Reliable safety thanks to close cooperation across the ocean

The excellent and beneficial cooperation between Brazilian seatbelt manufacturer Chris Cintos de Segurança and SFS started 2006 with the development of a special three-gear torsion bar for a new smaller retractor with load-limiting function. In 2021 SFS produced and delivered more than one million torsion bars for Chris Cintos.

Added value

SFS as development partner for torsion bars
Decades of experience with continuous improvement
Higher safety in cars means fewer serious accidents

Based in São Paulo (Brazil), Chris Cintos de Segurança is the leading seatbelt manufacturer in South America and produces more than 75% of the retractors used in cars built in the region. Chris Cintos has 1,200 employees and is very well known in the local automotive industry. The company manufactures most of the retractor components required in-house.

Christos Mitropoulos, CEO of Chris Cintos de Segurança, describes what collaborating with SFS is like, why we are such an important development partner and why the long-established Brazilian family company purchases torsion bars from SFS.

SFS_PORTRAIT_CEO_Christos_Mitropoulos_Cintos_de_Segurança_1920px — Christos Mitropoulos, CEO of Chris Cintos de Segurança

“First of all, thank you very much for your time, Mr. Mitropoulos. What is the situation in the South American automotive industry, and how has Chris Cintos de Segurança managed the difficult period during the pandemic?”

“Thank you for inviting Chris Cintos to participate in this SFS success story.

During the first few months of the pandemic the automotive industry suffered in South America, as it did all over the world. In Brazil, most OEMs halted production for approximately three months, but volumes bounced back surprisingly fast after that. Given Chris Cintos’ overall conservative business strategy, we were able to adapt rapidly to the new reality that the COVID-19 pandemic presented. Holding high stocks of raw materials and components was key to meeting customer demand. Partnership and constant communication with our suppliers, especially SFS, were essential in keeping the supply chain provisioned.

Uncertainty increased around the world, and emerging markets like Brazil suffered as investors opted to disinvest from the country, pushing down the currency. As a result we became even more competitive, thanks to our vertical integration and low exposure to imported raw materials and components. This presented us with an opportunity to increase our market share in South America and export record volumes abroad.”

“Chris Cintos is highly vertically integrated and you manufacture most of the seatbelt com-ponents yourselves. This is very impressive and distinguishes you from other safety component producers. Why did you select SFS as your development and supply partner for torsion bars?”

“Indeed, Chris Cintos has an extensively vertically integrated operation at our plant in São Paulo. This is motivated by two factors: quality and competitiveness. Since we manufacture safety products, it is important to control the production of parts to ensure quality. Over time, we have gradually aggregated more processes in our plant because we were able to be more competitive than our previous suppliers.

SFS delivers both quality and competitiveness. Torsion bars are sophisticated components and require a significant level of expertise. For us, the decisive factors in choosing a suitable development partner for challenging seat belt parts like torsions bar were length of experience and depth of expertise. So we could not have chosen a better partner than SFS.”

Torsionsstabs_fuer_doppelten_Gurtstraffer_1920px

“What do you particularly value in your collaboration with SFS?”

“Quality. The torsion bar is a crucial component in seat belt performance. If it breaks, the whole safety system breaks. And in all these years we have never had a torsion bar malfunction.”

“What were the key factors in successfully completing the latest project?”

“Being able to deliver a new project on time is very much appreciated in our industry, and SFS has always done so. Also, the close communication with our engineering team provides important inputs and has always been helpful in developing the best products.”

“What are the most important factors in a beneficial relationship between supplier and customer?”

“Mutual respect.”

SFS thanks Mr. Mitropoulos for his answers and is proud of the successful teamwork over recent years – and hopefully in the years to come too.