Selection of material and process for a brake pad using CES software

Abstract

In this work, Granta Design CES software was used to select the appropriate material and manufacture process for the brake pad of a passenger car. The design requirements were selected based on the desired attributes that must be possessed by the required friction material (suitable for a brake pad). For material selection, suitable performance indices in terms of lightweight, strength and stiffness, thermal expansion and thermal conductivity, wear coefficient, cost, and producibility were developed. The software translates the design requirements and lists all friction material candidates. The list of materials was plotted in bubble charts. Afterwards, the candidates were screened by adding more constraints to eliminate those who could not do the job. The remaining candidates were then ranked based on the given attributes. The manufacturing process was selected in terms of applicability and economy points of view. Based on this study, silicon carbide was the selected material; in addition to that, the selected process with minimum manufacturing cost that meets all the requirements is pressing and sintering.