march2022 - 30

SPOTLIGHT ON FLUID & FILTRATION
» Even as technology
brings changes to air
systems, filters and
cartridges remain
a fleet's first line
of defense against
contamination.
Photo: Bendix Commercial
Vehicle Systems
Air system
maintenance for
the modern age
New technology
and changing
operating
conditions are
altering the way
commercial
vehicle air systems
are being designed
and serviced.
By James Alfred
W
30 Fleet Maintenance | March 2022
hile talk of electronic braking systems (EBS)
is beginning to percolate through the North
American trucking industry, conventional air
brake systems (ABS) remain the overwhelming
Class 8 truck spec-and will continue to be for
some time. That said, technological changes are
coming, according to experts.
" In general, the industry is advancing with
air delivery and controls technology, " said John
Crichton, director of field service at Navistar.
" Component manufacturers continue to drive
development of intelligent products for key
components. We are seeing data elements or
health information being transmitted electronically.
The Bendix AD-HFi air dryer, for instance,
not only improves serviceability access, but also
incorporates electronics to provide adaptive purge
cycles based on duty cycle. In the future, we expect
components will increasingly become electronic
and more intelligent, leading to fewer premature
failures and better overall performance. "
The familiar and reliable air brake system isn't
going anywhere any time soon, added Chuck
Brody, service team leader at ZF. He said new
technologies such as electric trucks and regenerative
brake systems, which capture kinetic energy
created when a truck brakes and flow it back
into the vehicle's onboard batteries, are driving
changes to air brake systems. And fleets' time to
become educated is running short.
" EBS are the standard in European trucking
today, " Brody said. " They have logged millions of
miles on European highways, so it's just a matter
of time before that technology begins appearing
in North America. Moreover, even cutting-edge
electric trucks likely will have some form of air
brake system for some time to come. Regenerative
braking systems-that use regenerative deceleration
first to slow the vehicle and capture kinetic
energy, and then automatically switch to air
systems to bring it to a complete stop-will be a
good transition technology between the systems
we have today in North America and full-blown,
European-style EBS. "
Air systems expanding uses
Even more common technological advancements
are changing air system technology now, noted
Richard Nagel, director of marketing and customer
solutions at Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems.
As automated manual transmission (AMT) adoption
has steadily grown, compressed air isn't just
used for brake valves, he said. " Most AMT shifters
are highly sophisticated devices and utilize the
same air system, " Nagel explained. " As a result, the
need for clean, oil-free air is increasingly important,
along with dry air. "
A second significant change that's coming is the
adoption of electronically controlled dryers on
trucks, Nagel added. " That will be a big change in
North America for drivers and techs, " he cautioned.
" Additionally, there are a number of new air dryers
march2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of march2022
