and 27 technical centers in 36 countries. Regional headquarters are
located in Paris, Tokyo and Sao Paulo. Delphi can be found on the Internet at
http://www.delphiauto.com.