Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Driven by increasingly stringent global automotive safety regulations and the rapid upgrade of new energy vehicle configurations, airbags—key components of passive safety systems—are undergoing a new wave of technological iteration.
On June 11, Ningbo PIA Automation Holding Corp. ("PIA Automation"), a subsidiary of Joyson Holding, announced it had secured an order from a prominent international Tier-1 automotive supplier for a driver airbag (DAB) assembly and testing line. The line represents China's first fully automated production system employing a rotary-type folding mechanism. Thanks to PIA's integrated hardware and software solution, the line's cycle time has been dramatically shortened from 55 seconds to just 15 seconds, significantly boosting production speed.
The new production line is designed for the latest generation of airbag products, which feature updated materials and performance specifications. These advancements place higher demands on production processes and technical precision.
A standout innovation of the line is the replacement of the traditional single-station flip-folding method with a multi-station rotary folding system. This not only enhances the accuracy and stability of the folding process but also greatly improves assembly speed, delivering simultaneous gains in both efficiency and product quality. In addition, the line is equipped with PIA Automation's proprietary hot-air welding solution for airbag label attachment.
From a technical perspective, aerodynamic modeling has been applied in designing the welding fixtures to ensure rapid and uniform shaping of the products. On the temperature control front, a fuzzy-PID algorithm has been adopted to enhance temperature precision during the welding process. The system maintains consistent weld quality and ensures each weld point meets stringent standards, offering valuable insight for broader applications of hot-air welding in nameplate and precision plastic welding.
With safety regulations tightening and configuration upgrades becoming a key selling point for new energy vehicles, the global airbag market is poised for simultaneous growth in both volume and value. According to QYResearch, the global airbag market is expected to expand from USD 12.78 billion in 2024 to USD 14.46 billion by 2031.
PIA Automation is steadily increasing the share of standardized products in its portfolio and has developed a dedicated automation solution for airbag folding, featuring two stations and supporting sizes from 1.2 to 3 meters. Standardized solutions offer the advantages of predictable production cycles, easier cost estimation, and fixed process flows. Looking ahead, the company plans to further increase the proportion of standardized product sales to balance quarterly revenue and profit distribution.
