Bendix offers system for International trucks

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, today, March 24, announced its SmarTire Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) now is offered as an option on International’s ProStar, TranStar and LoneStar models.

SmarTire monitors the pressure and temperature of each tire on a commercial vehicle to provide real-time temperature-compensated tire pressure information to the driver or maintenance technician. It also warns the driver of low pressure or high temperature tire issues before they become dangerous.

“Maximizing tire performance and life is key for fleets to help keep operating costs in line,” said Randy Oetting, Navistar director of truck marketing and product information. “Adding the SmarTire system from Bendix CVS to their new truck helps the fleet start maximizing the ROI on their vehicle investment from day one.”

SmarTire reads pressure and temperature information from inside the tire and communicates wirelessly to an onboard receiver, which forwards the information to the International dash display, alerting the driver to loss of air pressure or high tire temperature.

“SmarTire by Bendix CVS also improves ROI for fleets because underinflated tires can increase total tire-related costs by as much as $800 a year,” said Fred Andersky, Bendix director of marketing – Controls. “A tire that is just 20 percent underinflated can add about 2 percent to fuel costs while reducing tire life by 30 percent and reducing tread life by 25 percent. And a tire failure on the road costs more than $800 per incident. That is a lot of potential for cost savings when a tire pressure monitoring system such as SmarTire by Bendix CVS is utilized.”

Bendix also announced its BA-921 air compressor now is available on International’s MaxxForce 11- and 13-liter engines. Bendix customized its BA-921 SMC side-mounted compressor to meet MaxxForce 11- and 13-liter engine requirements for a side-mounted design; typically, compressors are end- or flange-mounted. The tailored BA-921 SMC design also features a new head unloaded version rather than a discharge line unloaded (DLU) system. The head unloaded version enables the unit to capture the compressed air rather than release it into the atmosphere, resulting in a reduction in parasitic losses.

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In other news, Bendix announced:

  • It is expanding its global business to include torsional vibration engine dampers by incorporating Hasse & Wrede, a business unit that is the North American arm of the Knorr-Bremse Group. Engine dampers are used to reduce torsional vibration on engine crankshafts to prevent shaft failure and reduce noise. Hasse & Wrede produces dampers in Germany, China, Brazil and the United States.
  • The 2010 schedule for the Bendix Brake Training School for technicians. For more information, go to www.bendix.com/Lists/Bendix%20News/Attachments/257/2010_Product_School_a.pdf.