Annual Report 2012 - Knorr-Bremse AG.

126
Report
Market successes // Commercial vehicle systems
for this new project, Knorr-Bremse began to adapt the air treatment system used in Europe in line with
the needs of the South American market. At the same time it started to investigate the extent to which
– in line with local content requirements – the systems could also be manufactured in Brazil in future.
Ford Otosan orders braking systems
Ford Otosan is the leading commercial vehicle manufacturer in Turkey, with an annual output of
some 280,000 units. Until recently the company had not made much use of Knorr-Bremse products,
but in 2011 it placed a major order for braking systems for the new semitrailer tractor units in its heavy
truck program.
What ultimately won Knorr-Bremse the order was not just the company’s high quality standards but
also its across-the-board systems competence. After modification to meet the particular requirements
of the new vehicle, the components were subjected to exhaustive summer and winter testing
that was successfully completed in 2012.
Ford Otosan is planning to bring production levels up to 12,000 heavy trucks and some 3,000 semitrailer
tractor units in 2013. But there is even more scope for future cooperation between Knorr-
Bremse and the Turkish company, as it is planning to further expand its heavy truck production over
the coming years.
Knorr-Bremse starts preparing for new bus platform in Russia
At Knorr-Bremse Russia, preparations have begun to equip a new bus family built by GAZ Group
Russian Buses. The new bus platform comprises several different model series, from city, local and
regional buses to long-distance touring buses up to 18 m long. Knorr-Bremse is to supply the complete
braking systems for the entire vehicle platform. The new models are due to enter volume
production in 2014. GAZ Group Russian Buses is planning to build a total of 15,000 to 20,000 units
between 2014 and 2016.
In addition, Knorr-Bremse Russia is working on a project to supply disc brakes for a new minibus series
from bus manufacturer Pavlovo Bus. With an annual output of approximately 11,000 units, Pavlovo is
the largest bus builder in the CIS states. Start of production for the new minibus series is set for 2013
and Knorr-Bremse is to supply the brakes for between 2,000 and 3,000 vehicles. Pavlovo Bus belongs
to GAZ Group Russian Buses which is part of the GAZ Group, the leading bus manufacturer in Russia
and the CIS states, with a market share of around 65%.
In 2012 Knorr-Bremse Russia began construction of the prototypes for both of these projects.
Lift axles are additional
axles that the driver
can lower to distribute
the weight of a
heavy payload more
evenly across the
axles.
Start of series production for Indian lift axle system
Production of the second generation of a pneumatic lift axle system for the Indian commercial vehicle
market is off to a successful start. Knorr-Bremse India is supplying the system to Tata Motors for
installation in selected model series. Lift axles are additional axles that the driver can lower to distribute
the weight of a heavy payload more evenly across the axles. This not only helps reduce tire wear
but also serves to provide better grip, which is very important for the optimal performance of the
braking system.
With the second generation of the pneumatic lift axle system, Knorr-Bremse was able to introduce
numerous improvements, reducing the number of parts and the overall system costs. In addition,
the company also developed an anti-tire-theft system, while new valves make for faster activation.