LOUISVILLE, KY. New federal stopping distances, set to go into effect on Aug. 1, 2011, will be easier to meet with new high-performance extended service drum brakes (ES Brakes) from Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake, the company announced here at the Mid-America Trucking Show.
The new brakes are higher performing versions of the company’s Single Anchor Pin, and will be available in a variety of sizes for steer axle applications. They will be phased into production and fully launched on Aug. 1.
“We developed our new high-performance drum brake to give customers the best possible option for complying with the NHTSA requirements, as well as economical cost of ownership,” said Gary Ganaway, director for the foundation brake group and marketing at Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake. “While meeting the requirements for compliance, this new brake technology also will help improve vehicle safety, which is our core commitment at Bendix. We believe customers will find the high-performance models to be worthy additions to the extended service drum brake product line, which offers best-in-class performance.”
According to Bendix Spicer, the new stopping distances required by NHTSA include a 30% reduction for new three-axle tractors with gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWRs) up to 59,600 lbs. and produced after the Aug. 1, 2011, implementation date. Tractors with two axles, as well as severe service tractors with GVWRs above 59,600 lbs., must comply with the new mandate by Aug. 1, 2013.
High-performance ES Brakes are engineering to develop the increased torque necessary for shorter stops, the company said, and are designed to sustain that torque, thereby reducing brake fade.
To meet the requirements, Bendix Spicer used bronze bushings, which offer greater durability compared to plastic bushings; precision cams that reduce variation and improve overall braking performance; and state-of-the-art lining materials.
The new brakes will include features currently used in all ES brakes, including Bendix Spicer’s E-Coat2 paint process which reduces rust-jacking and corrosion.
“We carried forward all of the great features in our Single Anchor Pin brake design and made them better; as a result, the new HP ES is a welcomed addition to the Extended Service product family,” Ganaway said. “Regardless of the application, duty cycle, or customer need, we are well positioned to deliver the right brake solution – be it drum, disc, or a combination of the two.”
The company also announced it will be expanding its manufacturing capacity for air disc brakes. A new production line will come online in June at Bendix Spicer’s Bowling, Green, KY, plant, to meet increased demand for its ADB22X air disc brakes.
The state-of-the-art automated production line will triple the current assembly capacity for the company.
Bendix Spicer has seen a 120% increase in demand for the product since 2009 and is anticipating an additional 40% increase this year alone.
“Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake continues to invest in the business and in the manufacture of air disc brakes,” said Walt Frankiewicz, president of Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake. “The dramatic increase in demand and the new production line is the result of the growing acceptance of our ADB22X air disc brake in the North American market.”
