PAVIA, Italy -- Brembo will launch a new intelligent braking system called Sensify in 2024.
Sensify can operate independently on each of a vehicle's four wheels and it could be the first application of an active-braking system.
"We think that Sensify could be a breakthrough technology with the same disruptive effect that ABS had when it was launched in the automotive sector," Brembo CEO Daniele Schillaci said.
Schillaci said Brembo was in talks with a major unidentified premium automaker to supply Sensify to its models starting in 2024. He expects the system would become a "standard feature," at least for premium platforms, by 2030.
Sensify combines the current Brembo product portfolio of calipers, discs and friction materials with digital technology and artificial intelligence to create a flexible and innovative ecosystem that includes software, predictive algorithms and data management to control the brake system digitally.
Current braking systems use hydraulic calipers that apply the same braking force to each wheel. When a wheel loses grip, the ABS system opens that caliper to regain grip and then braking is resumed.
In Sensify, two control units, one for the front axle and one for the real axle, apply the desired braking force to each individual wheel. The braking process uses electromechanics actuators that have a faster reaction time compared to a hydraulic system.
Brembo says that delivering finely tuned braking force to each individual wheel offers many advantages, including:
- Better stability because it prevents temporary losses of grip coming from ABS intervention.
- Better durability, because when a single brake disc or caliper begins to overheat, braking force is decreased there and is increased on the other three wheels.
- Lower total cost of ownership because the two control units exchange data on the status of the four calipers, applying the right braking force to assure that pressure is applied evenly, so reducing wear on the caliper pads.
As with any new technical innovation, Sensify will first be introduced into more expensive premium models, but it also has a big potential for light commercial vehicles and heavy trucks.
"In LCVs and trucks, where the difference in total weight between an empty and a fully loaded vehicle is much higher than in passenger cars, Sensify offers even higher benefits in terms of safety and cost of ownership," Schillaci said.
