KARIYA, Japan ― DENSO and Robert Bosch GmbH have agreed to discontinue their joint development activities for diesel particulate filters (DPF). The “Advanced Diesel Particulate Filters Sp.zo.o.” joint venture (ADIF) will be disbanded by the end of 2009. Founded in 2007, the purpose of ADIF was to develop, manufacture and market efficient and cost-effective DPF filters made of cordierite ceramic.

The two companies have agreed that further common activities do not appear to make business sense at the present time, given the current, difficult environment in the global automotive industry. The DENSO and Bosch associates assigned to the joint venture will return to their parent companies. The manufacturing facility set up in Wroclaw, Poland, will be assigned to the manufacturing network of Robert Bosch GmbH and used for a new purpose.

In 2003, DENSO started production and supply of its cordierite DPFs. DENSO believes that the cordierite DPF has a promising market in the long-term and will continue its development and production after the close of ADIF.