Hendrickson Trailer Suspension Systems said its new Tiremaax Pro, which will launch the first quarter of 2011, is a revolutionary product for automatic inflation and precise maintenance of trailer tires. The system continuously monitors and adjusts tire pressure by inflating or deflating tires based on changing environmental conditions, as well as balancing tire pressures at every wheel position.
“Fleet, dealer and OEM customers have been asking for a solution to the two biggest issues with automatic tire inflation systems – over inflation and balancing,” said Matt Wilson, controls business unit manager for Hendrickson. “Tiremaax Pro was specifically developed to address both of these concerns. Hendrickson relied on our many years of experience and know-how with trailer suspensions to design an inflation system that seamlessly integrates with today’s trailers.”
The system features a straightforward mechanical design that continuously monitors tire pressure to respond to changes in outside temperature, according to Hendrickson. The system draws from the trailer air supply to keep trailer tires properly inflated and rolling smoothly. If the ambient temperature increases, the system will relieve air when necessary to prevent over inflation. This feature is important to achieve maximum tread life with all tire configurations, but especially with wide based single tires that are sensitive to pressure, the company said.
While balanced tire pressures are ideal for any application, the greatest benefits to balancing are achieved with dual tires. By keeping pressures balanced, scrubbing between dual tires can be greatly reduced and tire life improved, the company said.
In addition, Tiremaax Pro uses a rotary air connection that is integrated into the hubcap and raises the bar for rotary seal performance in tire inflation applications. The new rotary connection is built with high precision bearings and an engineered polymer seal. Hendrickson said it also continuously checks tire pressure without pressurizing the axle or wheel ends and employs a pneumatic controller to direct air to tires that fall below a preset pressure level. A signal light illuminates only when attention is required to alert the operator of tire or system leaks.
The system requires no special tools to adjust tire pressure settings and operates on either 12- or 24-volt electrical systems, according to the maker. In addition, Tiremaax Pro may be combined with an extensive array of Hendrickson approved wheel-end configurations on any Hendrickson Intraax primary suspension system, Vantraax slider suspension system or trailer axle.
