Jason Sandefur

TZ Inc. claimed “significant progress” with the commercialization of its Intevia Intelligent Fastening Technology with the receipt of development agreements and purchase orders from three of its early adopter customers.
TZ has been awarded a subcontract under their joint development agreement with BAE Systems to provide Intevia mechanisms for military qualification testing.
“This new agreement is evidence of the tangible progress we’re making with our early adopter customers,” said TZ Group CEO David Feber. “Our co-development work this past year with BAE has generated this milestone order, and further enables Intevia technology to successfully be introduced into military applications.”
A joint partnership was formed late last year between BAE and TZ to develop and market Intevia technology for military applications. The agreement calls for Intevia to provide secure access and improved maintenance solutions to several applications under development.
The commercialization of Intevia fasteners in the automotive and ground transportation industries has also progressed through applications that two early adopter customers are developing. An unnamed automotive Tier One supplier has issued a purchase order for TZ to develop and engineer a quick-release seatbelt buckle mechanism.
In addition, TZ is collaborating with Visteon Corp. to develop an Intevia-enabled electronic glove box latch. The glove box application – featured on a concept vehicle – is a low-cost latching system that provides increased security and energy efficiencies as well as improved ergonomics. The integration of Intevia technology, which incorporates shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators, allows for lighter weight and also significant noise reductions over current devices and systems used in vehicles.
Named “X-Wave,” the concept vehicle features more than 50 innovative technologies. Two solution-based prototype vehicles have been built to demonstrate technologies that are addressing such social trends as comfort, connectivity, convenience, health, flexibility and sensory. One vehicle is scheduled to be showcased in several key cities in North America while the second vehicle will visit major European cities.
“Working with such innovative early adopter customers as the automotive Tier One supplier, Visteon and BAE Systems is leading the way for our technology to be recognized as the best solution in many applications across all industries,” said Feber.
At the end of 2007 TZ had 53 active patent groups totaling 255 active applications and 25 granted patents. TZ has initiated plans to delist on the Australian Stock Exchange and list with NASDAQ by the end of 2008. Web: tzlimited.com \ �2008 FastenerNews.com