Truck Parts and Service | Heavy Duty Trucking, Aftermarket, Service Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/712830
15 Cover Story First are the early adopters, customers who embrace new technology because of potential benefi ts they see for their businesses. Typically these are large fl eets; businesses with enough capital to commit to unproven technology because of potential long-term gains. And busi- nesses that, more often than not, can afford to withstand a mistake if a new technology adoption doesn't payback as anticipated. After early adopters confi rm the validity of a technology the second phase begins. This is commonly known as the period of mass introduction. Once the big fl eets determine it's safe to wade out into the water, it doesn't take long for everyone else to start joining them. One product in particular that is teetering on that tipping point is air disc brakes. With industry-wide adoption rates currently between 10 to 15 percent and growing, air disc brakes are steadily moving from an early adoption phase to a period of mass introduction. And for a technology as tested and proven as air disc brakes, manufacturers say once the industry reaches phase two, phase three — acceptance — isn't far away. "I think the model for us to use is what we see in Europe today. The majority of that market has moved to air disc brakes and there is potential for North America to do the same," says Paul Chappell, product manager, automatic brake adjust- ers and air disc brakes, North America at Haldex. "For us, it's not so much a case of if we'll see them accepted, it's more a case of will they be accepted quickly." As for why, manufacturers say that answer is obvious. Disc brakes stop a truck faster and with more control than drum brakes. "Air disc brakes have incredible stopping power, and have been proven to be able to stop a truck faster [than drums] when both loaded and unload- ed," says Jay Urban, product manager, air disc brakes at Meritor. There's really "no comparison" for heavy braking application vehicles, adds Jon Morrison, president, Americas at WABCO. "Air disc brakes are regularly able to provide signifi cant reductions in stopping distance over drum brake confi gurations." The reduction comes from the system design. Unlike drum brakes, which initiate a braking event by rotating an s-cam to move a brake shoe lined with friction W W W . T R U C K P A R T S A N D S E R V I C E . C O M A u g u s t 2 0 1 6 | T R U C K P A R T S & S E R V I C E T echnology in the North American trucking industry is typically adopted in three phases. Replacing air disc brake pads is a simple, repeatable process that takes much less time than a similar drum brake shoe replacement. Air disc brakes have incredible stopping power, and have been proven to be able to stop a truck faster [than drums] when both loaded and unloaded. – Jay Urban, product manager, air disc brakes at Meritor