by Michael Gauthier
- Brembo’s Sensify braking system has gone into production.
- It replaces hydraulics with electric actuators and software.
- System is coming to “hundreds of thousands” of vehicles soon.
Braking technology hasn’t changed much in the past few decades until now. Brembo has put their ground-breaking Sensify system into large-scale production. It will be used by an undisclosed automaker, which is simply being described as a “global leading manufacturer” at this point.
Brembo is keeping details under wraps, but said Sensify sets a “new standard in intelligent braking” and will come standard on the mystery model. It uses a “fluid-free architecture” and eschews the hydraulics that have been a mainstay of braking systems for over a century.
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Instead, Sensify is an electromechanical braking system that leans on state-of-the-art hardware and software. This allows for “accurate and continuous modulation of braking forces, supporting stable and controlled vehicle behavior in complex and highly variable driving conditions.”
Sensify technology can independently apply braking force to individual wheels. This stands in contrast to traditional braking systems, which apply the same pressure to all four wheels simultaneously.
Instead of hydraulics, the system uses electric signals and actuators to control braking. As a result, it combines familiar braking components – such as calipers and discs – with software, algorithms, and electrical actuators that apply pressure as needed.
Brembo says the system provides a number of benefits, including less maintenance as you don’t have to worry about fluid changes or leaks. The company added, “Even on seemingly uniform roads, the level of grip between the tires and the asphalt is not always evenly distributed across all four wheels. For this reason, controlling the braking action on each wheel, as Sensify does, not only allows for optimal use of the available grip, but also positively impacts vehicle stability and handling, preventing yaw or, when cornering, the classic understeer under braking.”
We can expect to learn more once the mystery model is introduced, but Brembo noted other vehicles are also on the horizon. This means “hundreds of thousands of vehicles per year” will have a Sensify braking system in the not-too-distant future.
