1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136 
Great hopes for anti-lock
Page 104
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Anti-lock devices will help the Department of Transport's aim to reduce road casualties by one third by the year 2000, said Roads and Traffic Minister Peter Bottomley, opening Grau Girling's new factory in Redditch.
"Anti-lock devices make vehicles safer on the roads," he said. "But that is true only so long as operators are able to ensure that the devices perform correctly. The Annual Report of the Department's Vehicle Inspectorate, which is about to be published, shows that many vehicles are still not maintained as well as they might be."
The Minister was pleased that Grau Girling, in conjunction with the DTp, was doing its best to develop maintenance and diagnostic equipment to ease operators' procedures on braking systems. The company was in a good position to take advantage of the latest European Community proposals for heavy vehicle mandatory antilock fitment — proposals fully supported by the Dip.
The proposals to which the Minister referred are for mandatory anti-locks to be fitted on touring coaches and inter-city buses over 12 tonnes gross towing vehicles and their trail ers where the combination weight could exceed 26 tonnes (over 16 tonnes towing vehicles and over 10 tonnes trailers).
The new factory, employing 100 people, represents an investment by Echlin of the United States and Lucas Girling.
A demonstration of the firm's latest four-channel, Category One, truck anti-lock system, DGX, was given at its proving ground at Fen End in Warwickshire. The system will be on the UK market next year, following completion of a range of DTp type approval tests. The established Skidchek GX/MGX truck and trailer anti-lock systems will continue to be manufactured. As with existing systems, Grau Girling urges an annual service check.
DGX combines microprocessor technology with the principles of the GX memory controlled relay valve, in order to produce • Improved stopping distance • Smooth operation • Minimum energy consumption • Reduced tyre "flat spotting" and • Controlled braking on split friction surfaces.
At Redditch electronic control modules start as printed circuit boards into which are inserted microprocessors, transistors, capacitators, diodes and resistors.
Inspected boards undergo a burn-in and temperature cycling process. Each assembly is tested in simulated anti-lock test routines and calibrations are made when necessary.