BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. — Nobody’s quite sure where the 50-millionth Haldex Automatic Brake Adjuster is serving active duty, but everybody’s sure of one thing. It’s out there. And the people who assembled the adjuster are mighty proud of the fact.

Under graying skies but with sunny dispositions, the staff, management both past and present, as well as hundreds of local visitors and suppliers assembled to celebrate that 50 millionth item last week, at the company’s assembly plant in Blue Springs, Mo.

In addition to the milestone adjuster, the company was celebrating a quarter of a century of manufacturing here in the heart of America. (Blue Springs is a nice town about 20 minutes outside Kansas City.

Haldex Commercial vehicle systems is a leading manufacturer and distributor of heavy-duty air brake and suspension control system components.

Company officlals used the anniversary celebration to announce that its Self-Setting Automatic Brake Adjuster (S-ABA) is now available for truck and tractor applications as well as for trailers.

The S-ABA is designed to solve adjustment problems due to incorrect installations by establishing its own reference point to maintain a constant and uniform distance between the brake drum and lining regardless of the control arm angle.

The company also took the time to warn others in the industry about the influx of imitation automatic brake adjusters, which are made of low-grade materials and designed to look like the real McCoys. Genuine ABAs can be identified by the Haldex name or logo on the side cover.