Brake-by-Wire technology the future of automobile braking system

Brake-by-Wire technology is a braking technology still under research and development. Ofcourse, it is currently used by high end production cars but in the near future the technology is bound to make its presence felt in the larger part of the automobile market. The BWI group which deals in braking technologies has working on further developing Brake-by-Wire technology. Brake-by-Wire technology eliminates the hydraulic connection between the brake pedal and individual wheel brakes by using an electronic system. BWI’s Brake-by-Wire system integrates additional driver aids such as ABS, ESP and collision avoidance systems. 

BWI’s Brake-by-Wire system uses an electrically operated ball-screw driven brake caliper which works with a low inertia motor driven by a standard 14-volt battery. BWI says that the introduction of Brake-by-Wire will start with electric brake calipers on the rear wheels only. This is a more feasible approach as a lot of cars are equipped with electric parking brake on the rear wheels. Removing the need to work around the hydraulic braking hardware it will help car makers integrate the new technology without having to all of a sudden change their manufacturing techniques. Also, the process will help boost demand and supply to reduce the price of the new components before it goes into large scale application. 

Brake-by-Wire technology enables brakes to become a bolt-on and plug-in assembly without hydraulic brake lines, vacuum boosters and integration of brake modules into the brake calipers. 

“Electric brakes are still a few years away from volume production. But as demand for powertrains with energy recovery systems grows, and increasingly crowded road space requires better safety measures, the electronic integration of all the systems that aid the driver to control the vehicle is both desirable and inevitable. Having produced several generations and a number of prototype electric calipers and tested them in a range of vehicles under a wide variety of conditions, confidence in the technology is growing,” said Alan J Lee, Global Director, Sales & Engineering: Brake Systems, for BWI Group.