Dayco Touts Streamlined Vacuum Generation Unit

Troy, Mich.-based Dayco Products LLC says its new vacuum generation system is lighter, less expensive and more efficient than conventional mechanical and electrical vacuum pumps.

The system debuted on Ford Motor Co.’s 2017 F-150 fullsize pickup truck. Dayco says it has 11 U.S. pending patents for the technology, which can be used for vacuum brake assist, fuel vapor purge and crankcase ventilation.

Called the Vacuum On-Demand Module in the F-150, Dayco’s system features a venturi and air flow control valve. The latter opens when initiated by the engine control module to enable air to flow around the throttle and through the venturi, which the company says provides two to three times the vacuum level than what the engine can generate on its own.

The system replaces heavy vacuum pumps with aspirators, ejectors, flow control valves, check valves and noise attenuators. Dayco says the assembly is 5 lbs lighter than an electrical vacuum pump. The system can save more than 6 lbs over a mechanical belt-driven vacuum pump and is nearly 2 lbs lighter than a cam-driven system.

Costs savings are estimated to be $30 to $90 compared with an electric pump, depending on the type and size of the system. This would put the new vacuum generation system on par with current mechanical devices.

In brake assist applications, the system provides lower and more consistent brake pedal force, according to Dayco. This can help improve overall feel of the system, especially during hard braking and parking maneuvers.