TRW Unveils New Generation of Adaptive Airbags to Help Protect Passengers

Published on Tuesday, 29 November 2011 10:09 Written by TradersHuddle Staff

LIVONIA, Mich., Nov. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. (NYSE: TRW), the global leader in automotive safety systems, is today announcing its next generation of adaptive frontal passenger airbags.  TRW's dual contour passenger airbag is capable of adjusting both the airbag pressure and size to help tailor protection according to occupant size and other variables of a crash.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111129/DE13634 )

Norbert Kagerer, vice president of engineering for TRW's Occupant Safety Systems business, commented: "Adaptive occupant safety technologies began with the introduction of dual stage inflators over a decade ago and have progressed to include not only factors such as deployment force, but also the bag geometry, stiffness and shape as the bag deploys. TRW's next generation adaptive airbags combine all of these elements to help enhance the safety of occupants according to their size, the speed and force of the crash, occupant position, belted versus unbelted and more.

"For example, TRW is already in production with its 'SAVe' active venting system that adapts to the position of the passenger and will soften the airbag through supplemental vents in the airbag module to allow some of the gases to be expelled when the passenger is in closer proximity to the airbag when it deploys."

TRW is taking a further step with the dual contour airbag that utilizes sensor inputs to determine occupant size and can tailor the bag size and shape to smaller or larger occupants through the use of a tether activation unit that will present the right size and shape of the bag based on the particular crash variables.

TRW anticipates that its next generation of adaptive airbags will be ready for production by 2013.

About TRW

With 2010 sales of $14.4 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 over 60,000 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 U.S. 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 could 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, 2010 (our "Form 10-K"), and our reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended April 1, July 1 and September 30, 2011, such as: any developments related to antitrust investigations adversely affecting our results, cash flows, financial condition or reputation; tighter financial markets adversely impacting the availability and cost of credit negatively affecting our business; a material contraction in automotive sales and production adversely affecting our results or the viability of our supply base; commodity inflationary pressures adversely affecting our profitability or supply base; strengthening of the U.S. dollar and other foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations impacting our results; pricing pressures from our customers adversely affecting our profitability; any shortage of supplies causing a production disruption; increasing costs negatively impacting our profitability; the loss of any of our largest customers materially adversely affecting us; costs of product liability, warranty and recall claims and efforts by customers to adversely alter contract terms and conditions concerning warranty and recall participation; costs or liabilities relating to environmental, health and safety regulations adversely affecting our results; risks associated with non-U.S. operations, including economic and political uncertainty in some regions, adversely affecting our business, results or financial condition; any inability to protect our intellectual property rights adversely affecting our business or our competitive position; any increase in the expense of our pension and other postretirement benefits or the funding requirements of our pension plans reducing our profitability; work stoppages or other labor issues at our facilities or at the facilities of our customers or suppliers adversely affecting our operations; volatility in our annual effective tax rate resulting from a change in our valuation allowances position or other factors;   and other risks and uncertainties set forth in our Form 10-K and in our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not undertake any obligation to release publicly any update or revision to any of the forward-looking statements.

SOURCE TRW Automotive Holdings Corp.