ROLLING STOCK
Developing friction materials on a life cycle cost basis
Dr Tim Hodges, chief railways engineer at Federal-Mogul, explains how savings in rail operators’ running costs can benefi t the life cycle cost and the environment.
T
he pressure to reduce costs often means that brake pads and shoes are viewed
as commodity items within the rail industry, replaced on a lowest price basis providing the performance is satisfactory. Few realise this may not produce the lowest operating cost: the choice of friction material can have a direct infl uence on the wear life of the mating disc or wheel, which is typically much more expensive to replace.
It is often the case that friction material design is not just driven by cost but also by environmental or legislative requirements. The need to manufacture asbestos and lead- free friction materials has been driven by both. The European Union is now encouraging the
58 | rail technology magazine Jun/Jul 12
rail industry to reduce freight noise by 2020. In order for operators to reduce lineside noise and minimise disruptions to maintenance schedules a new formulation of friction materials is required.
Federal-Mogul is developing its advanced composite material brake blocks with the German government sponsored LäGiV project. The scheme could help to reduce rolling noise by half, achieving an average noise level reduction of 10dB. The composites being designed are helping to produce products that signifi cantly reduce noise while still keeping in line with the company’s LCC approach. The new products will be fully developed and commercially available to the industry by 2014.
Federal-Mogul is making signifi cant investments in product development and testing technology, taking advantage of its extensive knowledge of friction products gained in the automotive and heavy duty markets, and is also committed to investment in manufacturing to further improve effi ciency and ensure the delivery of consistently high quality products to its global customer base. The development of friction materials on a life-cycle cost basis to provide customers with a competitive advantage is part of this process.
FOR MORE INFORMATION T: 01298 811546
E:
fpgrailenquiries@federalmogul.com W:
www.federalmogul.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92