NRS Technologies is expanding its GRIP METAL mechanical attachment technology from brake pads into automotive heat shields, anchored by a Chevrolet Corvette component the company reports cut nearby-electronics temperatures by roughly 90°F (50°C) while reducing mass by 55%. The same permanent attachment that locks friction material to steel backing plates in NRS brake pads now joins the metal and non-metal layers of thermal-management parts. GRIP METAL, a NUCAP technology, forms engineered hooks directly into a metal substrate, physically locking dissimilar materials together rather than relying on adhesive bonding alone.
Highlights
- The Corvette C8 exhaust actuator heat shield reduced nearby-electronics temperatures by approximately 90°F (50°C) and cut component mass by 55%, according to NRS.
- The component, produced by Sumitomo Bakelite, was named a finalist in the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Automotive Innovation Awards.
- The design pairs stamped aluminum skins with a high-temperature glass-reinforced phenolic core, joined by GRIP METAL rather than adhesive.
- GRIP METAL derives from the NRS mechanical attachment platform used in galvanized brake pads specified across OEM and aftermarket programs.
From Brake Pads to Heat Shields
NRS originally developed its mechanical attachment system to solve one of the brake industry’s persistent failure modes: the separation of friction material from steel backing plates. The system replaced reliance on adhesive bonding alone and is used today in NRS galvanized brake pads, which are specified across OEM and aftermarket brake programs. The company is now applying the same approach to heat shields, where long-term material retention is equally critical.
“At NRS, our philosophy has always been simple: the attachment system must outlast the application,” said Montu Khokhar, CEO of NRS Technologies. “In a brake pad, the steel must outlast the friction material for the entire life of the brake pad. The same principle applies to heat shields. The attachment system must continue performing for the entire life of the component, regardless of heat, vibration, or environmental exposure.”
How GRIP METAL Performed on the Corvette
GRIP METAL’s capability was demonstrated in an exhaust actuator heat shield produced by Sumitomo Bakelite for the Chevrolet Corvette, a component named a finalist in the SPE Automotive Innovation Awards. The heat shield addressed a thermal-management problem identified during desert vehicle testing, where traditional attachment methods could not deliver the long-term retention and thermal durability the application required.
Engineers used GRIP METAL to form a permanent mechanical attachment on stamped aluminum skins over a high-temperature glass-reinforced phenolic core. The resulting hybrid composite combined aluminum’s thermal reflectivity with the phenolic core’s insulation, compressive strength, chemical stability, flame resistance, and heat resistance. According to NRS, the design reduced temperatures at nearby electronic components by roughly 90°F (50°C) and cut component mass by 55%. It was developed for the Corvette C8, the first mid-engine Corvette.
How Does GRIP METAL Bond Metal to Non-Metal?
GRIP METAL creates a permanent mechanical bond through engineered retention features formed directly into the metal substrate. Rather than depending on adhesives, it physically locks metal and non-metal materials together, maintaining retention under conditions that can compromise adhesive-based assemblies. The company says the approach lets manufacturers combine metallic structures with thermal insulation while improving thermal stability, simplifying production, and supporting recyclability, and that it can be folded into existing metal-forming operations for high-volume manufacturing.
Why Heat Shields Are Getting Harder
As manufacturers raise power density, reduce packaging space, and push thermal management, heat shields are being asked to perform in more severe environments. Components positioned near exhaust systems, turbochargers, batteries, and power electronics must withstand continuous thermal cycling, vibration, moisture, and road contamination over the life of the vehicle.
A Brake-Born Platform
The technology traces to the same mechanical attachment platform used in NRS brake pads, where attachment failure can directly affect vehicle safety. Over decades of development, the company says the system has maintained material retention under extreme thermal cycling, corrosion, vibration, and mechanical stress.
“The automotive industry already trusts this technology in one of the most demanding safety-critical applications on a vehicle—the brake system,” added Khokhar. “The expansion of GRIP METAL into heat shields is a natural progression. Engineers are recognizing that if a mechanical attachment system can survive the life of a brake pad, it can solve material retention challenges across a wide range of thermal management applications.”
NRS expects GRIP METAL opportunities to widen across automotive, commercial vehicle, industrial, energy, and transportation applications.
Subscribe to The BRAKE Report. Get the Handbook free.
