Friction One this week acquired the research and development and testing laboratory formerly operated by BPI at its facility in McHenry, Illinois, gaining seven dynamometers along with the lab’s broader material analysis equipment. The deal builds directly on Friction One’s June 2026 acquisition of the Raybestos brand and formulations, bringing the physical engineering operation that shaped the Raybestos name in-house. The equipment will be redeployed to Friction One’s production centers in Juárez, Mexico, and Xiantao, China, to support the company’s ongoing brake development and validation work.
Highlights
- The deal includes seven dynamometers, among them two LINK Model 3900 units, alongside LINK Model 2900 and 3000 dynamometers and two LINK Model 600 Chase testing machines.
- Friction One will move the equipment to its production centers in Juárez, Mexico, and Xiantao, China, where it will join existing testing and validation equipment.
- The acquisition follows Friction One’s June 2026 purchase of the Raybestos brand and formulations, adding the lab where the brand’s engineering standards were originally developed.
- Friction One plans to outfit some of the newly acquired dynamometers with brake particulate emissions testing equipment to meet Euro 7 requirements.
What the Deal Includes
- Two LINK Model 3900 units — flagship dynamometers Friction One describes as among the most advanced brake dynamometers in the industry.
- LINK Model 2900 and 3000 dynamometers, with their full complement of fixtures, tooling, and support equipment.
- Two LINK Model 600 Chase testing machines.
- The laboratory’s broader material analysis fleet, along with the exact raw materials used to manufacture Raybestos brake pads.
Engineering Continuity Through Kinkley
Nate Kinkley, who previously worked at BPI’s R&D lab and now serves as Director of Product Engineering at Friction One, led the on-site acquisition effort in McHenry, directing the team through inventory, disassembly, and preparation of the equipment for shipment to Friction One’s production centers.
“In this deal, we are bringing home the very laboratory where the engineering standards behind Raybestos were forged,” said Jim Zhang, Founder and CEO of Friction One. “Owning all these tools and machines means we can build one of the world’s most advanced R&D laboratories to validate, innovate, and stand behind every product we build, for decades to come.”
“These dynamometers are an integral part of Raybestos’ reputation of trust and innovation,” said Kinkley. “Now that we own them outright at Friction One, we have the capability to match and lead the standards in braking. It changes how rigorous, and how fast we can validate and develop product going forward.”
Equipment Deployment and Euro 7 Testing Plans
Over the coming weeks, the units will be deployed to production centers in Juárez, Mexico, and Xiantao, China, where they will join existing equipment for development and validation work. Combined with the Raybestos brand and technical assets acquired earlier this year, the deal gives Friction One engineering, validation, and manufacturing capability under one integrated platform.
Friction One also plans to outfit several of the newly acquired dynamometers with brake particulate emissions testing equipment, enabling in-house testing to Euro 7‘s new brake particulate emissions limits, which begin applying to new vehicle type approvals in the European Union in November 2026. This will allow Friction One to test and validate braking products for the European market as the requirements come into force.
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