– Receives international automobile functional safety standard certification for SCC•LKAS in software field from TUV SUD, German
– Extends the application of 4 safety systems including airbag control unit (AUC) to all mechatronics items next year
– Sets a solid foundation to gain international official approval for system safety, giving an impetus to securing global competitiveness
On December 10, MOBIS announced that the company became the first in the domestic automobile field to obtain ISO 26262 certification, receiving the certification at the MOBIS Research Center located in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, from TUV SUD, the prestigious international standard certification authority based in Germany.
ISO 26262 is the international standard for automobile functional safety, which aims to secure the safety of the software as well as electronic systems with a standardized design. As the use of electronic parts in automobile increases, electronic parts are forecast to be increasingly used, from 20~30% to 40~50% by 2015. This means that the complexity of software and systems will significantly increase, too, so that, consequently, the safety evaluation of electronic parts will become of paramount importance.
For instance, the software for MOBIS’s ESC (Electronic Stability Controller) has 100,000 lines in 2010, but that has more than doubled to 200,000 lines in only two years as advanced extra options were implemented as software. The software fitted in a single automobile now is very complex, containing about 1~20 million lines of code.
ISO (International Standard Organization) prepared a draft standard in 2009 and established ISO 26262 in November 2011 after years of hard work in order to prevent safety problems through the efficient management of the rapidly increasing numbers of more complex electronic systems. An electronic part that does not satisfy ISO 26262 cannot win the trust of complete automobile companies and, accordingly, will fall behind in terms of market competition.
MOBIS obtained ISO 262626 certification for its SCC (Smart Cruise Control) and LKAS (Lane Keeping Assist System) software that’s still under development. This is the first ISO 26262 certification among domestic completed automobile and parts companies and MOBIS is also faster in terms of obtaining the certification compared to the world’s leading companies. Even leading global companies have not received the certification as it has been only a year since this international standard was established.
MOBIS organized an exclusive group and prepared itself to obtain the certification prior to the actual release of the international standard. TUV SUD confirmed that the company fulfilled all the requirements for ISO 26262 through a general inspection conducted for 40 days from last October. This was followed by the final technical inspection for 3 days from November 12 to 14, and the production inspection at Jin cheon Plant, with the plant specialized in electronic parts on November 20.
“As both hardware and software of automobiles are becoming increasingly complex and the electronic parts are rapidly taking an increasing share of a car’s setup, the market demand for system safety has also become correspondingly elevated. MOBIS has proved its world-class safety by fulfilling the 215 strict requirements of ISO 26262 ranging from development to production”, said Kim DUil, President of TUV SUD Korea.
MOBIS plans to gradually extend the use of ISO 26262-certified items to all mechatronics items from 2014. The company initially aims promote the acquisition of the certification for 4 safety systems including ACU next year.
With this certification, MOBIS has put in place a foundation to acquire a global cachet for the safety of its electronic parts under development as well as SCC and LKAS. It has also managed to secure a more advantageous environment in terms of its sales marketing aimed at both domestic and overseas completed automobile companies.
“Based on our experience of obtaining the certification for SCC and LKAS, we will continue to develop various safe and convenient technologies that fulfill ISO 26262 and thereby gain global recognition for the safety of our products while securing global competitiveness in the electronic parts market”, said Lee Bonghwan, Vice President and Head of MOBIS Research and Development Division.
Meanwhile, MOBIS has obtained ISO/TS 16949, the most significant international standard for automotive parts related technology and quality, ISO 14001, which is the international standard related to environmental management and ISO 27001.
