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EN AN (PS
Page 59
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Now that the major
European vehicle manufactures have embraced EBS (electronic braking systems), this technology is being extended to trailers. With EBS, brake actuation is electrical rather than pneumatic. ArvinMeritor says this cuts up to half a second off the delay between ArvinMeriter-ROR's LMC Trailer Axle pressing the brake pedal and the pictured fitted with the new 0 ELSA 2 trailer brakes coming on. That air disc brake.
equates to a 12,3m reduction in the
average stopping distance from 56mph. A growing number of operators are now specifying matching brakes on their tractors and trailers. There are obvious operational advantages in this although Ferodo, for one, argues that the friction material needs to be different if you are to get maximum life out of your pads. EBS automatically takes account of different brake types, even coping with disc/drum combinations, but it is most effective when the brakes it is controlling are all the same. It evens out brake wear across all axles and plays its part in the trend towards remote monitoring of costs by providing data for logging via the vehicle's CAN-bus electronic control circuit. There are maintenance benefits, too. As well as reducing the number of brake components, wear between tractor and trailer is better equalised so theoretically the tractor and trailer brakes can be serviced at the same time. Knorr-Bremse says the EBS take-up rate on trailers is increasing because there is little, if any, cost penalty. Unit costs are slightly higher but installation costs are lower. EBS can also be retrofitted during routine maintenance, N One of the most important changes to the braking regulations in recent years came into effect onl May—from now on the 1509638 tractor-trailer ABS/EBS connector mast be used.
The Vehicle Inspectorate has already warned operators that drivers found breaking this rule can expect an immediate prohibition.
Haldex explains that drivers have been known to run with this link disconnected, complaining of lack of feel from the braking system as well as false audible/visual warnings of ABS/EBS incompatibilities between truck and trailer, even though the system is working perfectly.