Adoption rates for air disc brakes (ADB) have climbed more than 100 percent in the last five years and show no signs of slowing down with penetration reaching 10 percent in 2013 and expected to close this year at approximately 21 percent.
Driven mainly by large fleets moving toward disc brakes, Meritor Product Manager Paola Carmona says adoption could hit upwards of 30 percent by 2020.
“The industry has already arrived at a point where air disc brakes are standard on certain truck models,” says SAF-Holland Director of Product Planning – Americas, Bill Hicks. “This trend will likely continue to expand as more OEMs respond to market demand.”
Segments like construction, logging and off-highway – “any time there is a lot of dirt and debris,” Carmona says – will help keep drum brakes viable, but she expects that air disc brakes will eventually overtake the market.
“We believe drum brakes will not go away,” she adds. “There are places they do make sense, and they are the most cost effective option.”
Hicks notes that trailer OEMs have to-date been more hesitant to add ABDs, however, he foresees new van and specialty models being brought to market with disc brakes as standard and drums as a deduct option.
“When you look at fleets and how long they keep tractors and how long they keep trailers, air disc brakes make just as much sense on the trailer side as they do on the tractor side,” adds Keith McComsey, Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake director of marketing and customer solutions.
