Here in the cavernous sled lab, staff work intensively over the cab section of a pickup truck. Window glass has been removed and the windshield has been replaced by plexiglass, but the interior is present, and a crash test dummy is belted into the seat. Angelo Adler is Senior Manager Systems Engineering at ZF TRW’s Occupant Safety Systems (OSS) test center in Washington Township, Michigan. He says it takes about twice as long to correctly set up a test event as it does to analyze the immense amount of data that is generated. Firing mechanisms, lighting and dummy test circuits all must be checked for accuracy, timing and functionality.

ZF TRW, the active and passive safety division of ZF Friedrichshafen AG, has today announced that it will start production of its innovative heated steering wheel technology (Conductor Insert Heating System, or CIHS) with a major European vehicle manufacturer in 2017. The design can be combined with ‘Hands On Detection’ (HOD) to enhance safety and comfort, and support the development of automated driving.

The demands on global vehicle manufacturers (VMs) to reduce vehicle weight, cost and hydrocarbon emissions are omnipresent. In turn, this places more and more pressure on parts and systems manufacturers to develop new fuel-saving technologies or to improve existing ones.

ZF TRW, the active and passive safety division of ZF Friedrichshafen AG, is today opening the crash sled section of its Anting Technical Centre – underlining its commitment to investment in China. The inclusion of the latest model Servo Sled, the fourth crash laboratory within the company’s global footprint, will be located at its state-of-the-art research and development facility in Anting.