Critical Review of Electro-Mechanical Braking Systems (EMB)

Abstract

Electromechanical braking (EMB) replaces hydraulic wheel-brake actuation with electric actuators that generate clamping force locally. This review critically synthesises EMB architectures, actuation, sensing, control, safety, and industrial development for road vehicles. The synthesis addresses fragmented evidence linking actuator design to vehicle integration and technological maturity. A structured critical-review method was applied to 100 sources: 59 scientific and technical publications, 26 patents or published patent applications, 6 standards and regulatory documents, and 9 industrial publications. Source categories were appraised separately to distinguish validated findings, disclosed concepts, and manufacturer-reported deployment. No actuator topology is superior under all engineering criteria. Ball-screw mechanisms have the broadest scientific and experimental coverage; roller-screw, wedge, and gear–spindle concepts offer specific advantages but less consistent validation. The principal challenges concern power and communication availability, force and contact-point estimation, thermal durability, diagnostics, cybersecurity, and coordination with regenerative braking and stability control. Electrohydraulic brake-by-wire has a longer documented production history, while semi-dry and fully dry architectures show heterogeneous readiness. The roadmap prioritises comparable testing, vehicle-level fault validation, lifecycle evidence, coordinated safety and cybersecurity assurance, and independently corroborated field data.