KATOWICE , Poland , May 31, 2006 – Tenneco (NYSE: TEN) announced today that it is supplying retrofit diesel particulate filters (DPF) to Toyota Motor Europe (TME) for its complete European diesel car range.
Tenneco started DPF production this month at its emission control manufacturing facility in Rybnik , Poland , following six months of accelerated engineering and product development on behalf of the Japanese OEM. Mark P. Frissora, Chairman and CEO, Tenneco Inc., said: "The award of this important business recognizes the Tenneco commitment to design, quality, delivery and price."
The Toyota program was developed in record time from concept through design, stress analysis and Finite Element Analysis (FEA), to prototyping, Failure Modes & Effects Analysis (FMEA), industrialization, sampling and R&D and production audits by TMC Japan. "The choice of Poland as the centre of excellence for designing, engineering and manufacturing retrofit DPFs for Toyota was key to providing a top quality product quickly and at a competitive price," Frissora said.
Tenneco will manufacture the full exhaust system, including the DPF, for part of the Toyota range and supply DPF units as a Tier 2 supplier to Sango and Arvin Meritor for the balance. The business involves coordination of a global supply chain with components coming from Japan , Germany , the UK , Turkey and Poland as well as managing logistics and Tier 1, 2 and 3 suppliers on a global basis.
Diesel particulate filters for original equipment (OE) applications remove particulate matter from diesel engine exhaust in a closed loop system. When gases carrying particulate matter flow through the filter's substrate walls, particulate matter is trapped and collected in the filter. A regeneration process, triggered by the engine management system, then burns off the soot using either a fuel borne additive or a catalytic filter coating. Filters are completely cleaned or replaced at a service interval between 150,000 and 225,000 km.
DPF for OES applications work in an open loop system wherein there is no communication between the filter and the engine management system to trigger the burning process. Instead, the design and the coating support continuous regeneration of the filter.
The advantage of an open loop – or passive system – is it doesn't require any calibration at the time of installation. Tenneco engineers in Poland and Germany worked closely with emission control experts at Toyota to overcome the challenges of size, weight and fit in order to minimize any noise, vibration, harshness (NVH) issues on retrofit vehicles.
Tenneco was one of the first global suppliers to offer both additive and catalyst-coated diesel particulate filter technologies in series production for Europe 's vehicle manufacturers. It first began production of OE diesel particulate filter technology in 2000 in conjunction with PSA Peugeot-Citroën for the Citroën C5 and Peugeot 406 diesel passenger vehicles. Today the company also supplies DPF for DaimlerChrysler's Mercedes-Benz C-Class, E-Class and CLK passenger cars, Jaguar S-Type, VW Sharan and the Audi A6 and A4. The company also continues to supply PSA on its new Peugeot 407, Peugeot 807, Citroën C5 and C8, Fiat Ulysse and Lancia Phedra models.
Tenneco is a $4.4 billion manufacturing company with headquarters in Lake Forest , Illinois and approximately 19,000 employees worldwide. Tenneco Automotive is one of the world's largest designers, manufacturers and marketers of emission control and ride control products and systems for the automotive original equipment market and the aftermarket. Tenneco Automotive markets its products principally under the Monroe®, Walker®, Gillet® and Clevite® Elastomer brand names.
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Words such as "will" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations of the company (including its subsidiaries). Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, the company's plans, actions and actual results could differ materially. Among the factors that could cause these plans, actions and results to differ materially from current expectations are: (i) changes in automotive manufacturers' production rates and their actual and forecasted requirements for the company's products and the company's resultant inability to realize the sales represented by its awarded book of business; (ii) changes in consumer demand and prices, including decreases in demand for automobiles which include the company's products and the potential negative impact on the company's revenues and margins from such products; and (iii) the timing and occurrence (or non-occurrence) of transactions and events which may be subject to circumstances beyond the control of the company and its subsidiaries. The company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release. |
KATOWICE, Poland, May 31, 2006 – Tenneco (NYSE: TEN) announced today that it is supplying the front strut module and rear shock for the new Suzuki Swift Sport launched in Japan. The sport version comes as an addition to the conventional suspension business for the Swift, which Tenneco was awarded in September 2003 and started production in January 2005.
The Swift Sport is the result of what the Japanese manufacturer describes as the outcome of extensive collaboration between Suzuki designers and engineers and the European automotive industry "in pursuit of Suzuki's best compact car ever". In order to engineer a suspension system which would respond to the manufacturers' desire to create a specific driving experience, Tenneco's state-of-the-art Monroe Engineering and Technology Centre (METC) in Belgium worked to create suspension components that provide a tight, sporty ride without sacrificing comfort. The result is a car described in the trade press as having a ride and handling combination among the best in its category.
"Product design, computer simulation, testing, ride work and tuning are core competencies of Tenneco's ride control business. These enable us to develop, produce and refine suspension solutions that match the specific 'DNA' of any manufacturer's car," said Mark P. Frissora, Chairman and CEO, Tenneco Inc. "Our ride and tuning experts worked with Suzuki engineers and test drivers to pinpoint and define the true feeling that Suzuki wanted this limited edition specialized car to have."
Suzuki features the Monroe® logo on the Swift Sport's shocks and promotes the use of Monroe® replacement shock absorbers in the owner's manual. This demonstrates Suzuki's recognition of the brand equity Monroe® enjoys in the aftermarket, particularly since the primary objective of a replacement shock absorber is to maintain or restore the vehicle's original comfort, handling and braking characteristics. Tenneco's experience in manufacturing and tuning shock absorbers for volume vehicle production provides unique insight when supplying the replacement market with shock absorbers that can reproduce the original vehicle dynamics.
"We gained a lot of credibility with Suzuki working on the original Swift," said Colin Richardson, global ride and handling manager, Tenneco. "Suzuki wanted us to use our experience in tuning suspension for the sports compact category to produce a best-in-class model. The instant you get inside the car you feel like you're in something really special."
Ride work and tuning was done by Tenneco for the entire suspension, including the springs, dampers and tires. The award of suspension component business for Suzuki's domestic production makes Suzuki the third Japanese customer to source Tenneco's European-produced shocks for export to Japan . Others include Nissan and Mazda.
Tenneco is a $4.4 billion manufacturing company with headquarters in Lake Forest , Illinois and approximately 19,000 employees worldwide. Tenneco Automotive is one of the world's largest designers, manufacturers and marketers of emission control and ride control products and systems for the automotive original equipment market and the aftermarket. Tenneco Automotive markets its products principally under the Monroe®, Walker®, Gillet® and Clevite® Elastomer brand names.
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Words such as "will" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations of the company (including its subsidiaries). Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, the company's plans, actions and actual results could differ materially. Among the factors that could cause these plans, actions and results to differ materially from current expectations are: (i) changes in automotive manufacturers' production rates and their actual and forecasted requirements for the company's products and the company's resultant inability to realize the sales represented by its awarded book of business; (ii) changes in consumer demand and prices, including decreases in demand for automobiles which include the company's products and the potential negative impact on the company's revenues and margins from such products; and (iii) the timing and occurrence (or non-occurrence) of transactions and events which may be subject to circumstances beyond the control of the company and its subsidiaries. The company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release. |