Floatech Racing Disc from GALFER at EICMA

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Source: GALFER announcement

BARCELONA — GALFER, the Spanish brake systems specialist, has announced its participation in the 78th edition of the EICMA international motorcycle exhibition Nov. 23-28. at the Fiera Milano in Rho,  Italy where it will preview the new Floatech floating system for racing disc brakes.

After much anticipation, the 2021 edition of the EICMA will be the long-awaited opportunity for GALFER and two-wheel enthusiasts to reconnect and celebrate, together with some of its best riders, the many world titles won across the various disciplines.

This high-tech system, Floatech, is the result of continuous development work by GALFER’s research and development department in close collaboration with its riders competing in the most important motorcycling races in the world (MotoGP and WSBK).

The market launch of the new high-tech Floatech® system confirms the brake systems specialist GALFER as a constantly evolving innovative brand and, today more than ever, a leading player on the international market thanks to its unique and unmistakable style, synonymous with expertise, experience research and innovation.

The main features of the new system are:

1.- Improved Thermal Behavior: At high temperatures (above approx. 200 °C) the brake rotor tends to expand in all directions. The new GALFER Floatech® system makes it possible to control this growth and avoid potential problems caused by the rotor surface becoming blocked in relation to the hub.

2.- Perfect Disc/Pad Alignment: The system allows the rotor to expand freely and avoids the loss of floatability by incorporating a set of parts that consists of washers and a pre-loaded spring. The spring presses on and fixes the brake rotor so that it maintains the same position at all times and is correctly aligned with the brake pads in any situation. This eliminates the free movement that occurs with the majority of racing disc brakes on the market and avoids the problem of the brake pads being applied in an uncontrolled way and causing braking difficulties, even when faced with the strong vibrations or gyroscopic forces that occur at high speeds.

The new Floatech system ensures perfect self-alignment between the brake discs and pads at all times so that the caliper pistons always maintain the position set by the brake manufacturer and braking is far more stable.

3.- Optimized Structure Left/Right: Having studied the braking forces and the possibility of being able to design specific directional discs (left/right), it was possible to determine the key points for optimizing the design of the disc hubs, providing greater rigidity with the minimum weight possible. GALFER has been innovative in the design of directional brake discs that are specific for each side of the wheel.

4.- Improved Thermal Break: The new gold-nitrided pin that joins the two parts of the disc brake (rotor and hub) is made of titanium and improves the thermal break between the two parts due to its low thermal conductivity. Other materials such as aluminum are more conductive and transfer heat more directly.

The new GALFER Floatech system allows the disc brakes to exhibit improved and more stable behavior in any position and at any temperature. What is more, they reduce weight, which provides better bike handling and increased rider confidence.

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Several world-class MotoGP and WSBK riders have used the new GALFER Floatech disc brakes during the 2021 season, including Italian rider Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), who took 5 victories and 5 podiums in Moto3, and South African Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros), who achieved 5 victories and 6 podiums in Supersport 600. They have all experienced the effectiveness of braking with the new GALFER Floatech disc!

GALFER plans to extend this exclusive technology to all teams by the 2022 season and to make it accessible to the general public on medium to high-capacity motorcycles in the medium term.

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