Zeev Nachmanzon
If you see a race car take to the track, after the initial encounter with the design, the second thing you will probably be interested in is how fast it is capable of reaching. The driver of the car, on the other hand, is interested in something completely different - what are its braking capabilities. The next figure that interests the driver is the acceleration ability of his vehicle, but we came to talk about brakes.
It is very likely that you are not one of the handful of racing drivers, and you do not have the skills they have acquired over many years of experience nor the vehicle they drive. But the importance of an advanced and proper braking system is just as high for you - as well as for the car manufacturer, the owner of the garage that takes care of it - and even the Ministry of Transportation. And in the past? Back in 1886, when engineer Karl Benz invented the first car, whose speed did not exceed 15 km/h - it came with a handbrake.
The more advanced vehicles on Israel's roads today boast an autonomous braking system, which in addition to being an amazing safety measure that protects your life - it also protects your pocket. You will see this when you search online Car insurance price comparison - You will immediately receive a variety of discounts from the various insurance companies for vehicles with advanced braking and safety systems. But before we talk about the innovation, let's take a look at the past.
on braking
Until today, a mechanism on braking is based on slowing down or stopping through friction. The friction basically produces heat and wear when the energy contained in the brake is used to stop the movement of the vehicle wheel.
The strength of friction, as well as its pull, are responsible for braking strength, efficiency and speed. The first brake developed for any vehicle is the drum brake. So named after a metal drum mounted on the axle, and when braking, the brake shoes tighten around it and create friction with it. The pads of the sandals wear out over time and their frictional ability weakens relatively quickly and requires regular maintenance and high turnover. However, this initial technology is still very common in vehicles today, because it is considered cheap and easy to maintain. Another very common brake is the disc brake, which is based on a braking disc that sticks to the wheel from its side during braking, and by means of pads that rub against it slows the wheel down to a complete stop. Compared to the drum brake, the friction surface and the manner of heat dissipation are significantly higher in the disc brake, which gives it a substantial advantage over its evolutionary predecessor, But even in it the pads wear out and require their regular replacement, in order to maintain consistent safety.
Two additional braking mechanisms worth knowing are the air brake, which is based on massive air pressure that is released during braking to special "boosters" that exert mechanical force on pads attached to the wheel. This formidable brake is mainly identified with large vehicles such as trucks and buses where a very large stopping power is required. The second is the electro-magnetic brake, this brake is based on an electro-magnetic induction which during braking creates a counter movement to the direction of rotation of the drive shaft, thus resulting in deceleration and stopping. This means is also more common in trucks due to the power and energy required to operate it.
Shall I click?
On the basis of the braking mechanisms mentioned above, the car manufacturers and the production companies in the field develop advanced and innovative braking systems, and at any given moment they are already working on the next technology. While moving from the basic hand brake in the first Benz car, a mechanical, hydraulic foot brake was added, and in fact more than one braking system was integrated into the car - how simple and how ingenious and desirable. Automatic braking mechanisms such as the ABS, which produces braking in stages in a controlled manner leading to cleaner and safer braking - when all this occurs when the driver presses one long press on the brake. And the next news is the autonomous braking, which we mentioned earlier. Just as we told about the racing driver and his skill, the next generation of cars is aimed at autonomous drivers, a computer with processing systems and motion sensors, distance, heat and more. In all likelihood, these will be the vehicles that in the future will "take the wheel into their own hands", and they will probably also take the brake, already today the technology of a braking system that is operated without driver intervention is applied in advanced vehicles, with great success.
In conclusion, just before the super processor replaces us inside the vehicle, it is important to remember that with all due respect to technology - our judgment today still has no substitute, and the same also applies to the safety and ongoing maintenance of the braking systems that protect our lives and the lives of the environment. It is definitely worth installing advanced braking systems, both for safety and because of the discounts from car insurance companies that can be enjoyed today. Have a nice ride.
