Orlando, Fla. – Lapinus setup a display at the 37th Annual SAE International Brake Colloquium & Exhibition, but it did not have any new products to show. Instead it came to Orlando, Fla. to connect with existing customers and distributors.
In addition, according to a company spokesperson, “We’re trying to bridge the gap and meet Tier 1 customers which we don’t serve directly. The automotive business is changing very fast. This has an impact on brakes, brake pads and there for on the formulation used. As mentioned, we don’t introduce new products but focus on 1:1 knowledge distribution on how to get the best results from a brake pad formulation and take away any questions a compounder might have.”
Helping to spread Lapinus’s knowledge at the program are Hilbrand Kamphuis, CEO; Mark Segeren, Business Manager; Mike Palmen, Account Manager; Roel Hebben, Account Manager, Fernao Persoon, Manager R&D, and Neomy Zaquen, Product Development Engineer.
The company has published its philosophy on various aspects of the industry and wanted the following brought to the participants attention:
Trends in automotive braking
The key component of any car braking system is the disc brake pad. Stopping a 1,300kg (2,866-pound) car travelling at 100 km/hour (62 miles per hour) in five seconds generates over 100 kW of heat in an area of only 50cm2 (7.8 square inches). That heat is dissipated into the brake pads.
Within seconds, temperatures can reach 600°C (1,112 F) and in extreme cases even higher. Despite that, braking must be safe and smooth. With an increasing focus on HSE (Health, Safety, Environment) these days, disc brake pad manufacturers (compounders) are having to look for alternatives to traditional raw materials like copper and other materials, which can give rise to health and safety issues.
New friction materials must still perform well even under extreme braking conditions
Brake pads must give the same pedal feel and deceleration in repeated city braking as well as sudden emergency stops down steep mountain roads. That must happen whether conditions are wet or dry, muddy or icy, acid or alkaline, and in temperatures from -40 to +50°C (-40 to 122F).
Braking trends are increasingly affecting not just compounders but also car manufacturers. Standards are on the way to ensure friction materials reduce emissions. Fine particulate emissions are becoming increasingly unwelcome in cities. And even electric vehicles, which use regenerative braking that reduces wear and emissions, place their own demands on braking systems.
Nothing must compromise braking performance. Safety is the priority, but brakes also have to work without NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) such as judder, groan or squeal. Doing all this thousands of times without fail needs leading-edge design, a consistent manufacturing process and extremely consistent base material. Compounders and car manufacturers alike must have confidence that the brake pads won’t disintegrate when they’re needed most – in an emergency. If there’s one part in a car that must not fail, it’s the brakes.
About Lapinus
Lapinus is dedicated to provide solutions that will enable everybody to improve the future. Within the global industry, the company identifies trends and challenges, driving the development of tomorrows’ products. Using its knowledge of stone wool, it designs solutions that have a positive impact on safety, emissions, noise, vibrations and water management, all to improve the quality of life. Developing and sharing its knowledge and expertise, the company is committed to contribute to solving the challenges of its customers.
