BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – 12 March 2008 – 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.  Stability Test at WABCO test track in Rovaniemi (ESC activated). 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).  WABCO Winter testing at the arctic circle (ESC de-activated). “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. Media contact:
Tobias Mueller, +49-69-719168-34, mailto:tobias.mueller@klenkhoursch.de |
