Abstract

The objective of all the braking systems fitted in vehicles isto reduce the speed, as well as to keep them at a standstill. Inorder to increase the active road traffic safety, the experts inthe leading vehicle manufacturer companies are trying from day to day to find a more efficient solution of the highest possiblequality. Braking problems, i.e. problems of stopping the vehiclesare closely related to time, forces, momentum, mass andother physical quantities. This is best seen in the braking ofheavy duty vehicles, trucks, buses, where the braking efficacyis questionable due to high inertia forces caused by heavyweight and more recently relatively high speeds. Such vehiclesare fitted with system of brakes that operate on compressed airor combination of pneumatics and hydraulics, since the driverhas not got enough power to achieve appropriate braking effect.However, the biggest problems occur by trucks runningdownhill, when the braking system is operated continuously fora longer period of time. This causes heating and overheating ofthe system elements ('fading'), thus reducing the braking effect.In extreme cases, particularly if the system is poorly maintained,it can eventually fail completely.Because of the mentioned reasons for difficulties in brakingof trucks, such vehicles have been recently fitted with anauxiliary slow-down system. This system is completely independentfromthe main one on the wheels and is used exclusivelyfor slowing down or for maintaining of speed.

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