Friction Material

Friction Material Supplier

You need a supplier that understand the applications and best materials for friction materials. Even though friction material is used in every-day mundane applications such as automotive brakes and clutches to commercial and industrial applications like rail, air travel or manufacturing, each one is unique. Virtually any application that requires the use of pressure between two parts in order to control speed has need of the right friction material.

Just as the applications for friction material vary, the materials also vary. From advanced fibers and metal alloys to elastomerics and even paper, friction material is designed for specific needs. The friction material is a combination of woven fibers (metal particles, paper, ceramic, etc) bonded together. For industrial applications, the more common materials are bonded sintered metal, ceramic, or even Kevlar, which are durable and more effectively handle the heat generated in heavy duty applications. However, if you are not sure of the best suite material, contact us to discuss your applications and we will provide the right products for the needs.

As your supplier of friction material, the material we recommend will be based on factors such as the application itself, the wear on material created, heat requirements, and durability needs. By the very nature of the uses for friction material, all material will wear out and require replacement. By working with you on selecting the material, and understanding your specific application, we can provide a likely lifespan for the materials and your best range of options.

Friction Material Manufacturers

We source our friction material based on the best manufacturer that meets your need. While our primary provider is Scan-Pac and Gatke, we will ensure that we source your material from the best-matched manufacturer.

Scan-Pac Friction Material

We source from different manufacturers, but one of our most popular is Scan-Pac. The company makes a variety of high-quality industrial friction materials for virtually any industry. Some of their products are:

  • Woven and Calendared flexible lining material in flat sheet and roll form
  • Gemini Rigid Molded Friction material with coefficients of friction ranging from .15 to .59.
  • Gemini woven material for industrial and oilfield applications
  • Gemini truck blocks designed to perform on over-the-road semi-trucks and buses.
  • Gatke molded fabric bearings and special molded shapes
  • Molded and rigid friction products including Industrial Brake Blocks to individual custom molded
  • Sintered high energy clutch button and custom sintered friction materials

Friction Material types

Molded & Ridig Friction Materials

Sintered Friction Material

Phenolics Laminates

Friction Material Attributes

Friction material applications vary greatly, and as they do, the attributes required will change accordingly. Depending on the material components and process, friction materials are designed to affect these attributes: Noise, fade & recovery, wear rate, temperature range, tensile strength, abrasiveness, corrosion resistance, compressions resistance, and environmental variabilities. Each type of material and bonding process has a different balance of these, and other, attributes.

Ceramic Friction Materials

Ceramic friction materials are made from a mixture of copper, iron, tin bronze, silicon dioxide, or graphite that is sintered plate. Typically, ceramic friction material can operate up to 1,000 Fahrenheit.

Feramic / Carbonic Materials

Combining steel, silicon dioxide, tin bronze, and graphite, carbonic material (a form of feramic) are well suited for agricultural applications. They share the high temp and high-pressure qualities of the regular feramic materials, but carbonics allow for smoother engagement. Standard feramic material has a quick engagement quality that is better for other applications such a racing.

Kevlar Friction Materials

You will also find para-aramid, or known by the brand name Kevlar, in high temperature, high clamping pressure applications. The Kevlar materials tend to last up to 3x longer than other materials given the same factors. For optimal performance, Kevlar friction materials need to have higher clamping pressure than other materials.

Feramalloy Material

Feramalloy is the latest type of material with ceramic material qualities but with smoother engagement. As a friction material, feramalloy is ideally suited for many heavy-duty commercial and industrial applications.