ATN takes a look at Knorr-Bremse’s new range of stability control systems available for trucks and trailers
By Gary Worrall | May 16, 2011
German commercial vehicle brake manufacturer Knorr-Bremse hosted a demonstration day in Brisbane recently, showcasing a range of stability control systems available for trucks and trailers.
Although increasingly common in European and Japanese trucks, very few operators have the chance to see the technology in operation, with some questioning the worth of the systems.
Kenworth now offers a number of the technologies as part of the electronic brake safety systems suite on 2011 model range, with the systems adapted to meet the specific needs of the trucks.
Knorr-Bremse Australia General Manager Rodney Clark says the company manufactures units that work with both air and electronic signals.
Clark says there are two basic types of rollovers, where vehicles either “tip or trip”, with tipping incidents happening when the lateral acceleration exceeds the grip. Tripping is caused by hitting an object which causes the vehicle to “fall over”.
To combat this, Clark says Knorr-Bremse has developed electronic stability program (ESP), trailer response module (TRM) and adaptive cruise with braking (ACB) for trucks.
Tailers can be fitted with TEBS G2 9-second generation trailer electronic braking system and TRM (trailer road-train module).
While the EBS modules are designed for vehicles using electronic signals to transmit braking messages from the brake pedal, Clark says there are units designed to translate the air message into an electrical signal.
In this case the air signal is detected by pressure sensors in the air line that convert the brake signal into an electrical impulse inside the TRM, which is then passed onto the TEBS unit fitted to the trailer to activate the brakes.
For the demonstration three trucks were used, each highlighting different technologies, including ACB and electronic stability control (ESC) and roll stability control (RSC).
ACB uses a radar to detect a slow moving vehicle and reduce the truck speed to that of the slower vehicle before returning the truck to the pre-set speed when the road ahead becomes clear.
The ESC and RSC units intervene when sensors detect the truck is at risk of rolling. It can reduce engine revs to control the road speed and reduce or eliminate the risk of a crash.
See the video here or read the full story in the June 2011 edition of ATN magazine.