Daicel Steps Up Plans for Second U.S. Airbag Inflator Plant

Japan's Daicel Corp. says it will open a second factory to make airbag inflators in the U.S. next year rather than wait until 2017.

The facility, which will be located in Arizona, will in part supply substitutes for inflators from Takata Corp. that could explode when activated. In the past two years, 11 carmakers have recalled some 14 million vehicles to replace Takata inflators linked to five deaths.

Responding to those callbacks has strained Takata's capacity. Reuters notes that carmakers have been turning to such Takata rivals as Daicel and Autoliv for replacement inflators.