36 Innovation is not always evident. Even defining the concept causes confusion, after all, the dictionary says that innovating is also renewing, introducing new things, or any ideas that express change. But should visual alterations to a vehicle be considered, for example, innovation? The truth is they should. It is possible that a new design provides more aerodynamic efficiency, or promotes new industrial processes that reduced costs. In the road equipment sector, for example, it is quite possible that the impact of the adoption of the fourth axle in semitrailers on the outlook for road freight transport has been overlooked by those not familiar with it. The untrained eye sees just another truck. But since Contran’s Resolution 882, of December 2021, changed limits on vehicle weights and dimensions, the segment has been able to make an innovation legal. With the regulation, four-axle semi-trailers are no longer improvised with dubious adaptations and have entered the assembly lines of the implement industry. For carriers, there is a range of benefits. The vehicles with the new semi-trailer configuration have a capacity of up to 58.5 tons of gross combined weight (GVW) compared with 57 tons for a two-wheeler. That’s more cargo per trip. Simplification in the name of reduction - It is then a vehicle with only one articulation, which facilitates maneuvering, reduces fuel consumption, can be attached to a 6x2 tractor truck - instead of the 6x4 requirement to be a two-wheeler - and the initial investment is lower. In the final account, more productivity for less cost. Demand has exploded. In Librelato’s accounts alone, in the first six months of last year, more than 1,000 semi-trailers configured with the fourth axle were sold, a close to all the manufacturer’ deliveries in 2022. Much less noticeable than one more axle on the semi-trailer, the road implements sector will experience a great advance from January next year with the mandatory stability control of trailers. It will come to towed vehicles as one of the many functions that allow the intelligence of the Electronic Braking System (EBS). “The technology is primarily about security. And most importantly, actively, regardless of the driver’s action. The feature monitors the dynamics of the semi-trailer and corrects the vehicle’s direction, if necessary, to prevent tipping,” summarizes Flavio Grippe, Senior Sales Manager for Manufacturer of ZF’s Trailer division for South America. Embedded electronic ecosystem - The executive recalls that in addition to security, EBS offers benefits with additional features. In semi-trailers equipped with air suspension, the electronic control is able to calculate the weight of the load, which allows its more balanced distribution over the composition or even suspend the axle if a truck is empty. “In practice, EBS makes additional savings for the transportation sector. The technology has an impact on tire wear and fuel consumption by having accurate control over the compressor’s airflow,” says the ZF manager. EBS is imported, but with it being required by law, Grippe envisions the possibility of producing the system here. “Today, demand reaches around 10% of the production of semi-trailers, mainly for operations with dangerous cargo.” Recreating through innovation Legislation or innovative initiatives drive the road equipment industry to a higher technological level INOVAÇÃO | INNOVATION | INNOVACIÓN
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