ZF Aftermarket has highlighted its WABCO air dryer cartridge range for Australian commercial vehicle operators, with the products designed to protect compressed-air systems from moisture, oil and other contaminants.
The range was showcased at the recent Australasia Bus & Coach Expo, where ZF demonstrated the role air treatment can play in maintaining the reliability of braking, suspension and other pneumatic systems.
Compressed air is used across a range of critical systems on heavy vehicles and buses. Contamination from moisture, oil droplets and aerosols can contribute to corrosion, component wear and system failures if it is not effectively removed.
WABCO air dryer cartridges are designed to capture these contaminants before they reach downstream components.
Damon Baffico, Head of Sales CV AM and OE Trailer Oceania at ZF, said effective air treatment could have a direct impact on vehicle availability.
“A poorly functioning air dryer system can have far-reaching effects on vehicle uptime and reliability, increasing the risk of breakdowns,” Baffico said.
“Critical bus systems such as the brakes, door controls, and suspension all rely on clean, dry compressed air and can be adversely affected when the air dryer is not operating effectively.”
The WABCO range includes cartridges suited to different operating environments and contamination levels.
Standard and Recycling cartridges are aimed at vehicles operating in environments with relatively low levels of oil contamination, while the Air System Protector cartridge is designed for applications exposed to higher levels of oil and aerosols.
At the top of the range is the Air System Protector PLUS, or ASP PLUS, which has been developed for vehicles operating under more demanding conditions or with high compressed-air consumption.
The ASP PLUS uses a double-filter arrangement incorporating oil coalescing filters before and after the desiccant bed. According to ZF, this helps capture both larger oil droplets and smaller aerosols before they can enter sensitive components.
Its internal design also allows a larger quantity of desiccant material to be packaged within the cartridge.
A dual-layer desiccant arrangement is used to improve moisture removal across different operating conditions, helping reduce the risk of corrosion and freezing within compressed-air systems.
ZF says the improved filtration and drying performance can extend recommended cartridge replacement intervals by up to 50 per cent, with service intervals of up to three years under normal operating conditions.
Longer replacement intervals have the potential to reduce workshop intervention and maintenance costs while increasing vehicle availability.
The ASP PLUS can be used with both mechanical and electronic air dryers.
WABCO air dryer cartridges are manufactured in Germany and are produced to the same standards used for original equipment applications supplied to commercial vehicle manufacturers.
