Brembo Sensify, a future revolution belonging to the braking system

2023-12-25

As one of the key components of automobiles, the braking system has played an important role in ensuring driving safety since the birth of automobiles. In the past two years, the rapid development of automotive intelligence and electrification has enabled brake systems to have more "missions" in addition to basic safety requirements, and has also ushered in new changes and development opportunities.

Among them, Brembo, as a leading brand in the global brake system field, launched its pioneering new intelligent brake system SENSIFY this year ™， The ultimate solution for future braking systems that integrates cutting-edge artificial intelligence software with Brebo's globally renowned braking components. And just recently, it was equipped with SENSIFY ™ The prototype of the braking system crossed the ocean from the Brebo headquarters to China.

What exactly is SENSIFY ™?

Brebo explained that this name comes from a combination of two words: SENSE is the ability of humans to perceive external signals and stimuli, while SIMPLIFY means easy installation. It symbolizes the harmonious integration of Brebo products and vehicles, while making driving fun and very safe.

Specific to hardware products, SENSIFY ™ The braking system combines Brebo's existing products such as calipers, brake discs, and friction materials, and integrates digital technology and artificial intelligence to build a flexible breakthrough platform. It adopts software, prediction algorithms, and data management systems to achieve digital control of the braking system.

Unlike the current hydraulic system controlling brakes, SENSIFY ™ The braking system decouples pedal displacement from braking force transmission. When the driver presses the brake pedal, the pedal displacement sensor identifies the braking intention and completes the pressure building process through the motor.

According to the Brebo Plan, SENSIFY ™ The braking system is expected to be mass-produced in 2024 and launched for the end market. However, according to relevant laws and regulations, this braking system still retains a traditional hydraulic braking system in the front wheel section as a safe "dual backup".

In the future, with the gradual opening and improvement of relevant laws and regulations, SENSIFY ™ The braking system will inevitably cancel the hydraulic braking system and achieve a fully dry intelligent braking system Ms. Zhou Qiujun, R&D Director of Brebo China, stated that based on this system, vehicles can be controlled more accurately, with better performance, stronger stability, and a different driving experience.

Meanwhile, SENSIFY ™ The braking system uses Brebo ENESYS energy-saving calipers, which can effectively reduce the drag torque between the brake discs and pads, thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions and alleviating the range anxiety of electric vehicles.

In addition, SENSIFY ™ Due to its unique structure, the braking system eliminates hydraulic oil pipes and greatly simplifies the structure, providing wider possibilities for car design and bringing great flexibility to car manufacturers. It simplifies the difficulty of integrating with electric and fuel powered vehicle platforms, achieving full market coverage from supercars to city cars, and even possibly including the latest commercial vehicles.

Thisthe ultimate revolution in braking systems

At present, in the trend of automobile intellectualization, the automobile braking system has gone through the development process from mechanical to hydraulic and then to electronic (ABS/ESC). In order to meet the high standard of L3 and above autonomous vehicle 'response speed to the braking system, electrical signals are used to replace the traditional mechanical brake by wire. Because of its relatively faster response and faster braking distance, it is regarded as the mainstream demand trend of future automobile intellectualization.

The line controlled braking system can be divided into two categories: EHB (electronic hydraulic braking) system and EMB (electronic mechanical braking) system. EHB uses electric motors to drive the original hydraulic system to achieve braking, while EMB completely eliminates hydraulic transmission and directly controls the wheel side motor brake through electrical signals, making the response more sensitive. It is a true line controlled braking system and is expected to become the next development direction.

Specifically, due to the complete elimination of hydraulic pipelines, EMB eliminates components such as brake fluid, wiring harnesses, and hydraulic pumps, and is often referred to as a dry brake system.

It should be noted that although EMB system technology has many advantages compared to EHB hydraulic wire control technology, there are still many technical difficulties that need to be overcome so far. Therefore, Bragg's SENSIFY ™ The braking system is one of the few EMB technologies that can be implemented on prototype vehicles at present, and it is expected to seize the opportunity in future market competition.

I know that when a new technology is first introduced to the market, there will always be companies that dare to try it out, but at the same time, there will also be people who are relatively cautious and maintain a wait-and-see attitude. However, just like new technologies like the iPhone, which ultimately overturn the traditional communication market, we also firmly believe in SENSIFY ™ The braking system can overturn the existing braking system market in the future and bring users more brand new experiences Stephan Rolland, President and CEO of Brebo China, envisioned this.

Better than wire control, SENSIFY ™ Not limited to execution

It is worth noting that SENSIFY ™ It's not a wire controlled brake In the speech, Stephan Rolland emphasized.

As mentioned earlier, with the development of electrification and intelligence in automobiles, wire controlled braking systems will replace traditional hydraulic or pneumatic braking control systems as the mainstream of future braking systems. As a leading brand in the global brake system field, Brebo also launched the "Brake by Wire" solution, which has been dedicated to research and development for 20 years, during this year's Shanghai Auto Show.

SENSIFY ™ The braking system is actually based on the development of Brebo line control technology, but as mentioned in the name "SENSE", it is committed to providing a brand new driving experience, allowing drivers to fully utilize the "sensitive" dimension, which is different from the current mainstream line controlled braking cars Stephan Rolland introduced it as follows.

That is to say, SENSIFY ™ The braking system is not just about wire controlled braking technology, nor is it just a simple patchwork of components. It presents more of an entire ecosystem, in which artificial intelligence and software play a positive role. The data collection function is used to improve the driving experience and continuously update the system.

Stephan Rolland further pointed out that SENSIFY ™ The original intention of designing the braking system is to build an intelligent platform that can provide users with driving pleasure and work with vehicle manufacturers to provide users with a unique experience of customizing braking responses based on their own driving style and conditions.

Both artificial intelligence and data collection and analysis require that Brebo's research and development focus no longer solely on technologies such as calipers, brake discs, and friction materials for execution terminals, but needs to expand upwards and broaden the scope of skills.

In this context, Brebo released a new corporate vision and mission in September last year: "Transforming energy into inspiration.".

In its view, the current automotive industry is facing enormous challenges, but it is also an opportunity to explore new areas of the future market and help partners meet industry challenges. All of thisbased on Brebo's ability to stay at the forefront of industrial transformation, integrate products and services into coordinated and comprehensive solutions, and meet the rapid development needs of the automotive industry, And "inspiration" is the source of support for Brebo's future research and development creativity.

In July this year, Brebo's first inspiration laboratory landed in California, USA, with the aim of developing the company's capabilities in software, data science, and artificial intelligence. According to Stephan Rolland, we are currently preparing for the second Brebo Inspiration Laboratory in China. At the same time, "in the future, we will continue to increase our investment in research and development in China to better support the needs of our partners' industrial research and development."

By the end of 2021, the distance from SENSIFY ™ The brake system is officially in mass production, and it still has more than two years to be installed on the vehicle. Brebo is actively preparing for its industrialization landing. Although Brebo has not yet revealed more detailed information about the system, it is foreseeable that a future revolution belonging to the braking system is accelerating.

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