Commercial Vehicle Braking Systems

Complete Seminar Details

Increased public pressure to improve truck safety and new government braking regulations for vehicles with GVWRs over 10,000 lbs. has intensified the need to better understand the factors that influence heavy vehicle braking performance. This seminar focuses on the braking characteristics of heavy commercial vehicles and how performance can be predicted, maintained and optimized. The course provides an understanding of medium truck hydraulic brake systems and heavy commercial vehicle air brake systems. The function and application of the major brake system components will be explained. The course reveals how medium and heavy vehicle braking capabilities differ from those of the light trucks and cars with which they share the road. Attendees will discover how brakes, tires and roadways interact and function as a system. Federal braking regulations for both hydraulic and air brake vehicles will be covered.

Attendees will receive a copy of the SAE publication "Commercial Vehicle Braking Systems: Air Brakes, ABS and Beyond" by the instructor.

Benefits of Attending

• Design safer, more efficient braking systems
• Test and measure braking performance
• Maintain and troubleshoot braking systems
• Comply with state and federal regulations on brakes
• Understand the brake implications of accident investigation

Who Should Attend

Seminar Content

• Commercial Vehicle Braking Concepts
• Air and Hydraulic Brake Systems Used on Heavy Vehicles
• Major Brake System Components - Function, Advantages/disadvantages, Applications
• Foundation Brakes - Cam, Wedge, Air Disc, Hydraulic Drum and Hydraulic Disc
• Basic Brake Performance Prediction
• Maintenance and its Relationship to Braking Performance

DAY TWO

• Brake Force Balance and Why it is so Important When Stopping
• Heavy Vehicle Dynamics Related to Braking
• Traction Characteristics of Truck Tires and How They Differ from Car Tires
• Thermal Capacity
• Antilock Braking Systems (ABS)
• Electronic Data Communication
• Automatic Traction Control Systems (ATC)
• EBS or "Brake-by-Wire" - the Brake System of the Future

DAY THREE

• Electronic Stability Control (ESC) - Extended Applications of Electronics in Braking
• Tractor and Trailer Brake System Compatibility
• Brake Testing Procedures
• NHTSA and FHWA Regulations
• Accidents Related to Braking and Why Braking Problems are often Over-looked

1.8 CEU

Sponsor Background:

What do cars, aircraft, trucks, off-highway equipment, engines, materials, manufacturing, and fuels have in common? SAE. The Society of Automotive Engineers is your one-stop resource for technical information and expertise used in designing, building, maintaining, and operating self-propelled vehicles for use on land or sea, in air or space.

Who we are & what we do

Nearly 80,000 engineers, business executives, educators, and students from more than 97 countries form our network of members who share information and exchange ideas for advancing the engineering of mobility systems. More than 16,000 volunteer leaders serve on our Board of Directors and our many other boards, councils and committees. Our technical committees write more new aerospace and automotive engineering standards than any other standards-writing organization in the world. We publish thousands of technical papers and books each year, and leading-edge periodicals and Internet and CD-ROM products too. Our Cooperative Research Program helps facilitate projects that benefit the mobility industry as a whole. Numerous meetings and expositions provide worldwide opportunities to network and share information. We also offer a full complement of professional development activities such as seminars, workshops, and continuing education programs. The meetings and activities of local sections provide an opportunity to network with colleagues near you.

Services for the public and the profession

Every day, we demonstrate our commitment to society through local, national, and international public awareness programs that promote vehicle safety and maintenance and energy resource conservation. Through the SAE Foundation, we are also deeply involved in the engineering-related education of children, teachers , college students, and faculty. Industry and faculty awards provide recognition to outstanding contributors in the profession.

Since its founding in 1905, SAE's dedicated people, strong technical base, and vision have helped serve the professional needs of engineers and the transportation needs of humanity. We are clearly poised to continue that role into the 21st century.