When you’re in your car and hit the brakes, you probably don’t think about how they work… Unless they don’t.

Finding out how frictional material works can help in more than just your car, though. It can also assist in an industrial setting where friction material is used.

Keep reading to find out what you need to know about brake friction material.

What are Friction Materials Used For?

Friction materials are used between two or more parts when there is a need to slow them down. By providing friction or resistance between moving parts, this causes them to slow down and then stop more quickly than without any friction applied.

The industries in which friction materials are used include cars and other vehicles, household appliances, defense, and heavy manufacturing. The creation of friction materials itself is a massive industry.

Common Types of Friction Material

Before its banning, many brakes were made from asbestos. After that, other materials were created to take its place.

Here are some of the most common types of friction materials today:

Non-asbestos Organic Materials

These were created specifically to replace asbestos in car brake pads. They’re made from a combination of various plant fibers including those from coconut shells which are pressed together and held with glue.

Most of these will also have up to 20% metal in them. This metal, most commonly brass, is used to dissipate the heat that occurs during braking. It also makes the material more abrasive.

Ceramic Materials

This friction is gaining in popularity within the auto industry, with many new vehicles featuring ceramic brakes. Ceramic brakes are actually a combination of copper and fibrous ceramic material.

It’s the fibrous ceramic material that provides the rough texture for friction while the copper helps with heat dissipation. The metal also aids in reducing vibration which can lead to noisy braking.

Semi-metallic Materials

Semi-metallic friction materials are similar in composition to non-asbestos organic materials, but they have a much higher metal content. These were most popular in the 80’s but have since been replaced by ceramic brakes.

These brakes were over 50% metal particles which made for excellent heat dissipation and allowed the brake pads to last longer. However, because of the damage it did to the brake rotor, these were mostly phased out by the end of the decade.

Which Friction Material is Best?

There’s no straight answer for this question because of how many factors need to be considered.

For the most part, ceramic friction material is preferred for cars and other vehicles. However, an industrial setting has different needs and may then want a semi-metallic friction material for how quickly it can stop a moving part.

Want to Learn More?

Now you know how frictional material works to slow and stop moving parts. You also learned about some of the most common materials used in brakes.

To continue learning more about industrial parts and how we can help you improve and increase your business, be sure to check out our blog.

In the beginning, oil was unwanted. It was considered an annoying byproduct by drillers who were trying to locate brine wells.

Then a Canadian invented something called “rock oil” that could be used in lamps instead of hard-to-find whale oil. That plus a few other factors combined to create a demand for oil that is still felt today.

When we go to the gas station and get upset because gas prices have gone up overnight, we’re reacting to an increase in the price of crude oil. It’s such a large part of American life that most people don’t spend much time thinking about how we got to this point.

To understand our present, it helps to know about the history of oil. Read on to find out more about where oil has been and where it’s going.

Edwin Drake and the First Commercial Oil Wells

As far as nicknames go, Edwin Drake’s wasn’t exactly ideal. He was called “Crazy Drake” for all the time and money he devoted to the seemingly fruitless quest to find oil.

But on Aug. 27, 1859, Drake silenced the naysayers by hitting oil after drilling 69 feet into the ground in Titusville, Pennsylvania. The Drake oil well was the first commercial oil well, and it made the Keystone State the center of a new rush on oil.

While Drake was responsible for creating an innovative new system of drilling for oil, he neglected to patent that method and died without money. After his death, Time magazine referred to him as “a sickly, bearded, failure of a man in a stovepipe hat.”

Drake’s life may have had an ignoble ending, but oil history owes a debt to him for starting something much more significant than himself.

The History of Oil in Texas

The oil boom spread quickly, and in January 1901, the Spindletop gusher “blew out” in southeast Texas. A stream of oil soared to heights of more than 100 feet until it was capped nine days later.

The Spindletop oilfield was soon producing around 100,000 gallons of oil per day. It was located in a salt dome on the Gulf Coast, validating engineer Anthony Lucas’ belief that such salt domes were hiding mass amounts of oil. Roughnecks had to drill over 1,100 feet before they found the Lucas geyser, but that discovery completely reshaped both Texas and American history.

Before too long, swarms of investors began fanning out across the Lone Star State in search of oil and natural gas deposits. Today, oil rig equipment continues to dot the Texas landscape, and the energy industry is still a major part of the state’s economy.

A monument to the oil industry history created by Spindletop can be found on the Lamar University campus in Beaumont.

The Future of Oil

Now that we’ve covered the history of oil, it’s time to focus on the future.

We’re experts in the oil and petroleum industry. We’re especially proud of our ability to furnish clients with braking systems for both service rigs and draw-works.

We also excel at designing custom products. If you’ve got old equipment that needs to be reconditioned or retrofitted, we can handle that as well.

Learn about our areas of expertise, and then give us a call.

You’ve been searching high and low for parts and equipment that are just right, but you just can’t find them.

Sound familiar?

You’d be much better off taking matters into your own hands and having them custom-made.

In this article, we’ll tell you why you should use custom machining instead of settling for what’s already on the market.

The Benefits of Custom Machining for Your Business

Here are just some of the things you can do when you have custom machined parts.

Fabricate Parts With Special Requirements

From time to time, your equipment will require parts that require custom fabrication.

These may include quick turn-around projects, which require additional parts, supplies, and manpower to fulfill. They can also be custom orders. Projects will often request unique parts not available in manufacturers catalogs.

If you don’t have the resources to carry out these projects, you’ll lose business. However, if you have resources available, you have the potential to take on special projects and improve efficiency.

Custom machining allows you to create ‘made-to-order’ parts and products, keeping your operations running and improving.

Replace Discontinued or Obsolete Parts

Some companies use devices and machinery for years or even decades. This means that by the time they come up for maintenance, fixing or replacement, the parts you need may no longer be on the market.

This can pose quite the challenge for manufacturers. Some will take existing parts and attempt to modify them to make them fit for your purpose. However, this is rarely successful.

If you have custom machining, the problem can be easily fixed. We can provide reverse engineering services to recreate discontinued or obsolete parts that you need but can’t find elsewhere.

You don’t have to shop around for the parts that are just right. Instead, you can have us fabricate them for you.

This will get your machinery up and running quickly.

Work with Difficult Materials

Some materials can pose problems during the production process.

For example, plastics generally require sophisticated CNC machining equipment. Certain metals, such as bronze and stainless steel, can also require specialized parts and equipment. You can’t just put them through a standard process and expect to get the results you need.

That’s why you need specialized equipment, which includes parts and machinery that are specially made to carry out the processes you provide.

Streamline Your Production Process

When you have custom equipment, you don’t have to rely on anyone else.

You no longer have to order pre-made parts and deal with suppliers. This means you save yourself time and money. If there are last-minute changes to requirements, you can make the adjustments you need as quickly as possible.

This gives you a more efficient production process with a faster turn-around time.

Get Bespoke Machinery for Your Business

At Kor-Pak we understand that ‘one size fits all’ doesn’t apply to production.

That’s why we’re dedicated to providing custom machining and fabrication for our customers.

Talk to us about your needs and specifications, and we’ll create the right equipment just for you. That way, you can enjoy the many benefits of our custom machining services.

Most industrial gearboxes last for around 20 years.

However, that’s only if they’re taken care of properly. Along the way, you’ll have to keep an eye out for transmission problems and fix them right away.

If you’re not what they are, don’t worry.

In this article, we’ll go through the tell-tale signs of a faulty gearbox.

Signs Your Gearbox Is Causing Transmission Problems

If your gearbox is exhibiting any of these issues, it’s cause for concern.

Noise

A faulty gearbox will often start making noises.

These sounds could be caused by parts rattling or grinding together. Bearings, gears, and shafts accumulate wear and tear over time, and as they do so, they’ll produce more and more noise.

If you notice that your gearbox is noisier than it once was, it’s worth checking it out. Experienced engineers can use the type of noise to identify the root of the problem.

For example, loose motor mounts are often the culprits for banging and clunking sounds, faulty bearings usually cause low-pitched rumbling noises, and damaged gear teeth can produce high-pitched screeches.

Overheating

Is there a significant difference in the temperatures of the housing and shaft of your industrial gearbox? This could be a sign that something isn’t working correctly.

Other signs of an overheating gearbox include smoke emitting from shafts and seals, discoloration of surfaces caused by burning and melting of plastic parts.

Lubrication may not be working effectively. It should increase the longevity of parts by cooling them and reducing friction. If that’s not the issue, overtightened bearings could be creating too much friction and heat.

Cracks

If you see cracks or other visible damage to your gearbox, you need to have it looked at immediately.

This can be caused by vibrations that occur when the speed and torque of the gearbox are increased. Loose, broken or poorly mounted parts will vibrate aggressively, eventually causing damage to other parts or shifting out of place.

Misalignment

Over time, parts can move out of their rightful place and become misaligned.

This can be caused by wear and tear, vibration, and heat expansion. However, the root of the problem may have occurred at the point of installation.

If the gearbox that has been installed isn’t fit for purpose, it will cause problems later down the line. Similarly, if it isn’t mounted correctly, it’s likely to break down much more quickly.

Oil Leaks

Check the shaft seals of your gearbox. If you notice that oil is starting to leak out, you have a problem.

When the seals become compromised, oil will seep out, and water, dirt, and dust are being allowed in.

Even if you can’t see a leak, check your oil levels. If they’re suspiciously low, you may have to search for a leak somewhere else. Faulty gaskets can also cause leakages.

Keep Your Gearbox in Check

If transmission problems are left for too long, they can bring your production process to a complete halt.

That’s why you need to keep your gearbox in check with regular maintenance.

Carry out inspections at regular intervals, and you can fix your gearbox issues right away. To find out how to do that, read our ultimate guide to gearbox maintenance.

Do you regularly work with industrial equipment? If so, you should be using clamping mechanisms like hydraulic clamps. They’re a vital piece of industrial equipment that will make things in your workplace safer and more secure.

Not sure what hydraulic clamps are or why you would need them for your work? In this article, we’re covering everything you need to know about these clamping mechanisms and how they can improve your work processes.

What is a Hydraulic Clamp?

In basic terms, a hydraulic clamp is a piece of industrial equipment that applies clamping force to secure any workpiece. What separates a hydraulic clamp from a primary clamping mechanism is that these devices use hydraulic fluids as part of the clamping process.

These fluids allow for greater operating pressure, which in turn results in higher clamping even when using smaller clamping cylinders.

What Does a Hydraulic Clamp Do?

If properly designed and used, a hydraulic clamp will prevent any piece of machinery from moving. This means the piece won’t slide or twist in use. A hydraulic clamp also clamps a piece of machinery without distorting the piece of machinery, which may occur when using a more standard type of clamping mechanism.

During the clamping process, a workpiece is positioned inside of the clamping device and held in position. The method of identifying and holding a workpiece is often referred to as “limiting the degrees of freedom” as this relates to the angles the device is constrained to.

Identifying the workpiece is essential for operating a hydraulic clamp correctly. If you do it incorrectly, you run the risk of bending the machine or causing machining error.

How to Operate a Hydraulic Clamp Correctly

As mentioned above, it’s essential to clamp your workpiece correctly. The main thing to do is make sure you’re attaching the clamp to a thick section of the workpiece. For correct clamping, you need to be applying the force to a strong, supported part of the workpiece.

If you attach the clamp to a thinner section of the workpiece, you’ll more than likely bend the piece, which will affect the overall accuracy of machine use. You should also make sure that you attach the clamp in a way that does not obstruct the loading or unloading of the workpiece or the paths of the cutting tools.

If you are clamping to a thinner, more delicate piece of machinery, you should distribute equal clamping force across the machine, and use clamps with pads or softer materials to prevent damage.

Why You Need a Hydraulic Clamp

Hydraulic clamping devices are essential for speeding up processes for industrial work more safely and securely. They reduce non-productive work time, save the operator from the risk of screwing clamps incorrectly, and allow for adjustments that are suited to the specific requirements of the workpiece.

They also reduce operation fatigue and increase machine-tool capacity, which are two vital things you need to improve the scope and efficiency of your work.

Final Thoughts on Hydraulic Clamping Mechanisms

Are you looking to improve your work processes? Want to scale your operations in safer (and more efficient) ways? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you need hydraulic clamping mechanisms.

Ready to purchase some hydraulic clamps? Have any additional questions about clamps or how they work? Contact us to learn more about clamp options!

What if you had to watch your heavy machinery crash into something helplessly?

Many people put a lot of faith into the brakes on these vehicles. But the soft collision protection of brakes is not always enough to prevent a major accident.

For maximum safety, you should be using torque limiter couplings. Here’s our comprehensive guide to what they are and how they can help.

What Are Torque Limiter Couplings?

In many ways, torque limiters are about “just in case” protection. They are designed to protect equipment and personnel in the event of potentially catastrophic damage.

The limiter will have a certain value of torque programmed in. If the amount of torque exceeds that amount, the limiter activates to slow things down quickly.

To know why you should use torque limiter couplings, it’s important to know some of their advantages.

Protecting Workers

As we mentioned earlier, one vital function of these limiters is that they help to protect the workers using the equipment. If no limiter is present, then people using heavy machinery might get into accidents that will hurt or even kill them.

The torque limiter couplings help prevent that from happening. The limiter kicks in before an accident can reach catastrophic levels.

It is as simple as that. Investing in limiters is a way of investing in the safety of every worker who uses that particular equipment.

Protecting Equipment

Of course, the equipment itself is very important. Heavy machinery is very costly to repair or replace. Fortunately, limiters can protect the equipment just as they protect the workers.

Torque limiters essentially offer a kind of grace period for an equipment malfunction. Once the limiter has activated, the worker can shut the equipment down before things can get any worse.

After this happens, you will need to inspect the torque limiter itself and to check the torque settings before you rely on it again. Ultimately, though, it is better to spend a little time doing this than a lot of money on fixing damaged equipment.

Possible Disadvantages

“Nobody is perfect.” This is a phrase that describes industrial equipment just as well as it describes the people using it.

There are a couple of possible disadvantages to the limiters you should be aware of. The first is that limiter settings are approximate, so you must be comfortable with a small amount (usually ten percent or less) of variance.

The second disadvantage is that torque limiter couplings cannot shut the machine down on their own. Instead, the limiters create a very audible slipping noise, and it’s up to the worker to shut down the equipment.

Overall, these disadvantages are minor. And they are far outweighed by the advantages.

The Bottom Line

Now you know what torque limiter couplings are and what they can do. Do you know where you can buy them?

Here at the Kor Pak Corporation, we offer the very best in industrial machinery and parts. To see how we can protect your people and equipment, come check out our torque limiters today!