Lighter, smaller, cheaper… safer

Software is helping to make safety components more economical in terms of weight, size, and cost, in addition to reliably achieving their intended functions.

Providing occupant protection is no longer far and away the driving motivation in the development of safety systems. Due to factors such as the economy, the quest to achieve greater fuel economy, and the shift to smaller vehicles, reducing cost and trimming size and weight are beginning to rival occupant protection when it comes to primary design considerations. To achieve these reductions, while at the same time providing their inherent functions, automotive safety system suppliers are heavily relying on design and validation tools.

Reducing the weight and packaging size of airbags is one area receiving attention as automakers explore all avenues to achieve greater fuel efficiency and smaller packaging size.