Air disc brake adoption for tractors and trailers continues to escalate across North America, according to Bendix. Mileage, life and safety expectations are high for the growing number of air-disc-braked tractors and trailers. To help meet these vehicle operator expectations, Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC (BSFB) announces the availability of remanufactured calipers.
The calipers offer price advantages while providing the performance, warranty and post-sales support, the company says.
“We’re always looking to meet the needs of our growing number of air disc brake customers with quality products, so it makes sense to offer a remanufactured caliper option,” said Keith McComsey, BSFB director of marketing and customer solutions, Wheel-End. “At this point, air disc brakes have been widely available in the North American market for almost 15 years, and are factory installed at all the major truck manufacturers. In developing these remanufactured calipers for the aftermarket, we’re combining Bendix’s acknowledged leadership in wheel-end solutions and air disc brake production with the nearly 40 years of experience as a leader in remanufacturing.”
The newly launched brake calipers are produced using the processes and standards in place for OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) components. After inspection and disassembly, used caliper cores are separated, blasted, cleaned, and an e-coat is applied.
Key components are replaced with new OEM versions, and the calipers are reassembled and quality checked with the identical equipment and standards Bendix uses for manufacturing new calipers.
“Remanufacturing always involves replacing or repairing a core’s components to bring the part up to OEM specs,” McComsey said. “If a company doesn’t have full access to OEM quality components and production processes, you can’t truly call that a fully remanufactured part – which means you’re rolling the dice as far as what components are going into it, and whether all the proper quality control steps are in place.”
Bendix’s commitment to remanufacturing earned the company a position as one of the first ambassador companies of the Manufactured Again Certification program from MERA – The Association for Sustainable Manufacturing. The program helps purchasers easily identify remanufactured goods with like-new quality and warranty coverage.
Launched in November 2016, Manufactured Again Certification is aligned with the internationally recognized quality management standards ISO 9001 and IATF 16949. Where ISO 9001 can be used by any organization, large or small, in any industry, the supplemental IATF 16949 is one of the automotive industry’s most widely used international quality standards.
To receive Manufactured Again Certification, remanufacturers are required to submit third-party evidence of conformance to the accepted quality standards. The Manufactured Again Verification Committee oversees the program and reviews all applications
Safety
“That tractor out there built in 2005 and equipped with air disc brakes may or may not belong to the same fleet or owner-operator anymore – and over the years and miles, vehicle needs and priorities change,” McComsey said. “What stays unchanged is our commitment to helping support the safety of those vehicles and drivers. Bendix remanufactured calipers offer a cost-effective option for our customers to service their vehicles while maintaining the highest levels of safety and performance.”
Bendix remanufactured calipers are supported by field-tested sales and service professionals; a veteran field technical support team; and the Bendix Tech Team (at 1-800-AIRBRAKE), an expert technical support group providing service advice, brake system troubleshooting and product training.
Customers can also log on and learn from the Bendix experts at www.brake-school.com. The Bendix multimedia center at knowledge-dock.com offers always updated videos, blog posts, podcasts, and white papers.
