Following is a roundup of news and announcements from the 2009 Technology & Maintenance Council Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition held Feb. 9-12 in Orlando, Fla. The exhibit portion of the event featured more than 270 product and service providers.
More than 100 TMC Task Forces met to work on Recommended Practices for equipment maintenance and engineering. TMC Recommended Practices have been adopted as industry standards by commercial vehicle makers, component manufacturers, aftermarket parts and diagnostic equipment providers and end users.
Five Receive Silver Spark Plug Award
TMC’s highest honor, the Silver Spark Plug Award, was awarded to five industry professionals for “outstanding contributions to the improvement of equipment, maintenance, industry-related technology and management practices.”
The 2009 award recipients are (pictured from left to right):
Meritor Wabco Shows Air Disc Brakes
On the tarmac at a small airport in Orlando, Fla., two fully-loaded Freightliner Columbia tractor-trailers locked up their brakes and came to a complete, smoking, screeching stop in the same distance as a Chevy Impala that was pacing them.
The dramatic presentation was Meritor Wabco’s way of demonstrating the effectiveness of its new PAN 22 single-piston air disc brakes designed for North American commercial trailers. The new brake system is the product of a joint venture between ArvinMeritor and Wabco Vehicle Control Systems and is designed for commercial trailers with 22.5-inch wheels and axles rated to 22,000 pounds. It is currently available as a trailer OEM option.
According to Jon Morrison, president and general manager of Meritor Wabco, the PAN 22 combines best-in-class braking torque output with low weight and long pad life. The overall low cost of ownership has contributed to the PAN family of brakes registering as one of the most cost-effective air disc brake ranges available.
The brake system weighs only 79 pounds, including pads, and consists of only 18 individual parts, Morrison said. The brakes feature larger, thicker pads than competitive designs, which results in longer pad replacement intervals, and its single-piston clamping unit design is proven technology that also is used in Meritor Wabco’s PAN 17 and PAN 19 air disc brakes, he said. “It’s a compact and efficient design that easily adapts to axles, wheels and suspensions. It compensates for taper wear and enables optimal pad wear utilization.”
