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Bosch Puts the Brakes on Particulate Dust

Robert Bosch GmbH’s Buderus Guss unit is introducing a brake disc that the company says generates 90% less brake dust than conventional units.

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Robert Bosch GmbH’s Buderus Guss unit is introducing a brake disc that the company says generates 90% less brake dust than conventional units.

Based on a cast-iron brake disc, the new iDisc uses a tungsten-carbide coating. The friction rings also are mechanically, thermally and galvanically treated before being coated.

Brake performance is said to be similar to that of a ceramic unit, providing better stability and less wear than traditional cast-iron units. Bosch says the iDisc’s can last twice as long as a normal brake, depending on the strength of the carbide coating.

The iDisc also is less susceptible to corrosion and gouging marks on the friction ring. Brake corrosion is a concern for electric vehicles, which use regenerative braking to recover otherwise lost energy. Such systems can strain the braking system.

Bosch says the iDisc will be priced between current cast-iron units and expensive ceramic brakes. Production is due to start this month for an unnamed European carmaker.

Citing information from Germany’s Baden-Wurttemberg environmental agency, Bosch says brakes and tires are responsible for 32% of driving-related particulate emissions. Brake dust accounts for half of those emissions.

Gardner Business Media - Strategic Business Solutions