Knorr-Bremse at Busworld Europe 2019: Efficient solutions for sustainable mass transit concepts

“Our solutions are geared to emission-free driving, the development and installation of complete electrical systems, absolute performance and high quality – all aimed at enabling sustainable mass transit operations,” says Kiepe Electric Managing Director Dr. Heiko Asum, describing the company’s portfolio of products and services. Among those solutions are the new Smart Fleet Management (SFM) system, the continuously enhanced In Motion Charging (IMC®) technology and the future-oriented electric bus kit concept.
▪ In Motion Charging 500 (IMC®) from Kiepe Electric is the most effective and efficient charging concept for electric buses on the market. As there is no need for the buses to stop in order to charge their batteries, it eliminates any charging station bottlenecks. With IMC, buses can charge their batteries from the overhead lines while in motion. On sections of route without overhead lines, the vehicles switch to battery power.
▪ The innovative Smart Fleet Management (SFM) system from Kiepe Electric is a self-learning AI energy management system that makes scheduled service operations more robust and increases network capacity. SFM gathers data on consumption, route and per-formance, and enables automatic and predictive control of buses. SFM covers all kinds of charging concepts, including IMC.
▪ Smart Fleet Management is also designed for the latest generation of Kiepe Electric traction equipment for electric vehicles. This includes Kiepe Fleet Management (KFM) which cuts maintenance costs and predicts upcoming maintenance and repair needs, the smart Kiepe Traction Control (KTC) system and the new Kiepe Electric Traction Inverter (KTI).
▪ In its electric bus kit, Kiepe Electric has translated its systems expertise into a future-proof customer offering. This comprises the plug & play assembly of complex systems, predictive maintenance, smart fleet management and digitized solutions.
▪ Kiepe Electric has also reorganized its range of aftermarket services, adding new ser-vices to align its portfolio with future customer requirements. Vehicle data management (big data analysis) and the resultant services such as condition-based maintenance are set to increase vehicle availability and cut life cycle costs, based on service level agree-ments. Along with energy efficiency advice and battery management for trolleybuses (in-cluding aspects such as recycling) standard features of the portfolio also include spare part- and obsolescence management.
Knorr-Bremse: electric drive and safety for bus fleets
Knorr-Bremse Commercial Vehicle Systems is showcasing its comprehensive portfolio of braking and safety technologies. At this year’s Busworld Europe, a major focus is on new electric drive products including the screw-type compressor with intelligent Air Processing Unit, (iAPU). The screw-type compressor offers the ideal solution for vehicles with high demand for compressed-air (such as city buses), where high output must go hand-in-hand with low noise and vibration levels. The iAPU can control the electric motor in the screw-type compressor. The iAPU also offers innovative energy-saving functionalities such as smart regeneration and exploiting engine overrun phases, as well as comfort and convenience functionalities that support overall vehicle performance.
In addition, Knorr-Bremse Commercial Vehicle Systems offers safety and efficiency solutions that deliver substantial advantages for bus fleets. Since 2012, the Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) has been proving its worth with a variety of customers in Europe and North America. Following on from this success, it is now also available as a separate system for manual activation. The EPB helps prevent accidents due to the vehicle rolling or running away by automatically applying the brakes under certain conditions, such as when the driver leaves the vehicle without selecting Parking mode.