WABCO, a leading innovator and global supplier of technologies that improve the safety and efficiency of commercial vehicles, announced that it has marked a historic milestone of selling more than five million single-piston air disc brakes (ADB) worldwide.
WABCO made the announcement at the inaugural North American Commercial Vehicle Show (NACV) taking place through September 25-28 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The company is currently showcasing its most advanced technologies to advance the safety, efficiency and connectivity of trucks, buses and trailers.
WABCO markets its industry-leading single-piston ADB under the MAXX product line, which includes MAXXUS for heavy-duty trucks and MAXX22T for trailers in North America. MAXX represents the lightest and highest performing single-piston ADB range for commercial vehicles on the market, according to the company. WABCO’s MAXX air disc brakes are manufactured on four continents and sold worldwide, serving customers across the globe with products tailored to their specific needs. Leading commercial truck, bus and trailer manufacturers, particularly in Europe and North America, choose MAXX braking technology for its superior performance making them the industry’s most successful range of single-piston ADB.
WABCO’s air disc brakes offer shorter stopping distances and easier, faster maintenance than conventional drum brakes, says the company. With 25 percent fewer parts compared to other air disc brakes available in the market today, WABCO’s ADB feature superior reliability, faster serviceability and expanded service intervals of up to twice that of traditional drum brakes. Superbly engineered and compactly designed, WABCO’s range of MAXX air disc brakes fits any rim size from 16.5" to 22.5" across light-, medium-, and heavy-duty applications for trucks, buses and trailers, and even a 25.5" model for specialty vehicle applications. Developed with Hendrickson Trailer, the MAXX22T is a unique ADB system that offers significant weight savings for trailer applications.
“We are very proud to meet and surpass the milestone of five million single-piston air disc brakes sold worldwide, further establishing ADB as the leading technology for braking performance globally,” said Sven Horak, WABCO Vice President, Wheel End Solutions. “Commercial vehicle manufacturers’ increasing adoption of ADB technology, especially in North America, is evidence of its growing value in improving vehicle safety and efficiency, as well as providing a strong foundation for the autonomous and semi-autonomous trucks and trailers of the future.”
Air disc brake technology is essential for active braking, a key enabler needed to progressively achieve the industry’s goal of autonomous driving and platooning,” said Horak. “By providing the highest and most consistent braking performance, as well as fastest response times, WABCO is supporting the development of self-driving commercial vehicles.”
Responding to greater customer demand as U.S. fleets increasingly choose air disc brakes over drum brakes, WABCO opened a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in North Charleston, South Carolina in March. The $20 million facility expands WABCO’s North America manufacturing capabilities and localizes production of its most advanced ADB for commercial vehicles. The Company moved from an existing Charleston location to a new, 145,000-square-foot facility, expanding its manufacturing footprint by more than 60 percent.
WABCO’s air disc brakes are also manufactured in Mannheim, Germany; Campinas, Brazil; Taishan, China; and Wroclaw, Poland.
WABCO pioneered its first PAN air disc brake with single-piston technology in Germany in 1996, beginning with light duty vehicles and expanding to include the medium and heavy duty truck segment as well as trailer, bus and heavy crane applications. As brake performance requirements increased significantly, WABCO developed its MAXX single-piston ADB range, enabling the highest available brake torques of up to 30k Nm. In 2010, WABCO introduced MAXX22, the industry’s lightest and highest performing single-piston air disc brake followed by other models for different commercial vehicle sizes.
