BY FOLLOWING INDUSTRY TRENDS

TRW has revealed that key to its success in manufacturing parts best suited to the vehicles of the future is its continuous monitoring of industry trends; specifically those relating to the environment, modularity and comfort & robustness.

Commenting on a series of short videos, which form part of TRW’s latest Corner Module campaign, (https://www.trwaftermarket.com/CornerModuleTV/) Hauke Baumann, Head of Engineering for Linkage & Suspension, explains: “As a Global leader in automotive systems design and manufacture, TRW is integrally involved in the development of industry trends.”

“Harnessing this information to future proof our aftermarket programme will achieve higher brand loyalty while growing service and product revenues and secure our leading position within the global aftermarket.”

In line with the requirement to reduce emissions and the move towards energy efficient and low weight vehicles, TRW is working with lightweight materials such as aluminium.

“With a parent company that not only manufactures and develops the parts and technologies at OE level, that works with the next generation in lightweight materials and that tests each component independently and as part of a system to ensure it works in complete harmony, TRW is best placed to supply the aftermarket,” adds Hauke.
Parts manufacturers also need to understand the market needs of future platforms; Ford, for example, has publicly declared that it wants to have only six by 2015. The issue is that vehicular variations are increasing yet overall volume of sale remains stable. This is leading to a reduction in individual volume of the different vehicles, making modularity essential; not changing the design every time but its special features to support different customer and vehicle needs.

A good example is TRW’s new design of stabiliser link which will allow the application of a single ball joint (including bearing, ball pin, sealing system and grease) to a number of different housings with a clip mechanism. This innovative project is scheduled to go into production in the next two years.

Since the 1970s, average vehicle lifetime has nearly doubled to almost 10 years and consumers want longer lasting parts. At the same time, we are demanding an ever quieter, more comfortable drive. In line with this, TRW has doubled the lifespan of its parts, and caters for faster, heavier and more technologically advanced vehicles.

“TRW’s skills lie in thinking about the technological evolution of a product. By capturing product and engineering information from early on in the product lifecycle, we can support from the cradle to the grave,” Hauke concludes.