Active Seatbelt Retractor

May 1, 2014

Jennifer Shuttleworth

TRW Automotive Holdings Corp.'s second-generation active control retractor system (ACR2) has started production on the 2014 Cadillac CTS. As the first launch of this advanced seatbelt technology in North America, the system combines active and passive approaches to offer enhanced safety, comfort, and convenience to vehicle occupants. ACR2 is designed to use braking and stability control sensor information to recognize critical situations before a potential accident. According to TRW, the system reacts by helping to secure the driver and passenger by removing seatbelt slack so the occupant position is improved in advance of an impending crash. Compared to its predecessor, the new system is significantly reduced in both size and weight based on the addition of a brush motor (in lieu of a brushless motor), a redesigned clutch, and a toothed belt with spur gear transmission. Such features provide improved packaging and design flexibility, and help to reduce costs for the vehicle manufacturer, claims the company.