Hendrickson has introduced Tiremaax Pro-LB, a next-generation update of the Tiremaax Pro trailer tire inflation system. Tiremaax Pro-LB adds the ability to adjust tire pressure based on load.
“The consensus in the market is that most trailer tires are inflated to a pressure greater than necessary for the typical load. The cold tire target pressure setting is often selected based on a maximum expected load, which may only occur occasionally,” says Matt Wilson, director of controls business unit at Hendrickson Trailer Commercial Vehicle System. “A load-based tire pressure control system allows for an optimal tire pressure, providing the opportunity to reduce tire wear without negatively affecting fuel economy.”
Hendrickson notes that commercial vehicles experience significant changes in overall vehicle weight between the loaded and unloaded condition. The change is so significant that the optimum air pressure for the tires is different for loaded versus unloaded vehicles. Tire manufacturers provide complex charts to calculate the tire pressure required for a specific axle load. Hendrickson says that Tiremaax Pro-LB helps eliminate the guesswork of tire pressure management. By monitoring the pressure in the air springs, the new system will react to changing loads automatically, with no input from the driver.
Hendrickson plans to release Tiremaax Pro-LB in 2020.
