TRW’s New Retractor

There are three key things that global automakers are concerned with:
• Weight
• Cost
• Safety

And not necessarily in that order.

A newly developed seatbelt retractor launched by TRW Automotive (trw.com) addresses all three of these issues.

First of all, it is a safety device with a simple design. Whereas most seatbelt retractors use a lock pawl to hold the webbing in place in the event of a crash, the TRW FS1 uses the forward movement of the occupant to apply force to the webbing, which moves the spool, which locks the retractor. It can be used for front or rear-seat applications using buckles and/or anchor pretensioners.

Weight? Says Aziz Canatar, global engineering director, TRW Seat Belt Systems, “Our new FS1 technology weighs approximately 15% less than the previous generation.” In addition, it is smaller, which facilitates packaging.

Cost? Canatar: ” Standardized components and assembly options make it a truly cost-competitive, global technology.”

Seems like they’ve checked all of the boxes with this one.

ZF TRW Active and Passive Safety Technology Division