Which friction material is best? Well, that depends on what you need it for.
There are so many different applications for friction materials that no single material is best in all situations. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages compared to the others.
So, to help you discover which is best for your needs, we’ve written you this guide. Below, we’ve listed the three main types of friction materials, along with the pros and cons of each. Look through this list to determine which is the best fit for your needs.
1. Semi-Metallic Friction Materials
Semi-metallic friction materials are made of a combination of sintered metals and synthetic materials. They’re the longest-lasting friction material on our list.
They also have very high-heat tolerance and amazing stopping power. If you need a certain heavy machinery component to stop quickly, semi-metallic materials are your best choice.
However, since they’re made so resilient and powerful, they’re somewhat harsh to the machinery they’re installed into. That is, they tend to wear out your rotors/related components more quickly than other friction materials.
2. Ceramic Friction Materials
Ceramic friction materials are made of porcelain/clay combined with sintered metals, usually copper. Unlike semi-metallic friction materials, ceramic materials are best suited for more gentle stopping needs.
Their biggest advantage is their quiet, clean operation. They produce very little noise or dust during use.
But, as we said, they’re not as durable or heat-tolerant as semi-metallic friction materials. Thus, they will wear out faster than your semi-metallic options.
Even worse, if you use them too harshly, they can overheat. This could cause warping and other damage to the components they’re applied to. On the other hand, if you use them gently, as intended, they’re less damaging to your equipment than semi-metallic materials.
3. Hybrid Friction Materials
As their name implies, hybrid friction materials are essentially a hybrid of both ceramic and semi-metallic friction materials. And, as you’d expect, their performance is the exact middle-ground between those two options as well.
In other words, they’re more durable and heat-resistant than ceramic materials. And they’re cleaner and quieter than semi-metallic friction materials.
However, being in-between doesn’t necessarily make them the “best of both worlds.” As stated, the other materials are specifically designed to be the best in certain situations. It’s only if your needs lie somewhere in-between that hybrid friction materials are your best option.
For example, maybe you need your machine component to stop quickly, but only sometimes. Choosing semi-metallic materials would be overkill. Most of the time, during general use, the semi-metallic materials would be unnecessarily loud and hard on your machinery.
The bottom line is that hybrid friction materials have excellent stopping power and are also well-suited for general use.
Which Friction Material Is Best For Your Needs?
Based on this list, you should be able to determine which friction material is best suited for your industrial machinery. However, if you still have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Contact us here if you need more information or you want to request a quote for a specific part or service.