Description:

The mix makes – and that goes for the ingredients of brake pads. What causes this, looked at in MOTORCYCLE Carbone Lorraine in France.


As long as the brake system works properly, make the least concerned about what proportion of the components which have a good delay performance. The crucial first is the interaction of many components, for example, has to be the friction pair of brake pads and disc. If an intact plant is not satisfactory, only helps tuning. And that starts with the brake pads. The act itself that is crucial to the resulting from braking. Their exact composition and development are a closely guarded secret of Provider. The production runs on the other hand, almost all producers equally. Representing itself has BIKE looked at Carbone Lorraine, near Paris, the individual steps? First, the number of milli- meter-thick plates of alloy carrier Punched steel with an increased copper content. Then get to the specific plates for each motorcycle model a stamping machine (1) their individual identification. These sets usually consist of surface description, code mixing, KBA number and manufacture date.

Much more mysterious when it comes to mixing of the rubbers. Sintered metal pads composed entirely of metal and, if necessary ceramic materials. Up to 50 various components are again weighed accurately and in milligrams more tons (2) mixed together. Among other things, include copper, bronze, aluminum and graphite to the numerous encores. On toxic lead and nickel is waived – at least in Carbone Lorraine. The result after mixing is presented as by a uniformly colored powder (3). These moves by the French in a 200-ton press (4), each about 35 grams of it pressed into a steel mold into small blocks that are still loose on the outer plates.

Only by heating for several hours in a sintering furnace to around 900 degrees Celsius, and connect disk surface.

Connect presses, and heat production is possible on other machines in a single step. Then the backing plates before the pressing process with a kind of glue – the so-called Layer – pocketed that connects to the pressing and heating with the actual surface. Some of these machines also provide the same for the grooves, with some deposits are provided. They should squeak cause and prevent the brake dust off. These grooves may also be the last step, the surface loops (5), is prepared. When the loops are smoothed after pressing little rough surfaces and coverings brought to a uniform thickness. On the company’s own brakes test bench (6), the French make regular samples from current production to ensure a uniform quality. In addition, the test is used to test new coating mixtures. The deposits are produced first camp (7), where employees by the many hundreds of different model or type of bikes stacked. Before a variety out of print is able to respond to the manufacture, corresponding powder mix according to the established secret recipe and punch support plates. And the whole process begins again.