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24th
March 2008 - WABCO
Completes 20th Winter Test Period at Company-Owned Test Track in
Rovaniemi, Finland
This week WABCO
completes its 20th winter test cycle at the company-owned test track at
the Arctic Circle. In temperatures as extreme as minus 30°C (minus
22°F), WABCO engineers and technicians logged approximately 1290
man-days during this year’s winter tests. The 55-day winter program
involved tests with 25 WABCO-owned vehicles as well as joint tests of
trucks and buses from leading commercial vehicle manufacturers.
WABCO is one of the
world's leading providers of electronic braking, stability, suspension
and transmission control systems for the commercial vehicle industry.
Since 1988, the company has operated its own test area in Northern
Finland. The Arctic Circle test track and the region’s below-zero
temperatures create optimum and safe conditions to test innovative
braking and driving control systems. An 800-meter (875-yard) braking
track allows for tests of a wide range of braking systems. Braking is
tested on ice, snow or asphalt, as well as on combinations of the three
surfaces. A circular skid pad, with a radius of 280 meters (306 yards),
is specifically designed for electronic stability control (ESC) tests.
An inclined test slope incorporating grades of 3.5 and 7 per cent is
used for testing drive slip control systems (ASR).
“An important part
of our pioneering development work on systems like ABS, EBS and our
Electronic Stability Control System (ESC) takes place in Rovaniemi”,
said WABCO CEO Jacques Esculier. “Supporting our worldwide customers by
setting the pace of development is a decisive factor for our success. We
invest in these unique facilities in Finland as they contribute to our
unchallenged position as innovators of leading-edge commercial vehicle
braking and control systems.”
Recently, European
policy makers announced that new vehicles are to be fitted with
electronic stability control systems starting in 2010. “We were the
first to introduce an ESC for trucks in 2001. And we have driven the
development of stability controls ever since – a significant
contribution to road safety”, said Dr. Christian Wiehen, vice president,
product development at WABCO. ”This year’s winter tests have delivered
highly valuable results for our engineers working on the next system
generations.”
Stability control
systems help drivers to maintain control of their vehicles in a variety
of potentially dangerous situations by automatically taking corrective
action. They can help prevent truck-trailer combinations from
rolling-over, skidding or jack-knifing. In Finland, these systems can be
tested on a range of different road surfaces while minimizing the risks
to drivers and vehicles. As snow and ice have much lower friction
coefficients than asphalt or concrete, the substantial physical forces
that affect commercial vehicles during sudden braking maneuvers or in
dangerous situations can be accurately simulated at lower driving
speeds. This also significantly reduces the risk of vehicles rolling
over or skidding dangerously during testing.
Test tracks in
WABCO’s product development strategy
WABCO operates three
test tracks: in Rovaniemi; Jeversen near Hannover (Germany); and Chennai
(India). Each one plays an important role in the company’s product
development and worldwide customer partnership strategy. As road and
commercial vehicle safety standards become increasingly demanding
worldwide, integrated safety systems will be critical to further
reinforce vehicle and road safety. WABCO's network of test tracks
provides optimal conditions to test and refine new systems to meet
tomorrow's rising customer and regulatory requirements. Ongoing trials
throughout the product development process – from the first prototype to
the start of series production –provide credible and reliable
performance data. For each new customer vehicle series, the optimum
configuration has to be devised. In addition to intensive software-based
testing, test tracks have been a key element of WABCO's development
process since the mid-1970s. WABCO is the only commercial vehicle
industry brake and stability system supplier that today operates three
exclusive test tracks.
Editors Notes
WABCO is one of the
world's leading providers of electronic braking, stability, suspension
and transmission control systems for heavy duty commercial vehicles.
Customers include the world's leading commercial truck, trailer and bus
manufacturers. Founded in the U.S. in 1869 as Westinghouse Air Brake
Company, WABCO was acquired by American Standard in 1968 and spun off in
2007. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, WABCO employs more than 7,000
people in 34 offices and production facilities worldwide. In 2007,
WABCO's total sales were $2.4 billion. WABCO is a publicly traded
company and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the stock
symbol WBC.
Web site:
www.wabco-auto.com
Source: WABCO
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