Buses – Carrying the most important cargo

Air disc brake - Synact

Synact® offers optimal solutions for all combustion engine and electrified bus applications worldwide, as either an axial or a radial brake. It saves up to 48 kilograms of weight per bus, and can deliver fuel savings of up to one percent with the Active Caliper Release (ACR). At the same time, it reduces lining wear by up to 20 percent thanks to the ACR. This makes it one of the most energy-efficient air disc brakes available anywhere.

Synact is likewise prepared to meet the challenges of a new generation of electric vehicles. The so-called Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) Toolbox optimizes brake behavior in urban areas. Friction pairings optimized for the usage profiles of electric vehicles are also available.

More information about Synact is available here.

A brake control for everyone – GSBC

With the Global Scalable Brake Control (GSBC), Knorr-Bremse is combining the previously separate ABS and EBS system landscapes into one modular brake control. It reduces the required system components by up to 50 percent, thereby facilitating cost-optimized system layouts. Overall, the consolidated brake control offers a forward-thinking platform for modern driver assistance functions and e-mobility. Electric vehicles with GSBC benefit in particular from integration of the drive motors into the driving dynamic control loop. The vehicle’s range is also increased, while lining wear is reduced.

More information about GSBC is available here.

Compressed air supply – compressors designed for extreme loads

Because commercial vehicles are mobile enough to work anywhere, compressors in these vehicles face extreme loads of all kinds. Compressors from Knorr-Bremse are optimally equipped to handle continuous vibrations and major temperature and moisture differences. This is all the more true of the screw compressor, which is driven by an electric motor. It is an optimal solution for vehicles with moderate to high air requirements (such as city buses), while at the same time delivering low inherent noise and vibration levels. Its compact design makes it flexible enough for use on the roof or under the floor.

Learn more about compressors from Knorr-Bremse here.

Compressed air treatment – modular, flexible, and lightweight

The Global Scalable Air Treatment (GSAT) brings different requirements together in one modular system. This provides vehicle manufacturers the highest level of flexibility when installing the system, and the integrated electronic parking brake reduces its weight to less than ten kilograms.

Knorr-Bremse offers intelligent air processing (iAPU) specifically for electric buses. Combined with the electric screw compressor, it delivers high air flow with low noise and vibration levels. It also has innovative energy-saving functions and intelligent regeneration.

More information about compressed air treatment is available here.

Advanced driver assistance systems – safe in the city or the country

Knorr-Bremse is helping to eliminate typical causes of accidents with a wide range of assistance systems. This is important in urban areas where traffic calming measures are in place, where the most vulnerable road users mix with traffic, as well as when driving outside the 30 km or 50 km zones. Environment recognition is handled by a combination of the front camera and radar sensors installed on the front and sides. Based on these sensors, the assistance systems can warn the driver of static or moving objects and actively intervene in the braking system. Lane positions detected with the camera can be used to avoid accidentally leaving the roadway.

Knorr-Bremse’s systems in this area include, for example, the Moving Off Information System (MOIS). It warns the driver at the wheel if cyclists or pedestrians stop directly in front of the vehicle. The Knorr-Bremse turning assistant system also provides valuable help in avoiding accidents in urban areas. Outside of the city, the system helps drivers change lanes safely. Radars installed on the vehicle's sides detect vehicles in neighboring lanes, preventing the driver from changing lanes or merging too early

Learn more about driver assistance systems from Knorr-Bremse here.

Steering systems – much more than making turns easy

Knorr-Bremse offers a variety of steering systems to make steering easier, despite the high axle loads of commercial vehicles. The comparatively low speeds at which city buses drive, in particular, would make steering very difficult for drivers without steering support. The Advanced Hybrid Power Steering-System (AHPS) can also act on the steering shaft with its own torque in addition to the manual steering movement, thereby increasing, reducing, or completely replacing the movement. In this way, AHPS significantly improves driving comfort. In addition to much better driving comfort, a connection to different assistance systems makes it possible to implement a wide range of driver assist functions in order to further improve vehicle safety. The Knorr-Bremse product portfolio includes steering solutions for all bus applications, including electric drive models and automation options.

More information on steering systems is available here.

Level control – Lowering to improve guest comfort

Electronic level control (ELC) from Knorr-Bremse offers an electronic controller for the air springs, as well as different lifting and lowering functions for any commercial vehicle chassis. The kneeling function, which lowers one side of the vehicle floor, is used in buses in particular. This makes it easier for children, older people and disabled individuals especially to get in or out of the bus. However, it can also be used to balance out uneven load distributions and to optimize road traction in winter conditions.

More information about the electronic level control is available here.