Brake Testing on a Plate

With modern cars and their braking systems evolving faster than the technology used to test them, equipment manufacturers are always playing ‘catch up’. This is never more apparent than the modern vehicle drive train and braking systems. Says Chris Pleass Snap-on Equipments national sales manager: “I have been involved with braking systems for over 30 years and have seen a lot of changes. Vehicle manufacturers have always striven to improve traction and braking performance, this is great news for the motorist but a challenge to our industry to be able to test them.”

The traditional roller brake tester was a simple product, which was designed to measure torque of two surfaces acting against one another. At that time traction control, viscous drives and electronic 4×4 systems were something from a Sci-fi movie. Today they are a reality and there is now also an electronic handbrake to contend with as well.

The designers at Hofmann have had quite a few things to think about since they built the first electronic brake tester in 1985. And not being a million kilometres away from the home of ‘Vorsprung Durch Technik’, they set about looking for a different way to test them.

First developed back in the early 1990s the four-plate brake tester was seen as a revolution of its day. “It tested brakes as they were designed to work,” says Pleass, adding: “All 4 wheels together!” Hofmann is now launching the BT 5050 four plate brake tester, in the UK, which is VOSA approved for classes III, IV and VII.