The American Trucking Associations' (ATA) Technology & Maintenance Council's (TMC) 2017 Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition in Nashville has brought new movement to the North American suspension market.
Transport equipment expert, SAF-Holland, used the show as a platform to unveil the new CBX23 AeroBeam model, for example, which is marketed as the “lightest weight air suspension” in the industry.
Designed with on-highway vocational applications in mind – especially the flat bed and tanker market – it will deliver “measurable benefits for improved efficiency and safety performance,” according to Jeff Talaga, Vice President of Sales and Strategic Development, Americas, at SAF-Holland
Talaga said the fixed frame suspension has a base weight of 465 pounds (211kg), making it 45 pounds (20kg) lighter overall than the previous generation CBX23 and “25 pounds (11kg) per axle lighter then the nearest competitive fixed frame air suspension”.
Per Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Phase 2 legislation, the 45-pound savings will reduce the GHG gas emission by 660 pounds over 10 years, he added.
Standard features include heat-treated cast alloy suspension beams, 80 ksi frame brackets and a 5.75-inch diameter friction-welded axle that is said to be 12 per cent thicker than competitive axles.
Covered by a five-year structural warranty, the CBX23 AeroBeam is designed to provide years of trouble-free service, SAF-Holland explained in a press release.
“The new CBX23 AeroBeam provides trailer builders more flexibility. It can be adapted to fit a wide range of trailer types with multiple frame brackets styles, including weld-on tapered top, weld-on with wing and bolt on,” the company said.
SAF-Holland rival, Meritor, meanwhile, announced plans to launch some 20 new products in the next three years across both on- and off-highway applications, starting with the new 14X HE tandem drive axle, with 'HE' standing for 'high efficiency.'
An electric 14XE model for hybrid applications is meant to follow in the future, according to an Earnings Call on 1 February.
Missouri-based Hutchens Industries, meanwhile, showcased the Series 10 Sliding model, which was developed as a “lighter-weight, extremely durable” subframe and suspension system for the dry van and refrigerated trailer market, according to the manufacturer.