Brake Pad Holder
Rethink Brake Pad holder
Optimization in numbers
Peak Temperature Reduction
200°C
Task and challenge
Product
Brake Pad holder
Application
Race
Used material
Titanium-alloy (TiAl6V4)
Two alternatives to the original one were conceived and designed. One was designed for traditional machining (CNC), and the other was designed for additive manufacturing (AM). After the redesign, both solutions complied with the requirements, with excellent handling and heat transfer capabilities.
Solution
A thermal finite element analysis (FEM) was performed on an aluminium alloy brake pad holder to verify at a preliminary stage the properties of the original component in view of subsequent optimization operations.
After thermal and mechanical study of the original component, two alternative designs, one for CNC manufacturing and one for additive manufacturing, were studied, implementing features impossible to achieve with other technologies, in order to exploit the full potential of additive technology. In fact, a zone was created that thanks to the huge amount of active surface area could function as a heat capacity and dissipate all the accumulated heat in the best possible way by ensuring a tailored temperature management aimed at reducing local peaks to achieve a more uniform distribution.
The AM Redesign, which was aimed at increasing heat capacity to improve pad life, was verified through a Heat Transfer Analysis to verify the performance achieved by the re-optimized component. The analysis includes a thermal study comparing the original steel pad component with the one we proposed, the results obtained show the beneficial aspects that the new profile brings to the braking system, with a reduction in the peak heat of 200 degrees centigrade.
Success
200°C
Peak Temperature Reduction
Our services
NIRI collects over 50 years of AM experience through the diverse backgrounds of our specialists and engineers to advise, design and industrialize additive manufacturing solutions. Our consulting and engineering teams offer services to Executive Boards for strategy, to R&D, Engineering and Technical Departments for specialist engineering and to Manufacturing Departments for AM implementation.
Who you gonna call?

Giovanni La Picca
Mechanical Designer & Project Manager
giovanni@niri-eng.com +39 3391195311 View Profile