KYB
For almost a century KYB has specialised in hydraulics, with technology widely used in the aeronautical, rail and maritime industries. KYB is Japans leading hydraulics company.
The KYB group, which has 8,200 employees worldwide, turns over $2.6 billion, of which 60% is from sales of automotive shock absorbers. From its 15 factories in Asia, Europe and the United States, KYB has an annual production capacity of more than 75 million shock absorbers. KYB has the largest shock absorber factory in the world (in Gifu, Japan), with a capacity of over 50 million pieces. It is highly automated and can change from producing one strut to another in 15 seconds. KYB Corporation is listed on the Tokyo stock exchange and exports its products to more than 100 countries across the world.
Safety
Worn shock absorbers increase the braking distance in comparison with effective shock absorbers by 2-3 meters at a speed of 80km/h. The cornering behavior also becomes unstable if the shock absorbers are showing signs of age. Test with shock absorbers that had only half their efficiency showed that the tyres lose contact with the road on tight corners and bumpy roads compared with fully functioning shock absorbers.
Electronics
Poor shock absorbers reduce the effect of modern electronic drive train components such as ABS and ASR or Electronic Stability Systems (ESP). When braking on a bumpy road from 80km/h, the braking distance increases by around 5 meters in vehicles with ABS and with defective shock absorbers, as opposed to vehicles without ABS and with defective shock absorbers, which means that braking is around 14% longer.
