TMD Friction has introduced a new friction material for heavy-duty applications for air disc brakes.
Announced Sunday at TMC’s Annual Meeting in Nashville, TMD says its new material is designated Textar T3080 and is engineered for applications where high-torque levels are required to meet FMVSS121 stopping distance regulations. The material also already meets upcoming 2014 and 2021 “Better Brakes Rules” environmental regulations for heavy metals and copper content, the company says. TMD says multiple friction levels are required to best optimize pad and rotor life with heavy-duty air disc brakes.
“If disc brakes are to replace drum brakes in large numbers, their acceptance will be based on initial and life cycle costs when compared to drum brakes,” says Tom Green, marketing director of TMD Friction North America. “Disc brakes cost more up front, so it is critical to maximize life and minimize operational costs.”
In dynamometer wear tests, two air disc friction materials with different coefficients of friction were tested by TMD. Results showed that with a higher effective coefficient of friction (0.38) the pad wears anywhere from 40 to 80 percent more than the lower wear pad (0.28), TMD says.
“Given the large difference in wear rates between the high and low ends of the typical friction range, it is important to select the appropriate friction level in order to maximize pad life, rotor life and maintain the safety,” says Jim Clark, TMD director of engineering.
TMD releases new air disc brake lining
