ZF's IBC: Stop Better and Drive Farther
New Technology Inspires the Automotive Industry
IBC Secures up to Nine Life-Saving Meters
When it comes to "being out in front," IBC can bring a car to a stop up to nine meters earlier than a conventional braking system when braking automatically from 100 km/h in an emergency. These figures can be achieved with no modifications to the foundation brakes, i.e., using the same discs and calipers as before. "In critical traffic situations, IBC can make all the difference between life and death," stresses Meyer.
This is because the IBC instantly builds up the brake pressure required for the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and does so around three times faster than would be possible under ideal conditions with the driver's leg-pedal-hydraulics-vacuum booster chain of command.
Brake Management With IBC Increases Electric Range
Zero Errors Are a Must With Braking Systems
The braking system is subject to more stringent functional safety requirements than any other passenger car system. In the case of cars permitted to travel without driver intervention, even if only on certain sections of road, these demands continue to rise. "The millions of lines of software code, the high-performance electronics, the complete actuators – all of these must be absolutely reliable with our IBC," stresses Meyer. "That's why we've also added the necessary redundancy for the use of conditionally automated driving and above."
With these kinds of demanding brake innovations in particular, the Group benefits from one standout feature: From the pedal or actuator, the brake control and its algorithms through to the calipers and discs on the wheel, ZF can handle every detail in-house. "The software functions developed for braking were also enablers of other ZF software modules such as 'cubiX', which intelligently connects various chassis systems," says Meyer.
The New Braking Feels Good
Despite software-defined systems and digital solutions, one thing remained analog, figuratively speaking: The – now simulated – pedal feel. "Our engineers know how to adjust the brake feedback so that drivers enjoy a familiar and pleasant feel. This ZF expertise built up over decades is now also part of the actuator control," says Meyer. The driver at the steering wheel is blissfully unaware of the complex transitions between electric deceleration and deceleration via the friction brakes, the brake blending in electric cars. IBC upholds the best traditions when pushing the brake pedal – while it coordinates braking itself more effectively, efficiently and intelligently than ever before.