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Siemens' Director of Safety Named New Automotive Occupant Restraints Council Technical Committee Chairman

7 July 1999

Siemens' Director of Safety Named New Automotive Occupant Restraints Council Technical Committee Chairman

    AUBURN HILLS, Mich., July 7 -- Due to the increasing
importance of technologies such as occupant classification and rollover
sensing in vehicle safety, the Automotive Occupant Restraints Council (AORC)
recently formed an Electronics and Sensing Committee and has named Kenneth
Francis, Siemens Automotive's director of safety as the committee chairman.
    Francis brings ten years of experience in the advancement of algorithms
and electronic controls for automotive restraint systems to the committee.
Francis began his career with Siemens Automotive in Regensburg, Germany, and
has spent the past two years in Auburn Hills, Mich. on assignment as the
director of chassis and safety systems at Siemens Automotive.
    AORC President George Kirchoff said, "We are pleased and fortunate to have
Ken Francis chair this important committee.  His vast experience and
enthusiasm are a perfect fit as this industry moves into the next millennium."
    The Electronic and Sensing Committee is open to all AORC members and joins
six other AORC committees that focus on technical issues and federal
government regulations in the area of occupant restraint performance.  These
committees help all members stay abreast of industry news, regulations and
legislation and provide the capability to respond to new federal advanced
occupant restraint rule making.
    Francis has outlined several areas of focus for the Electronics and
Sensing Committee including:  impact and occupant sensing technologies; crash
avoidance technologies; safety communication bus structures; algorithms for
occupant protection; the standardization of the overall safety system
architecture; and, the resale and recycling of electronic safety equipment.
    "Occupant safety is more than just a job for most safety engineers, it
becomes a personal mission as we buckle our family members into vehicles every
day," Francis said.  "This committee will focus on the improvement of safety
electronics, thereby making entire safety systems more effective," he said.
The first committee meeting is scheduled for July.
    AORC is a non-profit organization representing domestic and foreign
manufacturers and suppliers of automotive air bags, safety belts and seating
systems.
    Siemens Automotive is a tier-one supplier of automotive and electrical-
electronic systems and components with applications covering gasoline and
diesel powertrain systems, safety and chassis systems, body electronics,
electric motor drives and driver information systems.  Worldwide sales in
fiscal year 1997/1998 totaled $3.3 billion.