ABS Sensors

TRW offers a full range of original equipment (OE) standard ABS Sensors for all of the major manufacturers in Europe and Asia, giving you a fantastic opportunity to improve safety for almost any customer.

The benefits of choosing TRW for ABS Sensors include:

• Huge selection of designs to meet specific car requirements
• More than 540 part numbers
• Premium materials including shrink-wrapped signal and power cables
• All parts tested to the extreme to guarantee exceptional performance

Tested to the extreme

We can guarantee functional ABS Sensor stability and reliability in all conditions, from -40^oC up to +150 ^oC. That’s because we thoroughly test and examine all of our ABS Sensors to the extreme. Our testing processes make sure that all TRW Aftermarket ABS Sensors are precisely manufactured to our exacting standards and follow the same structure as OE parts. Because if the magnet or chip is out of place by just one degree, it can lead to a loss of signal strength by up to 30%, which can prove dangerous for drivers. Track and road testing takes place during both the development and production stages and with premium-quality polymers used in our entire ABS Sensor range, you can trust that you’re fitting your customer’s vehicle with an ABS Sensor of the very highest standard.

TRW – the number one when it comes to ABS Sensors

As part of the TRW Drum Brake and Actuation range, our ABS Sensors offer outstanding safety and protection for a variety of vehicles. With more than 540 part numbers in the ABS Sensor field we have everything covered, allowing vehicles to process precise data at all times.

Our premium materials include shrink-wrapped signal and power cables, premium-quality silicon and precise cable ducts that ensure a perfect level of impermeability throughout the life of the sensor.

How an ABS Sensor works

ABS Sensors carry out a very simple function: they measure the rotational speed of the wheel and send the results to the ABS control unit. Regulatory action will then be taken by the car in line with this information. For example, if the ABS Sensor registers varying wheel speeds (which could lead to a loss of adhesion) the valves in the ABS hydraulic section will reduce the brake pressure until it is rotating freely once again. This process takes place multiple times a second, which means ABS Sensors carry out a job that no human could manage.

ABS Sensors also provide the data that they collect to other advanced systems throughout the car such as ESP, ASR, hill descent control and the integrated navigation systems where fitted. As the most heavily stressed part of the braking system, they are incredibly important to the performance of most cars, which means faulty parts need to be fixed as soon as issues are detected.

Types of ABS Sensors

TRW ABS Sensors have undergone a huge amount of change and development since introduction to the market, which means they are available in a variety of designs depending on specific car requirements.

The two basic types are active and passive ABS Sensors.

Active sensors need an external energy source to operate and are designed for toothed/magnetic encoder wheels. There are also two types of active sensors, Hall sensors and Magneto Resistive sensors.

• The Hall sensor reacts to changes in magnetic fields with a voltage difference which is transmitted to the control unit as a clearly defined square wave signal. Hall sensors record the wheel speed via a segmented disc that rotates with the wheel or a ring with alternating magnetic fields (magnetic encoder). Hall sensors are highly precise but require a precise installation position.
• The magneto-resistive AMR sensors are currently regarded as the most advanced but also the most expensive ABS sensors. Their great advantage over the other designs is their ability to detect the rotational direction of the wheels. The signal is extremely precise and AMR sensors are practically tolerant to their installation position. The encoder disc comprises magnetic arc segments which cause a clear change in resistance when passing the sensor. For the control unit, this change acts as a parameter for the wheel’s rotational speed and direction.

Passive sensors require a toothed wheel and only start to operate when the wheel reaches a certain rotational speed. They are larger than active sensors and less precise, which means their presence in modern vehicles is becoming scarcer, but given the simplicity of the design they are easier to check and often more robust. TRW passive sensors are built with a coil around a magnetic core, this permanent magnet creates a magnetic field. As the toothed wheel turns, it changes the field, which then induces an electrical current depending on whether there is a tooth or not.

Leading research and development

Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) are now fitted in most cars on the road throughout the world, meeting the need for greater electronic safety and convenience when driving. As one of the key players in the automotive industry, TRW takes immense pride in setting the standard when it comes to ABS sensors and all other braking system parts. We constantly strive to improve our products so that we stay ahead of the international regulation, which means peace of mind for you and your customer that TRW products will outperform anything else that is available on the market.

You can find out more about TRW ABS sensors by browsing our website and searching the online catalogue for the exact part you are looking for.