ZF OptiRide gives driver comfort a boost
Vehicle technology giant ZF has detailed the features of its Wabco OptiRide electronically controlled air suspension (ECAS) system, which can be used to support daily routines such as trailer coupling or loading and unloading.
OptiRide is said to increase driver safety and comfort while supporting landing gear operations, as well as ensuring excellent cargo treatment. It optimises the vehicle’s chassis height on air-suspended axles, says the firm, offering quick and easy height adjustment via a dashboard switch or remote control unit.
The system ensures automatic return-to-ride height after drive-off, and includes worldwide application support for both 24V and 12V systems.
It incorporates an electronic control unit which monitors and evaluates incoming signals from sensors, and initiates corresponding actions by the solenoid valve, allowing for customised parameterisation of functions. The software design enables modular system upgrades, while the ECU also enables access to internally compiled operating data. Its housing design enables stacking with the solenoid valve.
The wired, high-end remote control unit is attached to the cabin, and dedicated for ECAS functionality on trucks. It features a standardised interface with LIN protocol, and is protected against environmental influences via IP64 protection.
The solenoid valve is activated by the ECU to precisely control bellow pressure. Its composite body is designed for durability and low weight, and the valve’s design allows for a specified one million activations. It comes with three fixation points to support stacking.
The pressure sensor measures bellow pressure on an air suspended axle, with a piezoresistive measurement principle enabling high measuring sensitivity. The sensor operates within a pressure range of 0-16 bar, and a temperature window of -40°C to 100°C.
Meanwhile the height sensor is said to provide high linearity, leading to very high measurement precision. It converts measurement results into electric signals to transmit to the ECU, and supports flexible positioning inside the vehicle.
The system offers a variety of value-adding functionalities, says ZF, including axle load monitoring. It detects the axle load of the air suspended axles, enables display of load information on the dashboard, and allows the driver to be warned in case of an overload.
Assistance with traction is also provided, as the system can detect imminent traction loss and enable a temporary load transfer via the maximised utilisation of permissible axle loads. Available as an automatic feature, this enables a switch from 6×4 to 6×2 axle configuration.
A heeling function provides the ability to raise the rear of the tractor chassis above ride height, enabling the swift and easy unloading of liquid goods, ZF adds.
Different levels of vehicle height are enabled, adjustable through lifting and lowering, with flexible pre-set according to specific OEM requirements. Levels are manually adjustable via the dashboard switch during driving, and the vehicle height can be adjusted automatically depending on speed.
A ‘quick drop and hook’ function is said to provide rapid and seamless raising and lowering of the tractor chassis, to ease coupling and uncoupling. This can be achieved via dashboard switch or remote control unit. It alleviates the load from the landing legs via the push of a button rather than labour-intensive manual cranking.
Memory levels for loading and unloading allow the adaptation of a vehicle’s height at loading ramps for different ramp heights – while a lift axle control feature provides load-dependent lifting and lowering of the non-driven rear axle of a 6×2 truck, available as an automatic feature or on request via dashboard switch or remote control.
