Tenneco Inc. (NYSE: TEN) and Sturman Industries, Inc. today announced that Tenneco has acquired exclusive rights to the digital valve technology used in Tenneco’s DRiV™ suspension products, which was previously licensed from Sturman. DRiV™ is a suspension system designed by Tenneco featuring electronically controlled dampers with hydraulic valves for use in automotive, light and heavy-duty trucks, off-road equipment, locomotives, and other vehicle damping applications.
“DRiV™ is an exciting part of Tenneco’s portfolio of advanced ride control technologies” said Tim Jackson, Chief Technology Officer, Tenneco. “The advanced digital valve technology helps make the benefits of electronic suspensions more affordable for a wide variety of applications including B and C segment vehicle models, which represent more than 50 percent of cars and light vehicles produced every year.”
Electronically controlled suspension systems deliver the ideal blend of ride comfort and handling by continuously adjusting a vehicle’s dampers based on road conditions and vehicle dynamics such as speed, turning, cornering and driver inputs. DRiV™ offers many of the benefits of adjustable dampers without requiring an external dedicated electronic control unit (ECU). The system features an internal valve with the electronics integrated in the damper, providing a compact, lightweight, and low-power solution.
“Sturman is pleased with the benefits our controls implementation brought to the Tenneco DRiV suspension system. It’s a good example of the performance and cost advantage our advanced digital valves and control system strategies can bring to applications”, said Carol Sturman, President of Sturman Industries.
