The Bendix truck brake dynamometer is the only one in Australia, sitting at an impressive size of about 5,000 millimetres in length and 2,000 millimetres in width, at Ballarat, Victoria’s Manufacturing Research and Design Facility.
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This is a machine that delivers benefits to customers that competitors can’t match, testing heavy vehicle friction materials specifically for Australian conditions and applications.
The machine is used to develop new friction materials and to conduct compliance, performance and brake wear testing of products, including Bendix’s commercial vehicle range which covers ProTrans™ HD, ProTrans™ Disc Pads, ProTrans™ Brake Shoes and ProTrans™ Brake Linings.
It can test the braking requirements of most large road vehicles, from oversized four-wheel drives to road train prime movers and more.
Heavy weights are used to simulate axle loads and requires lots of space, especially for the heavy segment trucks, which is the main reason for the machine’s large footprint.
It takes between 10 and 12 continuous days to perform wear testing for each product.
Brakes are applied at temperatures ranging from 100 to 450 degrees Celsius with periodic measurement of the friction and disc/drum wear rate taking place within the cycles.
Brake applications at each temperature interval can vary between 500 and 1000 stops.
The dynamometer features an adjustable air-cooling system that replicates real world airflow, and the machine is fully automated and programmable, giving Bendix technicians complete control of testing and compliance parameters.
Performance testing evaluates the brake performance over a wide range of operating conditions such as temperature, pressure and brake fade, to international and local test standards.
The most typical commercial vehicle test method used is the US based FMVSS121 test.
Bendix’s testing program ensures friction materials meet the company’s strict standards in delivering, high quality, reliable and long-lasting braking performance for customers’ heavy vehicles.
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