PMF find out more about Aisin’s ‘business ethos’, and how it is reflected in its latest steering and suspension programme.
In Europe, Aisin has been active since 1982, and has strived to offer a variety of quality parts. Besides the clutch and cooling business, Aisin is also a shareholder in the brake business via ADVIC’S. In order to increase its range of products, the company is launching a steering and suspension programme. Chassis parts are the second most critical safety components on vehicles, after brake parts. It is a complex network of linked components that are impacted by many external factors, such as road condition (potholes, speed bumps, etc.) or weather conditions (temperature difference, snow, salt, etc.).
When you think about suspension, you think about the shock absorber, but there’s more to it than just that; as aforementioned, it’s an intricate network of components that starts with the tyre. A poor component in this chain could speed up the wear and tear of the chassis parts, making the car unsafe to drive.
Valuing the opinion of its customers, Aisin insists that it will attempt to achieve its goals by listening to their opinions. With the European market changing so quickly and the number of vehicles in operation continuing to grow, the company is aware that it has to follow the trends.
Aisin claims to provide only premium quality products, with a varied range of hard parts and rubber to metal parts. Depending on the material used in OE steering and suspension parts, the company’s aftermarket parts will be produced in either high-grade steel or aluminium. All steel parts will receive a Cataphoresis coating, which comes with Aisin’s 10-year guarantee against corrosion. Vehicle manufacturers are using more aluminium to reduce vehicle weight in the chassis, for example, which contributes to a 4% improvement in fuel consumption and CO₂ output, and this is a trend that is also occurring in steering and suspension components.
As the steering and suspension system is the second most frequent item to fail in annual technical vehicle inspections, it is of paramount importance to ensure that only the highest quality parts are fitted. The deterioration of steering and suspension components isn’t like many other vehicle components that fail; it’s gradual. This means that the driver may not necessarily notice the issue until they’re involved in an emergency manoeuvre, or they have taken a bend slightly too fast. The consequences of the failure of these components may be critical, so it’s important that when technicians are fitting them, they should be using premium parts to ensure the safety of the end user.
