Major fleet chooses Bendix MV-3 dash valve for reliability, durability

The director of new technology and fleet supplier relations for a leading beverage bottling company consistently recommends and specifies the Bendix MV-3 valve and other Bendix products for the company’s fleet. The reason for this is simple, he said: “Bendix products are reliable.”

According to the director, “When there is a choice to make, I choose Bendix for the company’s reliability and experience in the marketplace. We’ve spec’d Bendix air products for quite some time, and the MV-3 valve has never let us down.”

The Bendix MV-3 dash valve has been a leader within the industry since it was introduced more than 20 years ago. The two-button push-pull dash control valve is manufactured with industrial grade steel and plastic and provides a proven pneumatic solution for both tractor and trailer parking that meets FMVSS121 regulations.

Designed to meet 200,000 cycles with no button or plunger failure at normal operating temperatures, the dash valve also meets or exceeds 5,000 cycles with no leakage when exposed to extreme temperature durability testing.

The director of new technology and fleet supplier relations is adamant that his fleet purchase only genuine products rather than will-fits or knockoffs.

“I make it a priority to educate fleet managers about genuine parts,” he said. “The biggest issue we’ve seen is that with generic parts, there is no type of testing or procedures to certify that the components will not crack under pressure. They do not meet OEM standards, and they are of sub-par quality.”

Will-fits and knockoff products may have an initial lower cost when compared to genuine components, but they cost more in the long run due to generally lower quality manufacturing standards and testing.

These lower quality standards (specifically on MV-3-style valves) can increase fleet costs and bottom line revenue in a number of ways such as: the potential for truck roll-aways due to faulty operation (safety); failed DOT inspections (compliance); and truck down situations where shipments are delayed (maintenance and customer good will).

For over 80 years, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC has been setting the industry standard for developing advanced safety technologies. Bendix believes a critical factor in ensuring the performance of these technologies is leadership in the battle against counterfeit and knockoff parts.

Knockoff dash valves are not subjected to the same rigorous testing and stringent reliability standards employed by Bendix to ensure compliance, performance, and reliability. As a result, knockoffs do not offer the same wide-ranging after sales service and often do not carry the same comprehensive warranty (if available at all) as Bendix aftermarket products.

Bendix recently tested knockoff MV-3-style valves bought off the shelf to find that the push-buttons failed after just under 400 applications; plungers failed at fewer than 5,000 applications; and weld plugs failed after 5,000 applications at high temperatures.

“To the untrained eye, will-fit, knockoff, and counterfeit parts seem similar to a genuine Bendix product because they are manufactured to appear the same,” said Erich Papesch, Bendix product manager for valves. “However, our testing of these products has shown that they simply are not subjected to the rigorous testing and standards that Bendix utilizes to guarantee its components.”

Often, counterfeits and knockoff components, in particular, contain a “design-around,” which attempts to recreate a patented design without directly violating the patents. As a result, the component design does may not provide the same intended function as the original patented component.

Counterfeiting results in inferior products, which ultimately compromises public safety.

For more information about the Bendix MV-3 valve and other Bendix products, visit www.www.bendix.com.

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, a member of the Knorr-Bremse Group, develops and supplies leading-edge active safety technologies, air brake charging, and control systems and components under the Bendix brand name for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, tractors, trailers, buses, and other commercial vehicles throughout North America.