WABCO: First Hydraulic Anti-Lock Braking with Electronic Stability Control
WABCO Holdings Inc. (NYSE: WBC), a global technology leader and tier-one supplier to the commercial vehicle industry, has recently showcased its breakthrough hydraulic anti-lock braking system (ABS) with integrated ESCsmart™ electronic stability control (ESC).
It marks the first time within the commercial vehicle industry that these two vehicle safety technologies – ABS and ESC – have been integrated for hydraulic brake applications on medium-duty trucks and buses. ABS with integrated ESC for hydraulic applications improves the vehicle’s directional stability and helps protect against roll-over, skidding and spin-out during critical driving situations. In North America, initial government mandates for ESC are anticipated to come into force from the beginning of 2016.
With this latest addition to its industry-leading technology portfolio, WABCO can now uniquely deliver hydraulic as well as pneumatic ABS with ESC systems for manufacturers of commercial vehicles of all sizes from Class 5 to Class 8, offering the industry’s most comprehensive portfolio of stability control solutions.
“WABCO is the first supplier to bring the technological advancement of hydraulic anti-lock braking systems integrated with electronic stability control to the commercial vehicle market,” said Nikhil Varty, WABCO President, Americas. “Having successfully adapted these systems to meet the specific requirements of the North American market, ahead of the anticipated ESC legislation coming into effect in 2016, WABCO can now offer original equipment manufacturers the broadest range of options in safety technology.”
From 2014, WABCO will roll out its hydraulic ABS in combination with ESCsmart, WABCO’s newest generation of electronic stability control which uses computational simulation to achieve ESC technical validation on trucks and buses. WABCO’s ESCsmart is designed to be programmed on the assembly line, enabling new vehicles to be driven away immediately. WABCO’s hydraulic ABS with ESC also requires 30 percent less mounting space and weighs 20 percent less than WABCO’s current hydraulic braking systems.
By eliminating calibrating driving procedures and physical testing of all variants of vehicles, ESCsmart significantly reduces the time and labor currently required by the traditional approach to ESC technical release. This means vehicle makers will be able to respond more quickly and flexibly to customer needs by introducing new vehicle types within shorter development times.
ESCsmart’s enhanced functionality also offers a continuous “self-learning” capability for fleet operators as the system continuously monitors vehicle characteristics and automatically self-adjusts for optimal performance.
In addition to pioneering ABS for commercial vehicles in 1981, WABCO pioneered ESC for commercial vehicles in 2001. Today WABCO ESC systems are in use worldwide, helping to mitigate more than 500,000 critical driving situations annually.
Category: Breaks, Suspensions & Chassis, Featured, General Update
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