Kiekert Develops Technology To Reduce Car Door Damage

HEILIGENHAUS, Germany, July 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Kiekert AG, the leader in automotive closure-system technology, plans to introduce an innovative "brake system" for car doors called "i-protect."

Kiekert's sensor-based system is designed to reduce sheet metal damage and costly insurance claims by automatically stopping car doors from striking other objects as they are being opened.

The idea for the "i-protect" system initially was developed as a technology project by students at Cologne's Erzbischoefliche Liebfrauenschule in Germany. The project took first place in a recent "business@school" competition for high-school students sponsored by the Boston Consulting Group. Kiekert, the leading global supplier of car-door locking systems, supported the student team in the competition and will further develop and industrialize the innovation.

"Our work with business@school, as well as our partnership programs with universities throughout the world, helps us maintain our position as the technology leader in automotive locking systems," said Dr. Karl Krause, Kiekert's CEO.

The mechanism built into Kiekert's i-protect system will stop car doors from slamming into parked cars, garage walls and other obstacles and potentially could eliminate millions of irritating and often costly dings and dents, Dr. Krause noted.

The Cologne student group will retain patent rights to its basic, award-winning technology as part of the business@school program and its partnership with Kiekert.

Kiekert works closely with a wide variety of external partners in industry and academia, including ties with the University of Bochum in Germany, Yichun University in China, Kettering University in the United States and the Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico.

About Kiekert AG – www.kiekert.com 
Founded in 1857, Kiekert AG is recognized as the global auto industry's leading developer of car, light truck and commercial vehicle locking systems. The company has six development centers, six production sites and two sales locations with 5,100 employees in nine countries. Kiekert develops, produces and sells tailor-made solutions for its customers. Its anticipated turnover for the 2015 business year is more than 800 million euros.

About business@school
Business@school is a Boston Consulting Group educational initiative to promote closer working relationships between business and education. More than 2,000 students per year participate in the program. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.business-at-school.net.

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SOURCE Kiekert AG

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