Marmon Highway Technologies announced that its newly formed Brake and Wheel Ends group is developing system solutions to optimize the performance of brake and wheel end components for the heavy truck and trailer market. Based in Cullman, Ala., BWE currently is comprised of the businesses of Webb Wheel Products Inc., OE, Severe Duty and Aftermarket; along with TSE Brakes. This group of companies will form the base for a business organized to offer complementary brake and wheel end components engineered to work together for superior performance, safety and lifecycle costs.
Additionally, BWE has announced plans to acquire new companies and enter into joint ventures to further build on the idea that components developed with the total system in mind will bring better benefits to the end user. A research and development facility located on the BWE campus in Cullman supports all BWE businesses with product design and development, in-house prototyping and testing capabilities.
“With the current makeup of the Brake and Wheel Ends group along with acquisitions and joint ventures, we can provide the commercial vehicle market complementary products designed to work with each other, offering the end user better performance and cost profiles,” says J.T. Weis, BWE president. “For instance, when brake drums and linings are engineered together, there can be significant improvements in performance and life, benefiting fleets.”
Weis says light truck and passenger car braking systems have long incorporated a friction couple model. “However, in the commercial vehicle industry, brake drums and linings are still developed separately and may or may not complement each other,” Weis says. “We want to change that. There are significant other opportunities we are pursuing to marry products to give the end user system solutions.”
MHT says that during 2011, the Brake and Wheel Ends Group is expected to announce additional business partnerships along with enhancements of current capabilities to further grow their presence in offering system solutions to the commercial vehicle original equipment and aftermarket segments.
