Safety first Britax Römer

SAFETY FIRST

Britax Römer produces a wide range of child safety products, from car seats and baby carriers to bicycle seats and prams, plus complete travel systems for maximum flexibility.

Formerly part of the Childcare Division of Britax International, Römer was taken out of the group in 2006 when the Childcare Division was separated. The Britax name remains as a brand in the UK but the European company uses the Britax Römer label. Childcare covers pushchairs, car seats and bicycle seats – in short the whole area of safe travel for children. The products are known worldwide, but in Australia, for example, different brand names are used. Within Europe, every country is covered, including those of the former Soviet Union.

From its base in Ulm, Germany, Römer manufactures and distributes high quality safety products. The company’s mission statement is ‘the protection of children in road traffic’. In German-speaking regions of Europe, Römer is the market leader in child car safety seats. It is also the market leader in central Europe. With its own marketing operation, products are sold via all distribution channels including nursery shops, vehicle manufacturers, department stores, supermarkets and mail order houses. There is also a UK manufacturing facility in Andover, plus subsidiaries in France, Finland and Sweden, and an agent in Italy.

In 2012, Britax Römer won a coveted ‘Red Dot Award: Product Design 2012’ for its TRIFIX car seat. The 30-strong jury were impressed by its combination of a thoughtful, highly functional concept and an almost puristic, elegant design with an emphasis on simplicity.

A progression of seats

Capturing first-time customers is important, because this is definitely not a one-size-fits-all business, and equipment must be updated as the child grows. “Babies have to leave hospital in an infant carrier,” explains a company representative. “That takes babies from new born to nine months. It’s really all done by the child’s weight, so you would then go to a Group 1 car seat which will take them to the age of four. There is a lot of pressure to get children out of car seats by this age.”

When the child gets older it should have a Booster Seat; these are for the four to eleven age range and are designed primarily to seat the child so that the lap section of the car’s seat belt is correctly positioned to provide the normal, expected protection. By this age children have stopped using seats with integral restraints.

Style is another factor to be taken into consideration, so the company offers different ranges for different tastes. This is more to suit the child than its parents. Children inevitably reach an age when a special seat is associated with being ‘a baby’. “Well, it’s our job to design a seat that, say an eight year old, is happy to sit in,” says the company representative. “So in addition to the necessary safety factors we have to incorporate ‘cool’ features that appeal to them – a

holder for their Coke can or a mount for their i-Pod or mobile phone, reading light for night travel or whatever. Then they’ll get involved in choosing the seat themselves.”

Within the UK, Britax is a dominant player with over 40 per cent of the market share, but it is also strong in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Scandinavia. Even throughout the global financial downturn of recent years, people still needed to buy safety products like car seats.

Product development

Worldwide, the group has around 70 people involved in research and development, of whom 20 are in Europe – 10 in each of the Ulm and Andover facilities.

Römer’s development section utilises the most modern 3D-CAD equipment for the design of new products, and equipment with the capability of creating computer simulation of accident loads. In impact tests for accident simulation on the company’s own test rig, dummies equipped with accelerometers and dynamometers are used. The values are measured and the film evaluations of the motion sequence form the basis for the development of effective and ergonomic child safety systems.

In test laboratories duration tests are also performed which prove the functioning of components under various loads. Specially designed devices and measuring equipment are used.

As with all aspects of the business, keeping up to date is essential, making change a normal part of the business, as the company representative explains, “Technology and legislation change so quickly that even the Britax products of a few years ago will not conform to today’s requirements. Priorities will continue to change. A few years ago the focus was on forward and backward impacts but then the matter of side impacts took on a new emphasis.”

For the future, he considers that the emphasis will be on simplicity of products and less weight. n