DARMSTADT, Germany – LF GmbH & Co. KG recently equipped a BMW M550i sedan with its LIQFRIC® based brake pads to demonstrate the pads’ integrated sensor’s ability to withstand the rigors of a real-world driving environment.
Dynamometer tests within laboratories had proven this design “worked,” but the harsher road environment merited further testing.
The goal of the company is to prepare the friction pad to become a player in the “Internet of Technology” in the future to allow the brake pads to communicate with systems of the car around it or other related locations.
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The initial task may be to provide insights into the current operational work of friction brakes via calibrated measuring friction pads and allow for better understanding of braking activities while ultimately providing piezo-sensor pads for serial automotive applications.
“We are proud to announce the results of our piezo-sensor integration into our liquid friction materials during the molding process,” explained Roman Milczarek, LIQUFRIC director of research and development after the demonstration for guests at Griesheim Airport here. “We were able to test the cured and sensorized pads on a test dyno which was provided by Tribotecc GmbH.
“To complete the sensor experience, a vehicle provided by a well-known premium OEM (original equipment manufacturer) was equipped with sensor pads on the front axle of the vehicle and hard wired into the back of the car to a multichannel reader/display system. Via this set-up, the participants of the presentation were allowed to see, probably for the first time, the real pressure conditions applied to a friction material during braking on the air field’s landing strip.”
About LF GmbH & Co. KG
LF GmbH & Co. KG was founded in Leverkusen in March 2016 and follows the strategic idea of producing friction materials based on a liquid friction compound that can be hardened at room temperature to make high-temperature stable friction lining materials for automotive, rail, and clutch- as well as industrial applications. The company has entered development projects and collaborations with some key players in the brake- and clutch industry in Europe and especially in Germany.
