|
Information Page Links:
Featured Friction Material Manufacturers
About Friction Materials
Friction Material Terms
Friction Material Associations
Friction Material Resources
Trade Shows
Featured Friction Material Articles
More Articles
|
|
About Friction Materials
Friction materials are used to induce friction in
applications when slow or decreasing movement is desired, such as in
brakes and clutches. Brake systems use friction materials to stop wheels
from rotating. When a brake is pressed, it activates a system that places
the material against a disc or drum that slows the vehicle down. Clutches
also need friction materials in order to engage after gear changes. Without
them, the clutch slips and can not transfer power. Friction material
manufacturers are utilized by a variety of industries, such as mining,
oil and gas, forestry and construction.
Friction itself is defined as resistance to relative motion that opposes
the travel direction of an object, mainly caused by surface roughness.
It is created by contact of solid bodies with one another. In the case
of braking, the friction materials press against the drum or disc to
create friction. Different types of friction include static, kinetic
and rolling. The byproducts of friction are deformations and heat. It
is important that friction materials used in brakes have good energy
absorption because of the high temperatures that result from braking.
The friction material manufacturers industry has undergone major changes
throughout the years. For a long time, the most popular kind of material
used was asbestos fibers, but that has changed in recent years due to
health concerns associated with asbestos. Asbestos was banned for a time
by the government, forcing friction material manufacturers to discover
new substances to use. Although asbestos materials are legal again, they
are fading from the market as new materials are finding their way into
the forefront of the industry. Ceramic materials are one of the newest
and best examples of this constantly evolving industry.
A variety of friction materials are available for many different uses.
It is necessary to know what is required of the friction materials before
purchase because different materials offer varying coefficients of friction.
For example, it is important to have a material that creates a large
amount of friction if quick stopping is an issue. Likewise, if a great
deal of heat is going to be produced during breaking, it is important
to have friction materials with high energy absorption rates, such as
semi-metallic materials. For the most part, specific ingredients of friction
materials are kept secret by manufacturers, and new developments are
being made all the time.
Featured
Articles
http://www.aa1car.com/library/2004/ic10422.htm
http://www.babcox.com/editorial/bf/bf10332.htm
Types of Friction Materials
- used
to be the most common type of friction materials, but due to connections
to lung disease,
they are being phased out of the market.
- use friction material to slow vehicles by pressing against the brake disc.
- is the heat-resistant material that creates friction in braking devices.
- are
very popular because they eliminate squeal and audible vibrations.
They are also less abrasive to rotors
and their brake pads tend to have a longer life-span than those of
other materials.
- are
used to maintain lower coefficients of friction, which provide smooth
and stable clutch engagement/disengagement.
They help reduce clutch chatter, are available in molded and woven
compositions
and can be found with asbestos or asbestos-free materials.
- squeeze the rotor to slow the disc.
- are resilient and adaptable, and help maximize
the consumption of power and energy. They were created especially
for high speed and energy applications.
- are new to the market, and are currently being
tested for durability, preservation of rotors and drums and
noise level.
- metal plates bonded with friction materials that are used to brake.
- are
used in applications that have a higher temperature because of their
good energy absorption. These kinds of materials help hold in heat
for a long period of time.
- includes all friction materials made without
asbestos, due to concern over the affect of asbestos on
health. These tend to
be more abrasive and accelerate rotor wear.
- have some of the best performance of the friction
materials. They are made of fibers and fillers and, after
the addition of water,
are dried and compressed into a sheet.
- are high performance and designed
to prevent fade and squeal. They handle heat better
than many others.
- are compacted friction modifiers and metallic
powders, and work best with very little oil flow.
They have the ability to operate in very high temperatures.
|
|
