Next Generation Dampers?
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October, 2007 |
KYB Corporation, the world's largest original equipment (OE) supplier
of shock absorbers, is working hard to develop the next generation
of shock absorbers.
Today, there is pressure on both vehicle and component manufacturers
to become more environmentally friendly. A shock absorber contains
250-300cc of oil, depending on the size of vehicle, meaning that
1 car uses approximately 1 litre of oil for its shock absorbers.
Oil is made from fossil fuel, which one day in the future will be
all gone. In addition to this, when shocks are disposed of, the
oil inside them affects soil pollution and can also generate CO2
gas when disposed.
As one of the worlds' largest manufacturers of shock absorbers,
KYB believes that non-oil shocks can be a sustainable and environmental
product. A number of prototypes are under development and are being
tested.
Bio Damper
The feature of this damper is to use bio-decomposed oil, instead
of regular oil. This causes less environmental damage when the product
is disposed of.
Alternative Oil Damper
This has the same structure as the bio damper and uses water soluble
liquid, which would reduce the use of oil.
Oil Free Damper
This uses inert gas instead of oil, which considerably reduces damage
against the environment. KYB is working on the theme of co-existence
with the earth and environmental shock absorbers are just one of
many initiatives being developed across the company's wide portfolio
of products.
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