Discounting the notion that brake parts can be over-engineered amid a cost-sensitive marketplace, a number of braking system suppliers are stressing the importance of applying sophisticated engineering designs and testing techniques to provide top performance and safety.
These efforts are aimed at guaranteeing stopping power and longevity while also enhancing manufacturer production efficiencies to ensure that price points remain acceptable to the motoring public.
They further contend that while do-it-for-me customers, do-it-yourselfers and technicians may be tempted to select the lowest costing components available, going with the least-expensive brakes on today’s vehicles can create problems during the installation process and pose personal risk to a car’s occupants and others on the road.
By choosing premium products that can be installed out of the box, DIYers and technicians can avoid filing to accomplish the correct application – eliminating the potential harm of compromising the system’s integrity and ensuring fit, form, function and overall performance.
Industry engineers have noted that the most critical elements within a brake pad set are the disc brake shoes or backing plates.
Nearly 20 percent of vehicles on the road underwent a brake job in 2009, according to the Brake Manufacturers Council, which is managed by the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA). Friction products amounted to 15.5 percent of the work, followed by rotors at 13.6 percent and drums at 3.1 percent.
An analysis from Frost & Sullivan values the North American rotors, drums and calipers aftermarket at $1.39 billion as of 2013, estimating the segment to reach $1.64 billion by 2020. Warehouse distributors accounted for 50.5 percent of the total 2013 revenues, with large retail chains continuing to gain market share.
Optimizing brake performance
“Often the first sign of worn brakes is a brake pedal that seems to require more pressure to stop the vehicle,” according to the AAA’s John Nielsen, the organization’s managing director of automotive engineering and repair.
Scraping, squeaking or chirping noises that come from the wheels when the brakes are applied are other signs of potentially excessive brake wear. A car that pulls to the left or right when the brakes are applied also could mean trouble, he adds. Motorists should not wait until the brake warning light in their vehicle illuminates to have their brakes inspected.
As part of its Brake Safety Awareness Month that takes place in August, the Car Care Council recommends that motorists be encouraged to bring their vehicles into shops for routine brake inspections. “When it comes to vehicle safety, the brake system is at the top of the list, so have your brakes checked by an auto service professional at least once a year,” says executive director Rich White, elaborating with a list of seven key warning signs:
- Noise: screeching, grinding or clicking noises when applying the brakes.
- Pulling: vehicle pulls to one side while braking.
- Low Pedal: brake pedal nearly touches the floor before engaging.
- Hard Pedal: must apply extreme pressure to the pedal before brakes engage.
- Grabbing: brakes grab at the slightest touch to the pedal.
- Vibration: brake pedal vibrates or pulses, even under normal braking conditions.
- Light: brake light is illuminated on the vehicle’s dashboard.
The Car Care Council reports that factors affecting brake wear include driving habits, operating conditions, vehicle type and the quality of the brake lining material.
Established in 1994 and based in Toronto, NUCAP Industries has grown from a single outlet selling brake shoes in Canada to eight facilities in four nations manufacturing backing plates, shims, piston cushions, hardware and electronic wear sensors.
Corrosion, shear, noise, performance and durability tests of brake pads and other automotive parts are conducted at NUCAP’s Research & Development Center, and the company provides an array of industry training materials and installation bulletins in addition to a robust engineering program directed toward manufacturers.
With its exposure to OEM, OES and the aftermarket, the company saw a growing divide between product durability and price regarding evolving OEM specifications, realizing that traditional aftermarket backing plates were going to have issues within the brake system such as decreased durability, increased brake noise and decreased performance that can lead to safety issues.
NUCAP searched for a solution that allows products to meet system requirements while providing OEM cost savings and maintaining price points that the aftermarket is comfortable with.
The solution, known as FineblankPlus, is a hybrid stamping method that allows for fine blanking precision at conventional stamping pricing, offering the highest capability in terms of flatness and critical dimensions to ensure proper system functionality. It also delivers decreased rollover, which allows for increased usage of the surface area for plate features or shim coverage and allows for over 75 percent clean shaved surface conditions. Through scrap material reduction, enhanced production efficiencies and reduced capital investments compared to fine blanking, FineblankPlus can maintain conventional blanking price points.
In March a new category and brand called NUCAP Performance Products was launched. Combined with a new website and online ordering system, the brake components are designed and manufactured to improve brake system performance with cost-effective solutions, according to the company.
When installed, the products – Brake Align, DRT (Drag Reduction Technology) and Nu-Lok Piston Cushions – assist in optimizing the brake system and therefore the vehicle’s performance. NUCAP says they eliminate brake noise, drag and pulsation while improving fuel economy, and they will extend brake pad life.
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