Bendix’ new Intellipark systems aims to prevent rollaways

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James Jaillet, Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ)  /  September 26, 2017

Bendix introduced Tuesday at the North American Commercial Vehicle show in Atlanta several new products and updates to existing offerings, including a software update for its Wingman Fusion collision mitigation system and a new system designed to prevent truck rollaways.

The Intellipark system is an electronic parking brake that automatically engages truck and trailer air brakes if a driver forgets to and exits the vehicle, leaving the truck vulnerable to rollaways. Bendix says 60 percent of fleets surveyed in a Frost & Sullivan survey said they had experienced a rollaway incident within the previous two years. Intellipark works through interlocks installed in critical areas, such as the seat, seat belt, or cab door – engaging the brake if the driver leaves the seat or opens the door without setting it first.

In addition to rollaway prevention, the system makes it easier for drivers to engage air brakes manually, Bendix says, replacing the push-and-pull switches with more ergonomic switches. The company did not say when the system would be available, but that it would provide updates at a later date.

Bendix also announced that its Wingman Fusion system will be available for a software update in the middle of next year. The collision mitigation system uses both camera and radar systems to provide active braking to prevent rear-end collisions, as well as lane departure warnings, adaptive cruise control and more.

The company also introduced a new line of spring brakes, dubbed the EnduraSure and EnduraSure Pro. The new series offers enhanced durability and performance over its previous EverSure spring brake, says Bendix. The brakes offer weight savings and improved corrosion resistance, as well as a longer life, the company says.

Bendix also touted air disc brakes as a key component of the industry’s future. Take rates of the brakes, which offer a lower cost of ownership and reduced stopping distance, continue to grow, so much so that Bendix has invested in a new assembly line facility in Bowling Green, Kentucky, to increase its capacity to meet demand.

The company unveiled a new online tool, ValueByBendix.com, where fleets can run cost comparisons on air disc brakes versus drum brakes.

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Bendix Touts New Driver Assist, Safety Features at NACV

Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT)  /  September 27, 2017

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.

EnduraSure Spring Brake Line

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 Commercial Vehicle Products.

For the EnduraSure standard version, Bendix incorporated a number of design improvements that make the spring brake more durable and robust, providing longer power spring life while reducing the risk for chamber air leaks. Bendix’s premium spring brake, the EnduraSure-Pro builds upon the improvements made in its base model spring brake and incorporates them into a premium sealed chamber. The result is that the EnduraSure-Pro performs at a level in which its power spring life is proven to be up to 1.5 times longer than other sealed spring brakes available today, according to Bendix.

Additions to Wingman Fusion Driver Assistance System

The Bendix Wingman Fusion advanced driver assistance system will offer highway departure braking and multi-lane automatic emergency braking along with strengthened collision mitigation and braking capabilities. The new features will be made available through software updates and current Fusion users will be able to upgrade with no need to purchase new hardware components.

“What enables Fusion to make better decisions with fewer false alerts and interventions is a combination of constantly improving computer analysis and more data into the system,” said Andersky. “It’s integrating information from camera and radars – both front and, eventually, side, along with a vehicle’s brake sensors, and linking these systems together. It’s this linking together, not just in parallel, that makes Wingman Fusion a platform for the future, upon which even greater vehicle and highway safety technologies can be built.”

Wingman Fusion combines and cross-checks information from multiple sources to deliver enhanced rear-end collision mitigation, alerts when speeding, and braking on stationary vehicles. Fusion also helps drivers avoid additional crash situations, including rollovers, loss-of-control – thanks to Bendix ESP full-stability technology, which is included as part of the system – and sideswipe crashes, while prioritizing alerts to help reduce driver distraction.

Building on Fusion’s current lane departure technology, the new highway departure braking capability will alert the driver and apply brakes if the system determines the vehicle has left the roadway. Multi-lane automatic emergency braking means that if Fusion is applying the brakes due to a vehicle in the lane ahead and the driver switches to an adjacent lane, the system will continue applying the brakes if it detects another car ahead in the new lane – helping the driver avoid both the first and potentially second situation, something that can occur when multiple lanes of traffic are blocked on a highway.

The upcoming Fusion 2.0 will also be able to provide full braking power on the tractor, compared with the two-thirds power currently possible. Combined with the improved sensor and data analysis, this means that in an emergency situation, the system will be able to reduce a vehicle’s speed by as much as 50 percent more than the current Fusion system. 

BlindSpotter Integration with Wingman Fusion

In its first major update in a decade to the BlindSpotter Side Object Detection System, Bendix has added a more effective radar unit and integration capability with Bendix Wingman Fusion. Despite the changes, Blindspotter will retain its original shape and size, making for easy in-service replacements and retrofit installs.

Using a passenger side-mounted radar unit, BlindSpotter is designed to alert drivers to vehicles or objects in adjacent lanes.  The next-generation BlindSpotter radar, however, will operate over a significantly wider field of view, allowing it to “see” further toward both the front and back of the combination or single-unit vehicle.

Linkage with Wingman Fusion means that data from the side radar will be added to the vehicle’s other J1939 information, and, in the future, may be accessible for review through software such as Bendix’s user-friendly web portal, SafetyDirect by Bendix CVS. These wirelessly transmitted details can then be used to help recognize fleet and driver training needs. As Wingman Fusion continues to advance, the available integration with BlindSpotter will also expand the driver assistance system’s capabilities.

Bendix Air Disc Brakes

Bendix is increasing its production capacity for air disc brakes and adding an online value calculator to help carriers determine the best braking option for the fleet, responding to an increase in industry demand for ADBs.

To support increasing demand of its ADB22X and ADB22X-LT brakes, the company added a new ADB line at its wheel-end manufacturing operation in Bowling Green, Ky. The line became operational in early September and will be ramping up to full capacity in the coming months.

The Bendix ADB value calculator, available at ValuebyBendix.com, is designed to help fleets understand what savings opportunities are available if they spec all-wheel ADB22X air disc brakes on their tractors and ADB22X-LT on their trailers.

Fleets can go to ValuebyBendix.com, enter basic fleet information specific to their braking practices and needs, and receive a report to help them decide if spec’ing all-wheel air disc brakes over foundation drum brakes makes financial sense. The user-friendly tool asks for information ranging from drum brake friction and maintenance costs to estimated Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) violation costs for out-of-adjustment drum brakes.

Brake Lining Certified 23K Friction

For fleets needing a 23K aftermarket friction that will keep their vehicles compliant with Reduced Stopping Distance requirements, Bendix announced the BA232R brake lining, available in early October. Available from Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake, BA232R linings are designed to handle 23K applications such as heavy line haul, heavy pick-up and delivery, severe duty, and refuse.

RSD regulations require most tractor combinations to stop within 250 feet. In testing, the BA232R provided an average 235-foot stopping distance, according to Bendix, exceeding the mandate and putting it in the same performance range as the BA202R. Because not all replacement friction marketed as acceptable under RSD will actually perform to the vehicle regulation – even if it has met the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 121 dynamometer test – Bendix recommends that buyers ask for written confirmation from their supplier.

BA232R linings will be available on both Bendix remanufactured brake shoes and Service New brake shoes.

Ford Adds Bendix ESP to Medium-Duty Offering

Ford is offering the Bendix ESP electronic stability program on its medium-duty vocational truck models. Bendix ESP will come standard on all 2018 model year F-650 and F-750 tractors and is available as an option on certain F-750 straight truck configurations.

Bendix ESP provides full compliance with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stability mandate, which requires full-stability technology on most new Class 7 and Class 8 tractors beginning Aug. 2017 for 6x4 tractors, and finishing for most other Class 7 and Class 8 tractors by Aug. 2019. Depending on the particular Class 7 tractor specifications, Ford tractor models will meet the requirements with Bendix ESP. Also, Ford will make Bendix ESP optional on their single-unit platforms for vocational applications.