Friction Materials—Black Art or Science?

Abstract

This address highlights some of the experiences of the Chairman in his career at Mintex Don Limited, a member of the BBA Group of companies, concerning the development and installation engineering of friction materials. Work on specific component design to overcome problems in both transmissions and brake systems is described; an outline is given of how testing has developed over the past 40 years; and the influence of regulations on testing is described, as well as how the change from asbestos-based to asbestos-free friction materials was achieved. Modern analysis techniques, electronic instrumentation and computational methods have increasingly assisted in this work and it is shown that friction materials have ceased to be developed by ‘black art’ and are now a well understood science.