Developed in Australia, Knorr-Bremse’s award-winning iMass smart on-board mass system is expected to be on show at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show
Based in Munich, Germany, Knorr-Bremse Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of braking and control systems, under the Knorr-Bremse and Bendix brands, ranging from air supply and treatment systems via brake and chassis control systems to wheel brakes.
In February 2022, it received Transport Certification Australia (TCA) approval for its Smart on-board mass (OBM) system, which uses digital technology to collect and transmit mass data from vehicles in a reliable and standardised way.
Shortly thereafter in September, the iMass product won a prestigious award for ‘Application of Technology’ at the Australian Freight Industry Awards which was held at Crown in Melbourne.
Developed in Australia, Knorr-Bremse’s iMass system utilises a trailer electronic braking system (TEBS) to measure pressure in the air suspension of the vehicle and relate this to a vehicle mass estimation.
This system comprises a driver interface unit (DIU), an electronic control unit (ECU), a pressure sensor and deflection or level sensor installed on the truck, while on the trailer it utilises the Knorr-Bremse G2.2 TEBS, coupled with Knorr-Bremse iLevel suspension control plus iLevel sensor.
The electronic levelling control on the truck and the TEBS on the trailer receive electronic signals from the pressure sensor which is interpreted as a mass value. These mass values are transmitted via the CAN signal for the trailer or the CAN bus for the truck.
The driver interface unit is connected to the CAN bus to obtain the truck data and uses a CAN reader to obtain the trailer data.
All relevant information is then conveniently displayed on a hardwired colour screen that shows the mass across each axle. The information is made available to an in-vehicle/telematics unit.
Currently compliant with Kenworth, Volvo and Mercedes Benz 6×4 models, the hard-wired iMass system is rated for up to seven trailers.
Location: Stand 76, Great Hall
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