Since 1998, regulation ECE R48 requires the compensation of vehicle inclination caused by different load conditions. The aim is to avoid glaring of oncoming traffic and to ensure excellent illumination range. Automotive Lighting offers various types of Vertical Aim Control (VAC):
Manual Vertical Aim Control
This type of VAC is required for halogen lamps. The driver uses a rotary or slide switch to adjust headlamps according to vehicle inclination. This compensates for excessive vehicle inclination. Electric motors for third generation VAC systems are made by Automotive Lighting as standard components integrated in the headlamp.
Automatic Vertical Aim Control
Due to their increasing brightness, Xenon headlamps require automatic vertical aim control. The axle sensors identify the chassis angle. Then, an electronic control unit calculates the vehicle inclination and compares it to a predefined value. The motors then maintain the proper positions of the headlamps under different loads or conditions.
