LOUISVILLE. Wabco is introducing a new radar-based safety system in North America, it said today at the Mid-America Trucking Show here. The OnGuardACTIVEe collision mitigation system offers radar with 30% longer range and its “all season system” leverages 77 GHz radar for improved performance in poor visibility conditions.
The company also made a number of other announcements at the show, including an investment in SmartDrive Systems, a plant expansion and a supply agreement with Hendrickson Trailer Commercial Vehicle Systems.
According to Wabco, the all season radar system provides performance even in situations such as white outs, heavy rain, dense fog, blinding sunshine or night time driving when camera-based sensors may be impaired. OnGuardACTIVE’s radar offers up to five times higher bandwidth than 24GHz radar-based collision mitigation systems available in the market, the company said. The system’s dual mode function addresses both long range and adjacent lane views for higher accuracy in object detection.
OnGuardACTIVE is capable of analyzing traffic up to 650 ft. ahead, thus recognizing impending critical driving situations earlier.
Drivers are alerted to potential critical problems via acoustic, visual and haptic signals. Should the driver fail to take corrective action, the system provides active braking on moving, stopping and stationary vehicles to mitigate or prevent impending rear-end collisons. OnGuardACTIVE is capable of delivering up to full braking on moving and stopping vehicles and can bring the vehicle to a complete stop, Wabco said. It can also deliver partial braking on stationary vehicles.
“Wabco’s new OnGuardACTIVE is our most advanced collision mitigation system,” said Nik Varty, president, Americas. “Rain or shine, foggy or clear, drivers constantly travel on America’s roads. They need a system that works as hard as they do to keep them and their vehicles safe whatever the season. OnGuardACTIVE’s superior radar technology is up to the task.”
OnGuardACTIVE will be sold and supported in North America by Meritor Wabco.
Wabco also announced a $20 million investment in SmartDrive Systems, a provider of driving performance management solutions. The companies will jointly develop next-generation, video-based analytics solutions, combining SmartDrive’s real-time, video-based driving performance insights and analytics with Wabco’s advanced braking and stability control technologies.
Wabco also noted that its automated manual transmission (AMT) technology continues to increase market penetration both globally and here in North America, posting a 110% increase in sales in 2014.
The company also announced a long-term supply agreement with Hendrickson Trailer Commercial Vehicle Systems to provide an advanced air disc brake (ADB) system for trailers in North America. As part of the agreement, Wabco will launch its MAXX22T, an optimized ADB system for trailer applications, in North America.
As part of that, Wabco will spend $17 million to build a state-of-the-art manufacturing site in Charleston, SC. Construction of the 145,000-sq.-ft. facility is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The company will then relocate from its exiting Charleston site to the new facility.
