The second in a series of blogs highlighting the most important trends facing car, brake system and brake pad manufacturers.
Brake pads are a complex mix of 20 or more different raw materials, typically divided into abrasives, lubricants, binders, fillers and reinforcing fibres (see my colleague Mark Segeren’s ‘Trends in automotive braking’ article). Car manufacturers are increasingly demanding that brake pads will last the lifetime of the car. Compounders are therefore having to make pads that last longer, while also facing stricter quality and environmental requirements.
Reinforcing fibres like those produced by Lapinus (part of Rockwool) gives mechanical strength to the brake pad, and contributes to the plateau formed on the pad surface during braking. Fibre anchor points contribute to third body layer formation (loose debris between pad and rotor while braking). The fibres improve porosity and compressibility, and the formation of fibre nests improves wear and damping. Different fibre lengths can adjust performance and mechanical strength depending on the requirements. Bound together with the other brake pad constituents, the fibres ensure a stable friction film under all braking conditions.