EuroBrake and the SAE Brake Colloquium held in the United States are both well-established annual events.
Five years ago, Dr. Seong Kwan Rhee of SKR Consulting LLC recognized a need to establish a third major brake conference, AsiaBrake. Given how many brakes are made in Asia, the size of the market and the sometimes different expectations of the consumer, the need for a separate regional event was clear in order to inform regional brake people on the latest developments and facilitate networking.
The event was launched in 2015 in Bangkok, Thailand. Aman Rathee, General Chair of AsiaBrake 2019, says that it was an immediate success and has grown every year. Rathee owns ASK Automotive (P) Ltd., a brake manufacturer headquartered in India. With this year’s event in Delhi, Aman and team has taken the lead for organizing. The event alternates between India and Thailand; when it is in Thailand, the main organizers are Thais. The conference and exhibition will bring together international professionals and academia members from the fields of braking systems, brakes and friction materials.
This year’s event takes place Feb. 24 to 26 at Hotel Pullman Aerocity, Delhi. The 24th, a Sunday, features a golf outing, city tour and a dinner. The next two days are packed with presentations. Attendees who stay an extra day have the option to participate in a group tour of the Taj Mahal.
Presentation topics are sometimes general and sometimes geared for the Asian market. For example, one panel is on electrified vehicle trends in Asian countries and the impact on future brake design.
In 2017, the last time the event was held in India, it attracted more than 300 participants, 49 sponsors, 46 exhibitors, and many speakers and presentations.
AsiaBrake has emerged as a great platform for the braking industry. It brings together more than 300 participants from all over the world to interact on the latest developments in the braking industry. The conference helps in understanding the specific needs of the market. It also enables the friction manufacturers as well as raw material manufacturers to exhibit and represent the latest technological developments in their respective areas.
More information about the event, organizing committee, sponsors, exhibitors as well as advisory committee are available on the website www.asiabrake.org
