In an industrial setting where heavy machinery is involved, the right type of brakes could save lives, prevent property losses, and allow your business to run more smoothly.
Whether you’re looking into manufacturing machinery or replacing parts on existing machinery, it’s essential to know about sintered friction material.
Keep reading to learn more about this type of brake, and it’s benefits and applications. As you’ll see, it’s a crucial part of several industries.
What are Sintered Friction Materials?
Sintered friction materials are created with a mixture of non-metallic and metallic powders.
Base
The base of sintered friction brakes typically consists of an iron or copper alloy. This is what the other materials are bonded to under pressure to create a strong brake that can withstand high heat.
Friction Agent
The other part of this braking material is the portion that provides friction. The materials used as friction agents vary depending on the application and offer a range of energy capacity, wear behavior, and costs.
Whatever materials are used, they are cold-compacted when in powder form between 12 and 18 psi. This bonds them to a steel backing along with any other wear-resistant agents and fillers the brakes may contain.
What Applications do Sintered Friction Materials Have?
Next, we’ll take a quick glance at some of the most common commercial applications for sintered friction materials.
- Wind turbines
- Drawworks
- High-speed transit
- Locomotives
Sintered brakes are also now standard on motorcycles and ATV’s.
Benefits of Sintered Friction Material
Now let’s jump into some of the benefits you can gain from using sintered friction material in brakes for industrial equipment and machinery. Knowing what they’re commonly used for, it’s easy to see why they’re used in those applications.
Stable Under Various Conditions
When using heavy machinery, it’s crucial to have a brake pad that’s stable under various temperatures. Braking materials that are unreliable under temperature changes can be dangerous.
For outdoor applications such as locomotives or wind turbines, it’s even more critical to have brakes that work in wet or dry conditions.
Handle High-Heat
The metallic properties of sintered friction materials allow it to withstand a much higher temperature than organic options.
Large pieces of machinery generate more heat when slowing down than smaller ones, which is why it’s essential to have materials that can handle the heat generated by friction.
No Warm-Up Time
Some types of brakes require some time to warm up before they start producing results. When you’re in a situation where you need to stop something large quickly, there’s no time for brakes to warm up.
This is the third significant benefit to sintered friction materials. They don’t require any time to warm up so you can expect them to act as soon as you need them to, making them safer and more effective.
Ready to Place an Order?
Now you know what sintered friction material is and how it’s used in a variety of industrial and other applications.
If your business needs a high-quality brake material that can withstand high temperatures, contact us today. We would love to provide you with a quote and help you get what you need to keep your business moving forward.