Over the past month, the Friction Materials Standards Institute (FMSI), has updated their catalogue to acknowledge the fact that certain vehicle applications were specified by OE manufacturers to have mechanical attachment between the steel backing plate and the friction material. This is due to specific application design for high loads where adhesive alone would lead to pad failure. This recognition by FMSI and industry wide awareness will help improve safety and quality of aftermarket brake pads across North America—a critical step forward for a vehicle’s most paramount safety item, its brakes.

GBSC is encouraged that this very vital information is finally being shared with North American aftermarket brake pad manufacturers and suppliers that comply with the FMSI numbering system.

Mechanical attachment for brake pads should be treated very seriously as it is very similar to “rebar in concrete”. And just like “rebar reinforced concrete”, you cannot see the attachment in a brake pad, but it is designed into the system by engineers and must not be removed by aftermarket pad manufacturers. Removing the mechanical attachment feature will greatly compromise the structural integrity of the entire brake system.

The 42 D-numbers identified by the FMSI represent approximately 100 Million cars, trucks and school buses on the road in North America , and the aftermarket – or replacement – brake pads for these vehicles should be manufactured with the OE specified mechanical attachment feature in order not to jeopardize safety.

GBSC also encourages anyone in the supply chain of selling to North American aftermarket brake pads to join the FMSI (go to www.fmsi.org to see if you qualify), to gain access to their numbering system and to this critical information.

Source: Global Brake Safety Council