UL Issues its First Tier-One Enterprise-Wide ISO 26262 Functional Safety ASIL D Lifecycle Process Certification to Panasonic Automotive
Farmington Hills, MI - Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, is pleased to announce it has achieved ISO 26262 2018, Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) D process certification from UL, the global safety science leader. This is the first time UL has given this certification to a tier-one supplier. Panasonic Automotive is making a conscious investment across the company to reinforce functional safety protocol, a top priority for automotive customers and, importantly, a priority for their end consumers.
The North American regional UL safety certification process examines compliance under the international automotive standard ISO 26262 and helps companies to implement a more integrative strategy to improve functional processes. These opportunities include certifying functional safety engineers, to enhancing innovation or manufacturing processes, to enhancing product development protocols. “With the rapid changes in the automotive industry fueled by the advances in new technology, UL continues to help partners and customers navigate the complex technical challenges of today’s functional safety landscape. By leading with science and safety, UL helps companies apply new and innovative solutions,” said Milan Dotlich, vice president and general manager for UL's Energy and Industrial Automation group. “We congratulate Panasonic Automotive in helping to advance functional safety in the automotive industry and for being the first to achieve the ISO 26262 2018 ASIL D process certification from UL.”
Specifically, an ASIL D process certification requires:
- Certified Specialists: Panasonic Automotive certifies its engineers to UL, TUV NORD, TUV SUD, SGS TUV requirements and to Panasonic functional safety skill qualifications
- ASIL Safe Procedures: Pre-determined functional safety gates as part of enhanced product / technology development with special digital tools to meet ISO 26262 2018 standards
- Process Intentionality: Safety related special characteristics (e.g. end-of-line calibration, etc.) are integrated into manufacturing to achieve the highest quality
- Safety Culture: Company-wide commitment for lifecycle investments to establish a perpetual safety mindset
In-cabin user experience is evolving quickly and eCockpit design can be complex. Panasonic Automotive is leveraging software solutions to solve critical functional safety design challenges in the eCockpit. Through tools like Ansys medini analyze, Panasonic Automotive’s North American development is able to streamline functional safety analysis across the entire development process with a systematic approach. This approach is necessary because the eCockpit environment and controls are now integral to the safety lifecycle and must adhere to the applied industry standards. “As vehicle systems continue to become more complex, model-based engineering and simulation is critical in automotive systems development,” said Walt Hearn, Ansys vice president, Americas. “We look forward to continued collaboration with Panasonic Automotive on these critical design efforts.”
Functional safety gate adherence is a journey that started more than a decade ago for Panasonic. In fact, several products are already ASIL certified and ASIL rated (e.g. Cruise Control ECU, Digital Cluster, Head up Displays, Camera Monitoring Systems, Steering Wheel Switches). In North America, quality management processes, like IATF 16949 and ASPICE, are also integral to the existing product development protocol. Additionally, with the increased software critical and connected applications, compliance against the newer standards such as Cybersecurity ISO/SAE 21434 and SOTIF (ISO/PAS 21448) are required.
While these protocols inject thoughtful quality, Panasonic Automotive desired to go further and engage an independent ASIL audit on our overall process. This enterprise-wide process certification from UL reflects the commitment to protect the emerging interests of mobility advancements for our customers. "The future of mixed criticality realization in the eCockpit depends on functionally safe operations. It's the only way to give customers confidence that a quality experience will exist each and every time," said Andrew Poliak, chief technology officer for Panasonic Automotive.
Learn more at https://na.panasonic.com/us/automotive-solutions/functional-safety
About Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America
Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America is a division company of Panasonic Corporation of North America and is a leading global supplier of automotive infotainment and connectivity system solutions. Panasonic Automotive is headquartered in Peachtree City, Georgia, with sales, marketing and engineering operations in Farmington Hills, Mich. For more information on Panasonic Automotive, please visit: https://na.panasonic.com/us/automotive-solutions
About Panasonic Corporation of North America
Newark, NJ-based Panasonic Corporation of North America is committed to creating a better life and a better world by enabling its business-to-business customers through innovations in Sustainable Energy, Immersive Entertainment, Integrated Supply Chains and Mobility Solutions. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Osaka, Japan-based Panasonic Corporation. One of Interbrand's Top 100 Best Global Brands of 2020, Panasonic is a leading technology partner and integrator to businesses, government agencies and consumers across the region. Learn more about Panasonic's ideas and innovations at https://na.panasonic.com/us/
Media contact:
Maria Rohrer
Panasonic Automotive
maria.rohrer@us.panasonic.com