Freudenberg seals safety advance for long-distance lorries

Weinheim, Germany – Freudenberg Sealing Technologies said it is enhancing the safety and efficiency of heavy-duty vehicles with the introduction of a new seal technology for central tire inflation systems (CTIS).

Driving commercial trucks over long distances and in varying conditions “can be incredibly demanding on both the vehicle and the driver,” FST noted in a 5 Aug release.

Variables such as load-weight, poor driving conditions, routes requiring constant braking and acceleration can lead to safety issues and driver fatigue, it noted.

Commercial truck OEMs have long turned to the CTIS to mitigate these factors, by keeping tires inflated at optimum pressures for road conditions while driving.

But these systems sometimes require drivers to get out of their vehicles to adjust tire pressure, or can experience complete failure due to the heat and pressure within the CTIS.

In response, FST has applied its materials and sealing expertise to develop a double-lipped sealing component that can reduce friction and power loss in CTIS systems.

The sealing component, it said, “improves the functionality and lifetime of these systems, allowing CTIS manufacturers the opportunity to develop more sophisticated, automatic tire pressure systems that are controlled by a single button inside the cab.”

According to FST, the CTIS seal employs special pressure-balancing lips that effectively prevent overheating, ensuring the longevity and reliability required for high-speed applications.

Moreover, it said, the design can accommodate potential expansion of CTIS systems to drive axles, trailers and front steering axles for different vehicle configurations.

“The North American truck & bus market has wanted an automatic CTIS system to install on their drive axles for years,” said Matteo Fenoglio, lead center marketing manager at FST.

“But, until now, there has been no reliable sealing solution that can withstand the high speeds and heat generated by pressure applied to the tires,” noted Fenoglio.

As tire pressure increases, he explained, it generates high heat on the seal lips, which leads to premature failure of standard sealing solutions used to seal the air pressure in the tire.

“Our concept addresses this issue by balancing the pressure through special seal lips that prevent overheating,” the FST manager concluded.