The main improvement with the new ABS 8.1 unit is a more efficient control loop for the return pump motor, the speed of which can now be adjusted according to the driving position. This improvement has allowed engineers to use a smaller electric motor, the decisive factor in achieving a downsizing of the unit. The pump and valve triggering were also optimized during the course of the product's development. In its most compact version, the box volume of the hydraulic unit and add-on ECU now falls below the one litre mark and weighs only 1.4 kilograms.
The variable speed control provides a further reduction in pedal vibrations and noise. Bosch engineers have also succeeded in noticeably suppressing the intensity of the high- frequency noise from the unit. The result is improvement in driver and passenger in-vehicle comfort and convenience.
On wet, snow or icy road conditions ABS 8.1 reduces stopping distance even further and because the new pump unit consumes less power than previous units, the system will not drain the vehicle's electrical systems.
Bosch was the first supplier worldwide to offer an electronically controlled, mass-produced antilock braking system. It was first installed in 1978 in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class followed shortly after by the BMW 7-Series. Since its introduction, Bosch has produced and delivered over 130 million brake control systems with the ABS function to OEM's all over the world.
Note to editors:
The Bosch Group is a leading global manufacturer of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology. In fiscal 2004, some 242,000 employees generated sales of €40 billion. Set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as "Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering," the Bosch Group today comprises a manufacturing, sales, and after-sales service network of some 260 subsidiaries and more than 10,000 service centres in over 130 countries.
The special ownership structure of the Bosch Group guarantees its financial independence and entrepreneurial freedom. It makes it possible for the company to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future, as well as to do justice to its social responsibility in a manner reflective of the spirit and will of its founder. The charitable foundation, Robert Bosch Stiftung, holds 92% of the shares of Robert Bosch GmbH. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG.
Bosch media enquiries:
Chris Wakley / David Eden
Automotive PR
Tel: 020 7494 8050
Email: cwakley@automotivepr.com / deden@automotivepr.com
Bosch OE enquiries:
Beverley Daniels
Corporate Affairs Manager
Robert Bosch Limited
Tel: 01895 878155
Email: beverley.daniels@uk.bosch.com
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