ConMet is introducing the industry’s first intelligent wheel end this week at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show.
ConMet says this new product will allow drivers and fleet managers to monitor the health of the wheel end through access to real-time data on important hub functions, creating a safer, better maintained, and more profitable vehicle performance. The new SmartHub also is among the foundation for the company’s innovation initiative.
“ConMet’s SmartHub is being developed with the purpose of providing better prognostic capabilities around the health of the wheel end. As market trends, like autonomous vehicles and commercial vehicle platooning continue to grow, this self-monitoring, predictive technology will be critical to the safety of the wheel end,” says Beto Dantas, vice president of Innovation, Strategy, and Marketing at ConMet. “Our longstanding experience and knowledge of wheel end performance enables us to be uniquely positioned to develop this technology.”
The SmartHub contains embedded sensors that will measure and transmit data on wheel end health indicators, including: hub temperature, lubricant level, hub vibration, speed, miles traveled, spindle nut torque readings, hub load, and bolt tension, ConMet says.
“Knowing and tracking these details becomes a tremendous advantage in predicting and preventing downtime,” says Dantas.
While the data will be available for viewing at anytime, drivers and fleet managers are immediately alerted to any variations outside of the acceptable operational parameters.The introduction of the SmartHub, combined with the company’s showcasing of three new technology-driven products, is indicative of ConMet’s efforts to be recognized as a transformative leader in trucking technology, the company says.
