Beecham's Tech-Talk
By: Matthew Beecham
Matthew Beecham interviews automotive component industry specialists to learn more about changing technologies and new innovations.
Q&A with Bridgestone
8 March 2013
Continuing just-auto’s series of interviews with major tyre manufacturers, Matthew Beecham talked with executives from Bridgestone about the use of winter tyres in parts of Europe, tyre labelling, regulatory pressures, TPMS and run-flats.
Q&A with TNO: Pedestrian and cyclist protection
7 March 2013
Protecting the pedestrian has been talked about for some time yet cyclist safety appears to have only recently been given the attention it deserves. For its part, Dutch firm TNO is developing an external airbag to protect pedestrians and cyclists in the event of a collision. The researchers used simulations, combined with real world accident data, to study the precise areas of the car a cyclist is most likely to come into contact with. Continuing just-auto's series of interviews with companies pushing back the technical boundaries in the active and passive safety arena, Matthew Beecham talked with TNO's project manager Margriet van Schijndel-de Nooij to find out more.
Q&A with Falken Tire
6 March 2013
Last year, Japanese manufacturer Falken released five new tyres, developed three new OEM partnerships and continued its involvement in motorsport with the Nürburgring 24 Hours. Continuing just-auto's series of interviews with major tyre makers, Matthew Beecham talked with Falken's UK and Ireland Director, Matt Smith to take stock on the company's business.
Q&A with Mobileye Vision Technologies: Review of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
4 March 2013
Mobileye develops and provides the automotive industry with ADAS capabilities based on monocular vision. The monocular vision technologies include objects (pedestrian and vehicle) detection, lane detection and traffic sign recognition and high/low beam control. These technologies are powered by Mobileye's System-on-Chip – (EyeQ) and provide a multitude of applications running in parallel. To find out more, Matthew Beecham talked with Dr. Itay Gat, vice president of production programmes, Mobileye Vision Technologies.
Q&A with Ficosa: Review of advanced driver assistance systems
1 March 2013
Although advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are increasingly fitted to new cars as drivers request them, Euro NCAP's tightened safety requirements will boost such installed equipment rates over the next few years. In this interview, Matthew Beecham talked with executives of Ficosa to get a better understanding of the market for certain camera and sensor based ADAS, namely lane departure warning systems, cruise control systems and traffic sign recognition systems.
Q&A with TRW: Review of advanced driver assistance systems
28 February 2013
TRW's portfolio of forward-looking camera options can be scaled to the needs of vehicle makers - from lane-keeping and guidance systems to functions such as object- and traffic sign recognition and pedestrian protection. Its cameras can also be oriented for rear-facing for back-over and rear object proximity warnings and park assistance systems. In this interview, Matthew Beecham talked to TRW's executives about the market for certain camera and sensor based ADAS systems.
February 2013 management briefing: Automotive interiors (1)
18 February 2013
This month's management briefing considers that latest developments in automotive interiors. In this first instalment, extracted from the QUBE's cockpits and instrumentation intelligence service, Matthew Beecham talks to Inteva Products about trends in the design and appearance of instrument panels.
Q&A with Visteon: Powertrain cooling systems
11 February 2013
Continuing our series of interviews with global component manufacturers, Matthew Beecham talked with Nigel Seeds – Technical Fellow, Powertrain Cooling, Visteon and Bernd Kirmse – Marketing, Climate Control Systems, Visteon about trends in powertrain cooling systems.
Q&A with BorgWarner: Dual clutch transmissions
22 January 2013
Europe may have long resisted the automatic gearbox but environmental and fuel efficiency legislation combined with major advances in electronics and manufacturing techniques have paved the way for a flood of new automated transmission technologies, including dual clutch transmissions (DCTs). In this interview, Matthew Beecham talked with Alexander Moser, Supervisor Advanced Product Engineering, Clutch Systems, BorgWarner about just how the DCT market is shaping-up.
Q&A with JCI: Seating developments
21 January 2013
Continuing just-auto’s series of interviews with major vehicle seat manufacturers, Matthew Beecham talked with Jeffrey Lindberg, Senior Product and Business Development Manager, Johnson Controls Inc and Johan Vissers, Design Manager, Johnson Controls Inc about seat designs, consumer tastes and methods to produces seats using green materials and processes.
Q&A with International Automotive Components (IAC)
9 January 2013
Continuing just-auto’s series of interviews with major interior suppliers, Matthew Beecham talked with Rien Segers, Senior Vice President Engineering & Development Europe, International Automotive Components, about instrument panels.
Q&A with Goodyear
11 December 2012
Continuing just-auto’s series of interviews with major tyre makers, Matthew Beecham talked with Kate Rock, customer and brand public relations and James Bailey, director, brand public relations, Goodyear Dunlop Europe about the use of winter tyres, tyre labelling and runflat tyres.
Q&A with GS Yuasa
11 December 2012
Continuing just-auto’s series of interviews with major automotive battery producers, Matthew Beecham talked with Masato Furumi, General Manager, Business Promotion Department, Automotive Battery Business Promotion Division, International Business Unit, GS Yuasa International Ltd.
Q&A with Western Lithium
26 November 2012
In this interview, Matthew Beecham talked with Jay Chmelauskas, President, Western Lithium USA Corporation. Western Lithium is a chemical company developing a new source of lithium to supply the battery industry with molecules of lithium. As lithium batteries become the de facto technology for electric transportation, the company expects a step shift in demand in the next several years.
Q&A with Axeon: Review of advanced automotive batteries
21 November 2012
Based in Dundee, Scotland, Axeon designs, develops and manufactures customised advanced lithium-ion battery packs and charging systems for a range of automotive and other applications, with its core business in developing and supplying such systems for use in electric and hybrid electric vehicles. In this interview, Matthew Beecham talked with George Peterson and Dr Allan Paterson of Axeon.
Q&A with Prodrive: Carbon fibre in vehicle manufacture
14 November 2012
Carbon fibre reinforced plastics have been drawing industry attention as their lightness and strength can help the fuel efficiency of vehicles, but the time-consuming work required to produce the materials is a drawback. Here, Matthew Beecham talked with Gary White, engineering manager, Prodrive Composites about the use of carbon fibre in vehicle manufacture.
Q&A with Delphi: review of powertrain cooling systems
9 November 2012
Continuing just-auto’s series of interviews with global automotive component manufacturers, Matthew Beecham talked with Dr Prasad Kadle, director, advanced engineering, Delphi Thermal Systems about trends in powertrain cooling systems.
Q&A with TRW: Review of electronic braking systems
1 November 2012
Continuing just-auto’s series of interviews with the world’s leading brake manufacturers, Matthew Beecham talked with Vince Austin, Director of Product Planning for TRW’s Braking Systems business.
Q&A with Continental: fuel injection
24 October 2012
In our third and final interview with Continental while at this year’s commercial show at Hanover, Matthew Beecham talked with Wolfgang Gutbrod, Head of the commercial vehicles customer segment Business Unit Engine Systems.
Q&A with Continental: Sensors and Actuators
16 October 2012
Continental used a 600-square metre booth at this year’s commercial vehicle show at Hanover to display its innovations for the automotive megatrends of safety, environment, information and the industry trend of efficiency. In the second of three interviews with Continental, Matthew Beecham talked with Klaus Hau, Executive Vice President, Sensors & Actuators, Continental Powertrain and Leif Reinhold, Business Development Director, Sensors & Actuators, Continental Powertrain to find out more.
