Bendix Remanufactured Brake Shoe Production Reaches New Milestone: 7 Million and Counting

Bendix Notes That Industry Demand for OE-Quality Reman Shoes Continues to Increase, While Focus Remains on Performance and Value

ELYRIA, Ohio – July 16, 2018 – Since beginning serial production of remanufactured brake shoes in the fall of 2012, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC has made more than 7 million units. The continuous demand – propelled from the onset by fleets and owner-operators – is driven by a desire to maintain the quality, performance, and compliance of Reduced Stopping Distance (RSD) brakes – while optimizing value – when replacing shoes.

From the heart of its reman brake shoe operation – its 74,000-square-foot Huntington, Indiana, facility – the company handles the complete salvage, coining, and assembly processes that make up start-to-finish brake shoe remanufacturing.

“When servicing RSD drum brakes, more and more operators understand that RSD-compliant remanufactured shoes from a trusted original equipment (OE) supplier will allow them to maintain their high level of safety,” said Keith McComsey, Bendix director of wheel-end marketing and customer solutions. “To compete in the industry today, operators require remanufactured shoes that deliver the same durability, reliability, safety, performance, and extended lining life of original equipment. To achieve this OE quality in our reman brake shoes, Bendix brings them back to full OE specifications. We don’t just reline them.”

Bendix’s friction portfolio – also engineered to meet the complete range of customers’ need for safety, performance, and value – enhances the value of the company’s remanufactured brake shoes. Bendix continues to add new friction materials to its portfolio, with options ranging from economy and aftermarket frictions with improved wear (BA203), and featuring the industry’s first RSD-certified aftermarket friction (BA202R) along with the recently released 23K RSD friction (BA232R).

OE Quality, the OE Way

Opened in 2012 and significantly expanded in 2014, the Bendix Remanufactured Shoe Center combines Bendix’s nearly 40 years’ experience in remanufacturing with Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake’s acknowledged leadership in wheel-end solutions and brake shoe manufacturing. The center is part of the bustling multisite Bendix manufacturing campus in Huntington.

Bendix coins 100 percent of its brake shoes to return them to OE geometry so they will perform as designed by OE engineers. In doing so, the company stands apart from brake shoe reliners, which make up the majority of reman brake shoe producers. The Bendix coining process uses a 1,000-ton coining press, a machine that applies the full tonnage needed to return a shoe to its proper shape and OE specifications. This crucial step corrects deformities caused by force and temperature changes during its previous service life that can leave a shoe “twisted,” preventing it from making full contact at the anchor pins and/or in the roller pockets at the S-cam. Without this step, an uncoined reman brake shoe will not have the correct geometry and may not provide full drum contact, resulting in unpredictable brake performance and uneven wear – regardless of whether it is relined with new friction. Uncoined reman shoes may even pose problems with reinstallation of the drum.

When a coined shoe is paired with high flexural strength friction, along with a premium coating, it provides superior protection against rust jacking and cracked friction. Bendix reman shoes with OE friction are E-coated (electro deposition), and shoes equipped with Bendix® Advanced or Basic friction feature Bendix® PermaGuard® coating. Finally, the assembly process uses the same riveting procedure employed for new Bendix OE shoes – ensuring correct lining attachment for maximum lining service.

“We focus all of our attention on listening to our customers and meeting their needs,” McComsey said. “And they couldn’t be clearer on what they require in a reman brake shoe: It must resist premature lining wear and rust jacking to maximize safety and performance while providing full service life.”

McComsey also noted that fleets are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of brake systems to the performance of advanced safety technologies. “The brake system is the key component needed to complete the stop,” he said. “To take full advantage of advanced safety systems – such as collision mitigation and driver assistance systems, including Bendix® Wingman® Fusion – it is important to continue to utilize OE replacement friction when making replacement shoe decisions.”

Along with RSD, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program is another major influence on trucking today. Brake shoes meeting OE specs, McComsey pointed out, are crucial to maintaining brake safety and performance in this demanding environment.

Quality. Savings. Supporting Sustainability.

In 2017, Bendix produced remanufactured components across its product line, including 1.2 million brake shoes, 160,000 air dryer cartridges, and more than 200,000 air compressor components (heads, crankshafts, and crankcases).

This kind of commitment to remanufacturing is just one reason why it is one of the first ambassador companies of the Manufactured Again Certification program from MERA – The Association for Sustainable Manufacturing. In its ambassador role, Bendix continues its efforts to educate buyers about remanufacturing, suppliers, and performance expectations. The Manufactured Again Certification program helps purchasers easily identify remanufactured goods with like-new quality and warranty coverage. The program also promotes environmental stewardship and remanufacturing as a leading example in the circular economy.

The Manufactured Again Certification program, launched in November 2016, is based on the internationally recognized quality management standards ISO 9001 and IATF 16949. Where ISO 9001 can be used by any organization, large or small, in any industry, the supplemental IATF 16949 is one of the automotive industry’s most widely used international quality standards. To receive Manufactured Again Certification, remanufacturers are required to submit third-party evidence of conformance to the accepted quality standards. The Manufactured Again Verification Committee oversees the program and reviews all applications.

 Support Network

Bendix supports and advances its remanufactured brake shoe product portfolio through research and development conducted at the company’s engineering center in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where it also performs ongoing comprehensive friction testing. The activities support and advance Bendix’s remanufactured brake shoe product portfolio.

Bendix remanufactured shoes are further supported by field-tested sales and service professionals; a veteran field technical support team; and the Bendix Tech Team (at 1-800-AIR-BRAKE), an expert technical support group providing service advice, brake system troubleshooting, and product training. Customers can also log on and learn from the Bendix experts at www.brake-school.com. The Bendix multimedia center at knowledge-dock.com offers always updated videos, blog posts, podcasts, and white papers.

Bendix’s ever-growing portfolio of wheel-end technology delivers on safety, plus other areas critical to fleets’ success. By delivering complete braking solutions and robust post-sales support, Bendix helps improve vehicle performance and efficiency, lowering ownership costs and increasing highway safety. For more information, call 1-800-AIR-BRAKE (1-800-247-2725) or visit www.foundationbrakes.com.


Source: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems


The Brake Report
The Brake Report

The BRAKE Report is an online media platform dedicated to the automotive and commercial vehicle brake segments. Our mission is to provide the global brake community with the latest news & headlines from around the industry.