AFTER HAVING PRODUCEd and delivered over 250 million initiators for the automotive industry, DAVEY BICKFORD ANNOUNCES AN AGREEMENT WITH TRW Airbag Systems GmbH TO SELL THE INITIATOR MACHINING AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ASSETS.
Previously, Davey Bickford was a strategic supplier of igniters to TRW. This acquisition is part of TRW's occupant safety business strategy to vertically integrate its inflator business and corresponds with its future approach of "make and buy." Igniters are key components for air bag and seat belt modules.
The initiator machines and intellectual property include 'plastic to metal seals technology' which is anticipated to be a key future technology in this business segment.
The machines will be gradually transferred to TRW's inflator plant in Aschau am Inn, Germany and will become an integral part of our global inflator operations.
Dominique Heber-Suffrin, president and chief executive officer of Davey Bickford, commented: "A pioneer in the design and manufacturing of state of the art pyrotechnic igniters for airbags and seat belt pretensioners, Davey Bickford has been a close partner to TRW for many years. Today, we are proud that TRW has selected our technology for their vertical integration strategy. This transaction fits with our primary focus on the booming mining industry where Davey Bickford has developed very advanced initiation solutions."
