• new piston of wheel cylinder forged in steel;
• steering box for medium size commercial vehicles produced in the United States;
• products’ nationalization, as the production of front glass washer squirt for Celta (GM);
• Fox (VW) line switches:
• complete brake system for the new of Hilux (Toyota) generation simultaneously launched in five countries as of January, 2005;
• new four wheels brake system, with integrated traction and ABS (anti-locking) system, for the Mustang 2005, jointly developed by Ford and TRW Automotive;
2001 - Leading edge technology
TRW Automotive Ltda. began the development of a revolutionary steering system of the steer by wire type does not need the traditional steering column, for application in trucks, bus and other commercial vehicles platforms. The innovation, that shall come to the market in 2005, was presented by a group of the company engineers in the 2001 Congress of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE, Brazil), which is considered the most important Latin America event on mobility technology.
One of the main characteristics of the by wire steering systems is the absence of a mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the front axis. All communication between the steering wheel and the axis is made by electric wires and electronic commands. When turning steering wheel of a by wire system the driver sends the maneuver angle to an Electronic Control Unit, called ECU, that will reproduce that same angle in the front wheels, obeying the instructions of a program (software). As the steer by wire system does not request a mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the vehicle wheels the assembly is optimized, reduced the number of components and, per consequence, time and cost in the assembly process. Another advantage is the flexibility for steering wheel effort adjustment to steer. The system is managed by an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), whose command software allows the adjustment of the technical parameters that dictate the effort on the steering wheel and its comfort curve. That characteristic will make possible a greater adaptation of steering to the "driving style" of the final user.
The system also allows to vary the turn angle course of the wheels and the turns relation of the steering wheel. It also makes possible a variable dead zone (the user can notice a better precision of the steering mechanism), a smaller phase difference between the user input signal and the vehicle answer, disturbances rejection, reduced sensibility of surface vibrations in comparison with the conventional steering system, performance according to the vehicle speed and smaller behavior variation from vehicle to vehicle. Besides all these advantages, the by wire system offers high reliability, as a reason of microprocessors redundancy, as well as feeding source, controls, and driving system.
2004 - Engineering Progresses
In a joint work with their Ford peers, TRW of Brazil engineers and United States engineers developed a complete disk brake system for four wheels, with ABS (anti-locking) and integrated traction control, for the new 2005 Mustang. TRW Automotive Ltda. engineering, based on the facilities of the company head office, in Limeira (SP), had a strong participation in the product development and in the manufacture area, with solutions that generated several patents registrations. The TRW units of Limeira and Engenheiro Coelho (SP) produce brake systems for the Mustang and for several models manufactured by Brazilian and overseas assemblers.
When Mustang was launched, in 1964, it already used TRW disk brake system, the first of the type in the North American market. The present system provides better driving and braking capacity in all floor conditions, with ABS help and of the traction control system, that were accurately calibrated by the Ford and TRW engineering teams. TRW of Brazil supplies all the components of the assembly used to brake the powerful new Ford Mustang models, which uses for the first time, in series, motors versions with power rating over 300 hp. Among the components there are the four disk brakes with ventilated rotors, ABS systems and traction control, and a system of brakes activation with a booster. Besides these components, TRW will supply the of Mustang 2005 ball joints.
2005 - New Products
The Aftermarket Division of TRW Automotive enlarged its product line for car spares retail launching a new line of shock absorbers of conventional and gas models, composed by 464 items. Focusing in offering high performance automotive safety products at a competitive cost, the company makes available TRW shock absorbers to the aftermarket and to some 70 “Varga Serviços” automotive centers operating in the main capitals.
The TRW shock absorbers are intended to automobiles and to the heavy line, either national or imported. Among the main characteristics of the Conventional TRW line of shock absorbers is the largest shock absorption - without committing comfort - and the low attrition sealing system or, in other words, the perfect balance between safety and comfort. Intended to high performance vehicles, the TRW Gas shock absorber was dimensioned for a more demanding use. Its impact sensor, for instance, offers larger stability and control, noise reduction and greater adherence. The product is loaded with nitrogen gas what results in a faster response and in a high ride control - characteristic that provides the TRW Gas a greater durability. Among other advantages, TRW Gas stands out for being ideal for more severe usage conditions, resulting in greater safety. Through a valves system, the TRW Gas piston reduces attrition and increases the suspension efficiency.
Applied projects in 2004
