Source: Fras-Le
SÃO PAULO – The Duetech System, which increases durability of wear items, reduces cost of ownership and is the product of synergies between Fras-Le and Suspensys WE/Castertech, will be introduced by Randon Companies at Fenatran 2019.
This innovative system is capable of increasing the life of brake system components by 35 percent in five years, while saving up to 22 percent and 25 percent on the so-called total cost of ownership (TCO) over the same period for buses and trailers, respectively.
The development is a result of the synergy between Randon’s Fras-le and Suspensys WE/Castertech, which joined forces to meet what was identified as a major market opportunity.
“The project was initially based on technologies for the bus and road carriers implement sectors,” revealed the director of Suspensys WE/Castertech, Esdânio Pereira.
The Duetech System consists of an optimized tribological pair. When used together, the drum and brake liner provide a longer service life than the individual-use parts with industry-standard components.
“Using concepts from mechanics, physics, chemistry, materials and knowledge in lubrication, friction and wear, it was possible to identify the behavior of the drum and brake pad, developed and tested to obtain the best performance of the system in an integral manner,” explained the director of Innovation and Technology of the Randon Companies’ Auto Parts Division, César Augusto Ferreira.
“We know the importance of good maintenance of the brake system elements for safety. However, it was noticed that the replacement of these items has a great impact on the fleet operating cost. This solution is focused on maximizing the use of transport vehicles by reducing the frequency of change of brake system components”, adds Fras-le director, Anderson Pontalti.
Thus, the brake drum has gained a new design, based on optimization, with significant changes, in order to offer greater strength and lower tare. The new product has been carefully designed to promote the cooling effect of the assembly and enhance heat dissipation, favoring the final performance of the brake system.
In line with the advantages of the brake drum, a special tarpaulin has been developed for each type of application. After all, each vehicle experiences completely different temperature ranges and conditions of use for each application. The objective was to obtain the best performance-life ratio, taking into account the conditions of use and the vocation of the vehicles. And in this way, optimize the ensemble performance results and cost reduction over time.
Duetech System is yet another development led by Randon’s Innovation and Advanced Technology group, synergies between Fras-le and Suspensys WE/Castertech and with the cutting-edge structure of the Randon Technology Center (CTR). CTR is a testing complex and innovation hub par excellence, which is the largest independent testing field in Latin America for the automotive sector and used by domestic and foreign truck, bus, car and motorcycle manufacturers.
