Safety Systems Group | Our Business | Global "sukima" ideas NIPPON KAYAKU Co., Ltd.

Protection of human life during motor vehicle accidents

The Safety Systems Division has been developing, manufacturing and selling automotive safety components. Since its inception, Nippon Kayaku has been manufacturing industrial explosives as well as detonators required for triggering explosion. Superior techniques related to igniter, detonation, and explosive combustion have been developed by the company during the course of its long history. These techniques have been used in the development of "inflators," which are gas-generating devices for inflating airbags when accidents occur, "micro gas generators (MGGs)," which are gas-generating devices used for tightening the seat belt in case of a crash, and "squibs," which are used for detonating these devices.

The Safety Systems Division has plants in five countries around the world-Japan (Himeji), Czech Republic (Indet Safety Systems a.s., Vsetin; Nippon Kayaku, CZ, s.r.o., Jablunka), USA (LifeSpark Inc., California), China (Kayaku (Huzhou) Safety Systems Co., Ltd., Zheijiang,), and Mexico (Kayaku Safety Systems de Mexico, S.A. de C.V., Monterrey)-and aims to expand its business globally.

Currently, motor vehicles around the world are equipped with the abovementioned inflators, MGGs, and squibs, which help reduce loss to human life in the event of motor vehicle accidents.

Excerpts from data provided by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Transport Authority

Introduction of the main products

Inflator

An inflator is a gas-generating device used for inflating airbags. At Nippon Kayaku, we initially manufactured inflators for driver and passenger airbags, and subsequently expanded the application of the device to side airbag, curtain airbag, and knee airbags. We continue to develop of new products to further enhance safety of motor vehicles.

Micro Gas Generator (MGG)

A micro gas generator (MGG) is a gas-generating device used for a mechanism in which the seatbelt is tightened in the case of a motor vehicle collision.
When the seatbelt is tightened, the body of the occupant is affixed in the correct position and is aligned with the airbag. This enhances the effectiveness of the airbag, thereby ensuring the safety of the passenger.
The use of the device is considered for various other applications including positioning of the passenger headrest and seat for safety, as well as a mechanism for springing the bonnet up to protect pedestrians in the event of a crash.

Squib

A squib is an ignition component built into the "inflator" and "MGG." Once the sensor onboard a motor vehicle detects a crash, electric current flows to the squib. The squib is triggered by the heat that ignites an agent inside the squib, leading to the ignition and combustion of the gas-generating agent inside the inflator and MGG, thereby generating gas.

Operation mechanism of automotive safety components

1. The crash sensor incorporated into the front section of a motor vehicle senses the impact
2. The diagnosis unit decides whether or not the impact is caused by an accident
3. If the impact is confirmed to be caused by an accident, an electric signal is transmitted to the squib
4. The electrial signal then ignites the igniting agent in the squib
5. The gas-generating agent ignites and generates gas
6. "Airbags" inflate, while the "seatbelt pretensioner" simultaneously fastens the seat belt and absorbs the shock received by the passenger.

*Note: actions 1-6 above occur within 0.05 seconds.

Indet Safety Systems a.s.	Manufacturing and sales of squibs and micro gas generators
LifeSparc Inc.	Manufacturing and sales of squibs and micro gas generators
Nippon Kayaku CZ, s.r.o.	Manufacturing and sales of gas generant
Kayaku Safety Systems (HuZhou) Co., Ltd.	Manufacturing and sales of inflators and micro gas generators
Kayaku Safety Systems de Mexico, S.A. de C.V.	Manufacturing and sales of micro gas generators