ZF Makes the Lightest Knee Airbag Module

ZF says it has made the lightest knee airbag module ever, thus claiming an industry first. ZF’s product, which is the lightest of its kind will be launched in 2019 with a major European automaker and will weigh 30 per cent less than a traditional metal-housing knee airbag. This will serve to enhance the safety of the occupants. The module also sports a highly flexible design that can be easily adapted for different vehicle interior sizes and configurations, including cockpit concepts for future autonomous vehicles.

Norbert Kagerer, ZF’s senior vice president-occupant safety systems engineering said that the company’s fabric-housing knee airbag is consistent with several major trends in the automotive industry as the lower weight will increase fuel economy and lower emissions, while the smaller and flexible packaging will make it easier to use the new module help meet new interior design and safety demands for the electric- and autonomous-vehicle interiors of the future.”
The knee-airbag module will be produced using a new manufacturing process that allows for more precise module package configurations that help enhance the airbag’s quality and performance, ZF says. The fabric housing design will be configurable for all markets and light-vehicle ranges.

“The new ZF fabric housing knee airbag will support a number of industry trends,” said Norbert Kagerer, senior vice-president, Occupant Safety Systems Engineering, ZF Friedrichshafen AG. “The reduced weight leads to greater efficiency in fuel economy and reduced emissions, while the smaller and flexible packaging will help meet new interior design and safety demands for the electric and autonomous vehicle interiors of the future.”

The new airbag module will enable vehicle manufacturers to help optimise interior redesign requirements, such as reinforcing the instrument panel. In some cases, this will further reduce weight and costs.