Successful Research Programme Allows High Performance Brake Discs To Be Manufactured At Lower Cost

Jan. 5, 2010 - PRLog -- Carbon composite brake discs provide substantial improvements in both performance and weight compared with traditional iron discs, but the cost of such systems has so far made them largely unaffordable in the majority of applications (including commercial vehicles, trains, industrial equipment and all but the most exotic cars) where their performance characteristics could bring substantial benefits. A UK-based consortium of specialist companies is addressing this challenge by developing new techniques that will allow carbon discs to be made from manufacturing scrap, providing a lower cost, more environmentally friendly solution to very high braking performance.

“Potential applications are wide ranging,” says Federal-Mogul technical manager David Holme, based at the company’s Friction Technology Centre nearDerby in the UK. “As well as demand for reduced weight to cut CO2 emissions in the automotive industry, there is a need for lighter weight, higher performance braking systems in the rail industry and for brakes offering greater consistency across a range of process industries. If we can match or exceed the performance of today’s best systems, but at a much lower cost, the benefits will be substantial.”

The project, called Rebrake, covers the development of brake discs made from recycled carbon and the development by Federal-Mogul of compatible pad materials.  It is supported by investment from the government-backed Technology Strategy Board. “The programme has recently passed a major gateway by successfully manufacturing small disc samples that prove the concept, so we are already moving on to the manufacture and testing of full-scale prototypes,” says Holme. “These will be tested on dynamometers and cars using the pad formulations developed by Federal-Mogul. Following further refinement, the new system will be benchmarked against current best-in-class products early in 2010."

Other partners in the project are Surface Transforms (a manufacturer of advanced ceramic discs); AP Racing (a specialist in very high performance disc brake systems); Faiveley Transport (a rail industry brake technology specialist); Wichita Clutch (industrial applications brake and clutch specialist); Advanced Composites Group (the main advisor and provider of carbon scrap) and Meggitt Aircraft Braking Systems (bringing substantial experience in carbon applications for aircraft braking). The academic partner is Loughborough University, which is responsible for much of the early development work.

Applications outside the automotive industry

Rail is typical of many industries in which conventional iron rotor discs are reaching the limit of their performance. There are also weight issues, because the unsprung mass of the bogie assembly is a source of loading which is approaching the design limit, even of specially laid tracks, leading to damage to the tracks and restrictions in speed and payload. Changing to ceramic composite brakes can save 260 kg per bogie, allowing trains to run faster on a given track for the same load, with savings in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions per tonne carried.

Paper converting machinery is one of several industrial applications that place unusual demands on braking systems, often making consistent friction properties difficult to achieve with conventional technologies. In a paper mill, disc brakes are used to help achieve uniform paper tension under the highly variable inertia conditions between full and empty paper rolls. Unlike vehicle brakes which are normally ‘off’, industrial machinery brakes are normally ‘on’ and thus constantly wearing and more liable to overheat, making their friction properties inconsistent. Carbon brakes will provide greater consistency and greater torque capability, allowing improved process control and the potential for efficiency improvement.

About Federal-Mogul
Federal-Mogul Corporation is an innovative and diversified $6.9 billion global supplier of quality products, trusted brands and creative solutions to manufacturers of automotive, light commercial, heavy-duty and off-highway vehicles, as well as to the power generation, aerospace, marine, rail and industrial sectors. It is recognised as a premier global innovator in the areas of powertrain, sealing, safety and protection and a leading source of advanced technologies that help increase vehicle performance, improve fuel efficiency and reduce engine emissions for a cleaner world. Federal-Mogul employs nearly 40,000 people located in 36 countries.

For further information, please visit www.federal-mogul.com.

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