Bendix Touts New Driver Assist, Safety Features at NACV

Photos: Bendix

ATLANTA — Bendix made a series of feature announcements at the North American Commercial Vehicle show in Atlanta, touting a series of safety-focused driver assistance and component enhancements available now and in the near future.

Bendix showed a new feature intended to automatically prevent rollaway called Intellipark. The automatic braking technology replaces the manual air parking brake with electronic switches that will automatically set the parking brake if the driver exits the vehicle without setting the parking brake.

With sensors that monitor the driver seat, seat belt, or cab door, the system will detect if a driver leaves the vehicle without engaging the parking brake and will automatically set it to prevent a dangerous or costly vehicle rollback.

“Rollaway incidents can be terribly damaging – if not deadly – and come at great cost to fleets in terms of money, resources, and reputation,” said Fred Andersky, Bendix director of customer solutions, controls. “And all because the parking brake didn't get set properly or was released accidentally. Automatic parking brake technology can help make these kinds of accidents – and their repercussions – a thing of the past.”

The Intellipark system is expected to enter fleet trials in 2018.

The company has also announced the launch of the Bendix EnduraSure Spring Brake line, which includes an improved version of its standard chamber, and the addition of a new sealed, professional-grade model.

The new series offers even improved durability and performance in its standard EnduraSure product, while now giving fleets and owner-operators a premium option, the EnduraSure-Pro.

The new models, double-diaphragm chambers for foundation drum brakes, are now in production. They were designed to meet all SAE requirements for force output while meeting stroke and clevis combination needs. The EnduraSure series is produced by BSFB, a joint venture of Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems and Dana ...Read the rest of this story

Dana Launches New Lightweight Driveshaft Line

ATLANTA — Dana has launched the SPL 250 Lite driveshaft at the North American Commercial Vehicle show in Atlanta, designed to be a lightweight option for most configurations of heavy-duty commercial vehicles.

The SPL 250 Lite can handle torque ratings up to 18,439 lb.-ft. and is up to 25 pounds lighter than competitive products, according to Dana. It has also been engineered for reduced noise, vibration and harshness levels, improved performance, and improved vehicle dynamics without compromising strength.

"The lower numeric axle ratios required to support engine downspeeding and improve fuel efficiency can cause significant stress to the drivetrain and alter harmonics in driveline components," said Mark Wallace, executive vice president of Dana and president of Dana Commercial Driveline Technologies. "Excessive vibration leads to unplanned downtime and driver fatigue on the road. The SPL 250 Lite driveshaft leverages proprietary precision manufacturing methods that ensure no NVH issues while delivering a smooth ride. It also reduces weight without sacrificing performance or durability."

The SPL 250 Lite driveshaft widens the range of applications supported by an updated family of lightweight, durable driveshaft products and expands on the launch of the SPL 350 Lite driveshaft earlier this year.

Designed with fewer components to reduce weight and enable faster, easier installation by OEMs, the driveshafts in this series feature extended component life and reduced maintenance. They also share service components with their existing SPL 350 and SPL 250 driveshaft counterparts to increase ease of service and simplify inventory for truck owners and service facilities.

Dana also announced the addition of an aluminum hub option on Spicer D-Series steer axles with a 14,600-pound gross axle weight rating (GAWR). This new product expands the previously released 10,000-pound GAWR range to 13,200 pounds with aluminum hubs, and introduces a ...Read the rest of this story

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Ryder makes Aperia’s Halo system standard on truck rental fleet

Ryder System Inc. said Sept. 27 it has signed an exclusive partnership with Aperia Technologies that will make the Halo Tire Inflator solution the standard specification for Ryder's heavy-duty rental fleet.

“We believe innovative automatic tire inflation solutions provide tremendous peace of mind for customers committed to on-time deliveries,” said Scott Perry, chief technology and procurement officer for Ryder Fleet Management Solutions.

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Stoughton Adds PureBlue Refrigerated Trailer to Product Lineup

Stoughton's new PureBlue refrigerated trailer. Photo: Stoughton

ATLANTA — Stoughton Trailers, as part of its effort to offer a complete product line to customers, introduced a refrigerated trailer line – PureBlue.

This gives Stoughton a full line of trailers, including dry van, grain, livestock, intermodal chassis, and now refrigerated trailer that debuted at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show.

The company spent two years developing the trailer, using proven components, customer input, and thorough testing,

Stoughton officials told reporters that PureBlue's innovative design and attention to detail provide lightweight trailers without sacrificing strength, with features that help maintain more consistent temperatures, reduce maintenance, and improve safety.

An aluminum scuff and integral composite scuff liner help prevent damage while loading and unloading the trailer. The sidewall and scuff have no rivets that loads can snag and tear out.

Stoughton is providing a heavy-duty non-skid duct floor as the preferred floor in the new refrigerated trailer. This durable floor provides optimum support to loads even in high-use areas. The fully enclosed floor design has a knurled edge top surface for skid resistance. There is no wood in the entire structure, which extends the life of the trailer.

Stoughton offers several additional optional floors. The 5.25-inch extruded aluminum cross members in the bay area provide a strong yet lightweight floor substructure, and steel cross members are an available option.

Stoughton has included several design elements to protect the trailer against air loss and to keep out water.

The platen foamed sides and roof ensure that the trailer is fully insulated in 360 degrees with no voids or uneven areas to further increase its thermal efficiency. In addition, Stoughton designed a composite mounting box for the refrigeration unit to help keep the heat of the reefer's diesel engine from penetrating into the trailer.

Stoughton's composite rear door design optimizes thermal efficiency plus it reduces ...Read the rest of this story

Michelin introduces XDA Energy + tire

Michelin Americas Truck Tires has introduced its XDA Energy + dual drive-position tire for linehaul applications.

The XDA Energy + is our “latest and greatest fuel solution,” Adam Murphy, vice president of marketing, said Sept. 27 during the North American Commercial Vehicle show.

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