Research and/or Engineering Questions/Objective:

The scope of this research is to investigate whether roughening the back plate surface with a pulsed water jet stream could serve as an alternative to established back plate modification processes such as crimping, the use of welded bolts, or metal nets or laser-structured surfaces. The project goal was also to assess whether current production process steps, such as back plate surface activation and glue application, could be circumvented.

Methodology:

Roughening trials were conducted on steel back plates at various speeds. The impact on back plate flatness was analyzed, and prototype brake pads were produced. These pads were then evaluated for damping properties and tested in laboratory and on a brake dyno.

Results:

The test results have demonstrated that the water jet roughened surface is an intriguing alternative to standard processes. Additionally, it was observed that the damping properties of the brake pad improved compared to the series pad.

Limitations of This Study:

This study does not include an economic analysis of the process, and the trials were conducted using low-met friction material only.

What does the paper offer that is new in the field in comparison to other works of the author? 

The authors did not publish any articles concerning the similar topics.

Conclusion:

Pulsed water jet roughening has proven to be an intriguing alternative to standard processes such as crimping, bolting, or laser structuring, offering a superior connection of the friction material to the back plate surface and improving damping properties.

Tomasz Grabiec, Achim Dohle, Ioannis Buzidis