In an exclusive interview for just-auto, Matthew Beecham talked with Adrian Boden, group vice president, engineering, PBR International about the stage of development of its EPB and some notable trends in the electronic braking system arena.
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The number of buttons dotted inside the cabin of some new cars is overwhelming. Press here to power the windows, there for the sunroof and over here to adjust the seat or wing mirrors.
Just when you thought you had worked it out, another one appears — for the hand brake. Dispensing with the hand lever not only frees up an area for interior designers to add yet more cupholders, it also opens up new possibilities for additional braking functions. All the main electronic brake system integrators are developing their own solution to electric parking brake or EPB (also known as the electromechanical parking brake).
A vehicle with an EPB can also be a big plus for those older drivers or those with a physical disability. For some time, Australian-based PBR International has been developing its EPB and brake-by-wire systems, pushing back the technical boundaries in the electronic braking systems arena.
Just-auto: The path towards brake-by-wire in the automotive industry has not been all that smooth. Where we are now in the march towards brake-by wire?
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By GlobalDataAdrian Boden: Currently the move towards by-wire systems in general has slowed. This is mostly due to the required vehicle infrastructure and safety architecture not being available. In Europe there is still an ongoing move towards electric parking brakes which are in essence the first real by-wire brake systems.
Just-auto: What does the future look like in terms of development?
Adrian Boden: Interestingly the core development of by-wire brakes is quite well advanced. 42V systems have been running on development vehicles for a number of years. However the 42V vehicle architecture is definitely not a short term application. Thus there is a trend to move back towards the development of a 12V system. Unfortunately a 12V system is not realistic for a large vehicle application as current designs have too high a power draw for full four-wheel brake application.
Nonetheless the proliferation of hybrid power applications on many different sizes of vehicle potentially allows the development of 42V systems. These power systems could be dedicated for the brakes only thereby avoiding the need to convert the whole vehicle to a 42V system.
Just-auto: Is the most likely step towards brake-by-wire through hybrid systems — where the front brakes remain hydraulically actuated, but the rear brakes are moved to electro-mechanical systems? What is PBR doing in this respect?
Adrian Boden: We believe that this may well be the first step as this configuration allows the use of a standard 12V operating system. PBR is actively developing a rear 12V eMB (electro Mechanical Brake) caliper to meet this requirement.
Just-auto: What makes your ePark electric park brake technology different from competing designs?
Adrian Boden: We have incorporated [our] ePark technology into two electric park brake design variations. One is a ‘cable puller’ which operates the existing park brake mechanism (either drum-in-hat, mechanical caliper or drum brake) while replacing the hand or foot actuating mechanism. The other is integrated into a rear caliper, completely replacing the existing park brake mechanism.
The principle advantages of both systems are compact size, light weight, packaging flexibility, low noise and, most importantly, the speed at which you can apply and release full parking torque. Most system requirements reflect an apply time of less than 1 second and a release of less than 0.7 seconds. PBR’s ePark systems can apply and release in less than 0.7 seconds!
Just-auto: When will be it available?
Adrian Boden: Our systems are currently being demonstrated and quoted to many OEMs. At this stage we are anticipating that our first application will be in 2008/2009.
Just-auto: On which vehicles or applications could we see ePark?
Adrian Boden: We cannot give details of our customer’s intentions but the first application will most likely be at the heavier end of the vehicle range. This reflects another of PBR’s advantages, the fact that ePark can be applied to vehicles with GVWs up to about 4,500kgs. We can therefore apply ePark, in its present forms, to almost any passenger vehicle.
We can modify our design to cover heavier vehicles up to about 7,500kgs which would allow us to cover most light commercial vehicle applications. We are, in fact, currently discussing with a European LCV manufacturer for the application of ePark in 2010.
Just-auto: In terms of the adoption of these electric park brake systems, what are you seeing among OEMs?
Adrian Boden: PBR’s ePark systems have received a very high level of interest from European OEMs. The US response has been marginally slower which is possibly driven by their current market conditions.
The ePark systems have been demonstrated to OEMs on representative display vehicles which has allowed the car company engineers to experience the product in a real-world scenario. The response to this has been extremely positive with ePark being rated as the lightest, smallest, quietest and fastest systems currently available on the market.
Just-auto: What level of interest are you getting from Australia and the Asia-Pacific region?
Adrian Boden: We are seeing a high level of interest in Australia with a growing interest in Japan.
Just-auto: What will your next generation feature?
Adrian Boden: We plan to focus on the commercialisation of our existing systems in the short term. Depending on the vehicle manufacturer’s requirements, we are able to offer additional features by integrating ePark into other vehicle systems such as vehicle security, where modern keyless entry systems could be linked to ePark and unless the right key was present the park brake would not be released.
Other features that OEMs may be keen to integrate include auto-apply and drive-away-assist which remove the need for driver interaction when applying the park brake and tackling difficult hill starts.
Just-auto: What benefits does ePark offer the OEM and the ultimate customer, the driver?
Adrian Boden: For the OEM it improves flexibility of the interior cabin layout through the removal of the hand or foot brake mechanism. It also offers a substantial reduction in the OEM’s plant costs through the removal of cables, locating mechanisms, on-line assembly and adjustment. It also reduces vehicle cost through the reduction in the number of components that need to be engineered and purchased.
The driver will benefit immediately from the improved cabin environment and system reliability. Depending on how the OEM integrates the system, the driver could experience either a simple apply and release mechanism requiring very little effort to apply, or a more automated system where the apply-and-release mechanism is linked directly to driver functions as previously discussed with the auto-apply and drive-away-assist features.
The reduction in apply effort alone is a significant benefit for female and aged drivers who may find it difficult to apply or release the park brake in situations such as steep inclines. In these instances ePark provides peace of mind for the driver.
Just-auto: When full electro-mechanical brake technology is introduced, some say there will be the issue of consumer acceptance, i.e. are we ready to brake by wire? On the other hand, some believe that the consumer will be either unaware or not interested in the technologies unless there is a warranty issue …
Adrian Boden: We believe brake-by-wire is unlikely to pose a problem for consumers. Consumers demand a reliable, efficient and safe brake system with a responsive pedal feel and ultimately that is what a well designed by-wire system will deliver. Most of today’s consumers are unaware of how a current brake system works. In reality it means we have to develop a by-wire system that offers equal or better performance, cost and reliability. Today’s consumers are much quicker at adopting new technology, especially if it will enhance their driving experience.
Today’s driver is much more aware of parameters such as feel, comfort and safety, all of which can be enhanced through the installation of ePark or eMB technology.
The risk, if any, is that the proliferation of new automotive technologies needs to be managed so that the driver doesn’t become overwhelmed by gadgets. In the perfect world, the application of eMB will be a seamless integration which improves driver safety and therefore becomes as important as the ABS systems of today.
Just-auto: For all the development we are seeing in the automotive industry on electric brakes, hydraulic brakes would still appear to have a long life ahead.
Adrian Boden: Yes. The trend has always been for significant changes in technology to take time filtering through to mass application. Different vehicles in different markets command differing levels of installed technology. You only have to look at the development of power-assisted windows or ABS to see examples of this.
Just-auto: At the end of the day, there must be a limit to which braking technology can go in terms of bring a vehicle to a halt. I guess advances in tyre design then takes over?
Adrian Boden: Braking efficiency always depends on factors such as tyre condition, the type of tyres fitted and the condition of the shock absorbers. It is surprising that more attention to these key elements is not paid by Government agencies when talking about contribution to accidents.
Just-auto: Can braking technology go much further in the context of the ‘automated highway’?
Adrian Boden: This is less braking technology and more vehicle system integration. The automatic apply of brakes in Cruise Control mode or on an “automated highway” depends on other features being available. In this scenario, the technology required to physically apply the brakes doesn’t actually change.
Just-auto: I guess it has to be managed to such a point that it doesn’t take away the responsibility from the driver to drive sensibly?
Adrian Boden: This has to be part of an ongoing discussion. How much responsibility do we take away from the driver and what will change in the driver’s habits and reactions if this happens? We need to proceed with caution and understand better the driver’s attitude to change.
Just-auto: Are you seeing any other clear trends in electronic braking systems emerging?
Adrian Boden: Probably the most significant trend at the moment is the investigation of hybrid by-wire systems based on the existing 12V power source. This will allow the industry to move forward much quicker with a version of eMB that may have otherwise taken significantly longer to develop.
Outside of that, the industry will continue to refine today’s by-wire technologies through the improvement in materials, electronics and motor technology so that tomorrow’s systems will be even smaller, faster and quieter than they are today.
