Novi, MI — Oct. 20, 2008 — /PRNewswire/ — Preh, a leading German supplier of automotive interior control systems, sensor systems and ECUs, has developed the HVAC control heads for the MY 2009 Ford F-150 pickup truck.

"As our first order at Ford for climate controls, Preh not only developed the hardware, but also the entire climate control software," said Nick Lontscharitsch, Preh, Inc. senior vice president of marketing and sales.

"The development time was very short -- only 12 months -- and included full validation during comprehensive test drives," he added.

The control heads are produced at Preh's Mexican plant in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, in three versions: a single zone manual control, a dual zone automatic temperature control and a remote climate control module. The latter is a pure electronic control unit without integrating a control surface with knobs and buttons because the driver operates it via the navigation system controls.

Lontscharitsch also pointed out the top-level technical expertise found in the design of the Preh climate controls. For example, the push-button guides in the frame were designed in such a way that there are no gaps in the climate control front, preventing dust or liquids from entering into the control head. Thus the climate controls pass Ford's demanding "dust and cola testing." Moreover, the dual zone automatic temperature control uses wear-free optical encoder technology for its control knobs. Preh does not use standard components, but directly integrates the optical encoders in the PCB. This allows the tactile feel to be tailored exactly to customer requirements, fully independent from functional parts that would otherwise interfere with the tactile feel.

"We are pleased that Ford has chosen to rely on our expertise with high-quality climate control systems for its next-generation trucks," said Lontscharitsch. "The HVAC control head integrates a variety of technical functions while still providing an easily understandable and ergonomic user interface."

In addition to advanced electronics engineering, Preh controls are noted for their premium-class appearance and haptics design. The company, recognized as one of the leading interior control systems specialists in Europe, was named a General Motors Supplier of the Year for three consecutive years for its climate control systems.

About Preh
Preh was founded in Germany in 1919. As a full-service supplier, Preh works directly with major automakers in the development and production of complete driver control systems, sensors and electronic control units.

The company maintains in-house capabilities for plastics injection molding, precision mechanics, light-pipe design, electronics hardware, surface finishing, laser etching and software development.

With 2007 sales of $440.5 million (USD), Preh employs over 2,200 people located in Germany, Portugal, France, Mexico and the U.S. Eighty-six percent of Preh's annual revenue comes from its automotive business. Preh's U.S. customer service center is located in Novi, Mich.

Source: Preh, Inc.
CONTACT: Nadine Hochgesang of Preh, Inc., +1-248-381-3812
Web site: http://www.preh.com/