WABCO Holdings Inc. says the company has integrated its hydraulic anti-lock braking system (ABS) with ESCsmart electronic stability control (ESC), marking the first time within the commercial vehicle industry that these two vehicle safety technologies have been paired for hydraulic brake applications on medium-duty trucks and buses.
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,” Nikhil Varty, WABCO President, Americas, says. “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.”
The company says 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.
Beginning next year, WABCO will roll out its hydraulic ABS in combination with ESCsmart, the company’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.
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.
Varty says the system continuously learns the driver’s characteristics in order to better compensate for under and over steering.
