The development of expertise in a disciplinary interstice: antilock braking systems and the electronic control of a mechanical device

Case study in the development of expertise is presented. The development of antiskid braking systems (ABS) for automobiles between the 1950s and 1970s is used to create a model of expertise formation in a new engineering community. Both the technical and social dynamics of expertise formation are considered. The case study centers on the emergence of three engineers, Leiber, Jonner, Gerstenmeier, as the ABS experts for Teldix GmbH. Their importance is gauged through awards received, engineering publications, conference proceedings, and the introduction of new methods of testing. Sections are devoted to a brief history of antiskid systems before 1950, the historiographical problems of discipline and expertise formation, and an analysis of the ABS industry's success in creating expertise in a competitive endeavor.