Did you know (and not a lot of people know this) that this week WABCO completed its 20th winter test cycle at the company-owned test track at Rovaniemi, in the Arctic Circle. Working in temperatures as extreme as minus 30°C, the company's engineers and technicians have logged approximately 1290 man-days during this year’s winter tests. The 55-day winter program involved tests with 25 WABCO-owned vehicles as well as joint tests of trucks (like the one above) and buses from leading commercial vehicle manufacturers.
WABCO has operated its own test area in Northern Finland since 1998, with the Arctic Circle test track and the region’s below-zero temperatures creating optimum conditions to test innovative braking and driving control systems. An 800-meter (875-yard) braking track allows for tests of a wide range of braking systems. Braking is tested on ice, snow or asphalt, as well as on combinations of the three surfaces. A circular skid pad, with a radius of 280 meters (306 yards), is specifically designed for electronic stability control (ESC) tests. An inclined test slope incorporating grades of 3.5 and 7% is also used for testing drive slip control systems (ASR).
Now click through here for some interesting news regarding electronic stability systems which I didn't realise....
According to WABCO recently, European policy makers announced that new vehicles are to be fitted with electronic stability control systems starting in 2010.
“We were the first to introduce an ESC for trucks in 2001. And we have driven the development of stability controls ever since – a significant contribution to road safety”, Dr. Christian Wiehen, vice president, product development at WABCO tells BLB. ”This year’s winter tests have delivered highly valuable results for our engineers working on the next system generations.”
Stability control systems should help drivers maintain control of their vehicles in a variety of potentially dangerous situations by automatically taking corrective action. They can help prevent artic combinations from rolling-over, skidding or jack-knifing.
In Finland, these systems can be tested on a range of different road surfaces while minimizing the risks to drivers and vehicles. As snow and ice have much lower friction coefficients than asphalt or concrete, the substantial physical forces that affect commercial vehicles during sudden braking maneuvers or in dangerous situations can be accurately simulated at lower driving speeds. This also significantly reduces the risk of vehicles rolling over or skidding dangerously during testing. Sounds cool....
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