TRW Launches North American Actuation Center of Excellence

18 May 2000

TRW Launches North American Actuation Center of Excellence

    SANTA ROSA JAUREGUI, Queretaro, Mexico--May 17, 2000--TRW has established its North American Center of Excellence for the production of actuation systems at the company's new plant in Santa Rosa, Mexico.
    An actuation system serves as the interface between the driver and the braking system. A typical actuation module is comprised of a pedal box, vacuum booster, and a hydraulic master cylinder. As a driver applies force to the brake pedal this force is increased according to the pedal ratio, then amplified by the pneumatic boost ratio of the vacuum booster before finally being converted to hydraulic pressure.
    This pressure is then used to apply the hydraulic braking system and decelerate the vehicle.
    Actuation systems are a rapidly growing product line for TRW in North America. After entering the North American market in 1998 with systems for the Honda Odyssey minivan and Lincoln LS models, TRW will have captured 14 percent of the North American actuation market by 2003.
    Several factors are driving this growth. TRW is already a leader in the supply of actuation to the European market and has the most advanced and comprehensive product lineup in the industry.
    Thanks to the development of TRW's pioneered Girvac tie-rod design, the company offers the lightest and best performing traditional booster/master cylinder designs as well as a full line of electronic boost technologies including the Brake Assist system jointly developed with DaimlerChrysler and featured on all Mercedes-Benz models.
    TRW is also developing a mechanical brake assist system that offers the many of the advantages of the electronic system at a lower cost. This system goes into production in Europe in 2001. Another attractive feature for the North American market is the dual rate function. The benefit to the driver is a more confident braking during high deceleration stops, particularly with heavier loading conditions.
    This system will make its debut with a major North American customer for a 2002 MY vehicle.
    The Santa Rosa plant will be the center of actuation activity for North America, and TRW is encouraging its primarily European supply base to localize supply of actuation components to North America. The goal is to supply two-thirds of all actuation components from North America by 2003 as part of the company's commitment to supporting the local community in Mexico and the North American economy.
    TRW is a world leader in the production of actuation systems. The company assembles and supplies systems from plants in Koblenz, Germany; Pamplona, Spain; Limeira, Brazil; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Madras, India (Brakes India joint venture), and is planning to build a new actuation plant in Poland.