LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Heavy-duty suspension maker Hendrickson International Corp. launched a new severe-duty rubber suspension Thursday that it said increases traction, decreases weight and provides a comfortable ride whether a vehicle is loaded or unloaded.
The Utilimaax suspension, which uses rubber to absorb shocks and has a walking suspension design for severe-duty applications, will be available for sale in North America and South America in the fourth quarter of 2013, Doug Sanford, vice president of Hendrickson’s commercial vehicle unit, said at a press conference here during the Mid-America Trucking Show.
“Most mechanical suspensions are designed to ride the best at loaded capacity,” Sanford said. “So, at unloaded conditions, the ride quality suffers. With these rubber suspensions, particularly with Utilimaax, we’re able to really take care of that issue.”
Hendrickson also announced what it called the industry’s first trailer suspension that does not have shock absorbers. The Zero-Maintenance Damping technology uses air springs instead, greatly reducing maintenance costs, said Perry Bahr, vice president of the trailer unit.
“The ZMD air-spring carries out the suspension damping function within the air-spring itself by exchanging pressurized air between the bellows and the uniquely designed piston,” Bahr said at the press conference.
“Unlike an external shock absorber, which gradually loses its damping power over time, the ZMD air-spring will continue to provide consistent performance throughout the life of the air-spring,” he said.
