Within the air brake systems of trucks and trailers, actuators play a vital, but largely unsung, role. Brake actuators are the devices that convert the compressed air force within a truck or trailer's ...

It takes a robust braking system to bring 80,000 lb. (36,000 kg) of moving tractor-trailer to a halt. And half of that system sits on a trailer, about 45 feet (about 13.5 meters) behind the driver.

The amount of power a tractor has to get its 80,000 pound limit up to speed is a prideful discussion among drivers at the truck stop lunch counter. The truck's ability to safely come to a stop, ...