Computer aided engineering (CAE) has had a dramatic influence on product design and development during the last 25 years.  Techniques and software are so powerful today that they can replicate the physical world with impressive accuracy.  Nowhere is this more true than in TRW’s Occupant Safety Systems (OSS) engineering.

Over the last two decades, passive safety engineering has become significantly more complex, with the range and number of tests increasing dramatically alongside extended regulatory and rating requirements, as well as industry-driven shortening development timelines.  Also, vehicle diversification continuously grows, with new models appearing faster and more frequently than at any time in the industry’s history. 

CAE for design optimization and virtual testing has made it possible to keep up with this dramatic increase in workload.  At eight centers of excellence throughout the world, OSS engineers and technicians test occupant safety systems and components, as well as the materials used in their manufacturing, to the limits of their capabilities.  Their work ensures that products leaving TRW factories fully meet regulatory, consumer and customer requirements.