Research partnerships
Materials expertise helps create leaner, greener brakes
Company
Surface Transforms Plc
Expertise
Department of Materials
Experts in surface engineering from Loughborough University’s Department of Materials are working with industry to help develop materials and technology for advanced braking systems.
Senior Lecturer Dr Houzheng Wu is working on a three-year £2.1m project led by Surface Transforms Plc, the UK’s leading manufacturer of carbon fibre reinforced ceramic composite materials.
The SμrFace project aims to develop a more sustainable friction layer for ceramic matrix composites brake discs for use in cars, commercial vehicles, and trains, using contemporary manufacturing techniques and tailored material formulation.
Carbon ceramic brake discs are being introduced to the automotive, rail and aircraft brake industries because of the many advantages they offer over traditional cast iron and steel rotors and even over fully carbon rotors.
To ensure excellent friction performance is maintained under all braking contexts, experts at Loughborough are working to understand the complex correlations between materials features, braking conditions and friction performance.
Then, the team is using this knowledge to engineer the friction surface layer to overcome existing obstacles. The project will also investigate the resurfacing of worn discs to reduce costs and increase performance. The sustainability of materials and processes will also be examined.
The SμrFace project is being overseen by the Technology Strategy Board and involves four other industrial partners: Alcon Components Ltd, Faiveley Transport, Federal Mogul and Bentley Motors.
Impact
- Development of improved braking systems
- Reduction of the impact of travel on the environment and safety
- Reduction in environmental impact due to manufacturing and life cycle costs
- Lowering of the cost of high performance braking systems
- Introduction of reuse of ceramic rotors to the automotive market