Belgium-based technology company, Wabco, will showcase its latest commercial vehicle products at TMC 2018 in the US, 5-8 March.
Following the acquisitions of steering technology company, RH Sheppard, and 100 per cent of the Meritor Wabco joint venture, Wabco will feature its newly expanded product portfolio at TMC’s Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition.
“We are proud to present at TMC an array of innovative solutions that improve the safety, efficiency, and connectivity of commercial vehicles in the US and around the world,” said Wabco President – Americas, Jon Morrison. “Wabco has significantly increased its commitment to serving commercial vehicle manufacturers and fleet operators in the region by offering an unprecedented breadth of Wabco technologies, localising air disc brake production right here in the US, and rapidly growing our fleet and aftermarket service organisations.”
Wabco will showcase several of its key enabling technologies and functionalities that represent intermediary milestones toward the commercial vehicle industry’s vision of autonomous driving. Key enabling technologies to be featured include:
Wabco’s suite of pioneering advanced driver assistance systems, including its breakthrough OnGuardACTIVETM collision mitigation system. Ensuring top performance in low visibility conditions, OnGuardACTIVE alerts a driver to potentially critical driving situations via acoustic, visual and haptic signals. Should the vehicle operator fail to take corrective action, the system provides active braking on moving, stopping and stationary vehicles to mitigate or prevent impending rear-end collisions.
Active steering technology – with in-house capabilities gained through the recent acquisition of RH Sheppard, Wabco has combined active steering with industry-leading braking, stability control and advanced driver assistance systems.
Wabco’s advanced active steering technology enables full dynamic vehicle control – both lateral and longitudinal – built on mature technology already proven in the commercial vehicle industry. WABCO active steering solution features a compact design, low weight, reduced power consumption and easy maintenance.
Air Disc Brakes (ADBs) – reportedly the lightest and highest performing single-piston air disc brakes for commercial vehicles. Wabco’s MAXXUSTMheavy-duty ADB for trucks and MAXX22TTMfor trailers offer shorter stopping distances and easier, faster maintenance than conventional drum brakes. With 25 per cent fewer parts compared to other ADBs available in the market today, Wabco ADBs feature superior reliability, faster serviceability and expanded service intervals of up to twice that of traditional drum brakes.
Next-generation Trailer Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) – Wabco’s new Trailer ABS is the first generation braking system in North America to enable up to 20 optional key trailer functions of the company’s Intelligent Trailer Program, including traction control, axle load and tire pressure monitoring. The system helps collect and process a wide range of actionable trailer vehicle data by trailer manufacturers and fleet operators. Wabco’s Intelligent Trailer Program helps fleets lower transportation costs and fuel consumption while increasing driver safety and comfort.
In addition, Wabco will also showcase its award-winning OptiFlow aerodynamic technologies. WABCO’s OptiFlow AutoTail is the first and only aerodynamic tail in the US to feature automatic deployment and retraction. The device deploys and retracts tail panels based on driving speed as determined by sensors linked to Wabco’s Trailer Anti-Lock Braking Systems. It delivers fuel savings of up to 4.3 per cent at highway speeds, based on SmartWay test protocol, and reduces CO₂ emissions by up to four tonnes per trailer per year. In addition, Wabco’s OptiFlow TrailerSkirt, a lightweight aerodynamic side skirt for trailers, can reportedly provide up to five per cent fuel savings at US highway speeds.