Occupant Restraint Supplier Profiles - Excerpt

Industry Highlights

The last few years have been very active ones for the occupant restraints industry. Several major participants have merged with or acquired other key participants, creating a noticeable consolidation in the industry. Allied Signal sold its seatbelt and airbag division to BREED in 1997. As a result, BREED now competes in the occupant restraints market as a supplier of inflators, cushions, airbag modules, collision sensors, electronic control units, occupant sensing systems, steering wheels, seats and seatbelt systems. Magna competed in the occupant restraints industry through MST Automotive, and produced inflators, airbag modules, steering wheels, and seatbelt systems. Early in 1998, TRW purchased from Magna all remaining equity in the MST operations, making it a fully owned division of TRW. Morton International competed int he industry through the Automotive Safety Products division (APS), and was a leading supplier of inflators, modules, and cushions. On May 1, 1997, Morton sold its Automotive Safety Products division to Autoliv AB to forma new company, Autoliv, Inc. In purchasing the ASP division of Morton, Autoliv is now the leading supplier of airbag inflators int he world.

A number of less dramatic activities have also taken place thelast few years. Breed and Siemens entered into a joint venture called Breed siemens Restraint Systems (BSRS). The JV will market airbag systems and electronics. As part of this teaming, Siemens now owns 10% of Breed stock. AMP sold its sensors division to MSI in 1998. The sensors division produced piezoeletric accelerometers for the airbag market. AMP now participates in the industry only as a supplier of electrical connectors. Simula and TRW have entered into an agreement to jointly market and develop Simula's Inflatable Tubular Structure (ITS) for side impact applications. The product has applications for customers worldwide and will use primarily TRW inflators. Bosch and Temic also have a joint wenture that will develop and market occupant sensors. The Bosch / TEMIC team has already made proposals to the arbeitskreis (a union of German Automakers) and it is likely that the entire Arbeitskreis will utilizae the system as part of the newest generation of occupant protection, "smart" airbags. Finally, carpenter Technology Corp. purchased the Talley conglomerates in 1997, and is reportedly selling the UPCo division to BF Goodrich in 1998. Talley produces specialized non-azide and smart inflators for use in the occupant restraints industry.

 

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