Brakes technology breakthrough
Brake systems can make or break a car’s fuel efficiency. Traditionally made of cast iron in order that its individual parts withstand friction and heat, brakes cost you not only maintenance but gasoline dollars as well. They are heavy that they add considerable weight on the car and require additional horsepower to be pulled. At least cast iron brakes are considered heavy and a drag until New York-based materials research scientist Stan Hemstad came up with a fiber-reinforced ceramic brakes.
At Starfire Systems Inc. in Malta, New York, Hemstad explained that compared to current ceramics brake technology in the performance car industry, the fibers in the ceramics hold the material together. “Same thing as adobe bricks. The straw keeps it from crumbling and falling apart.” A typical cast iron brake averages 10 kilograms. The fiber-reinforced ceramic brake weighs less than two. “There is a lot of weight savings. That makes the cars accelerate faster, more maneuverable, reduces gas consumption,” Hemstad said.
Manufacture of the fiber-reinforced brakes remains expensive and time consuming, taking over four hours. Hemstad says the goal is to make them less expensive so they can go on higher-end cars and eventually all passenger cars. Ceramic brakes are still being tested, but they’re already an option on performance cars, amounting around $10,000. They could be on all cars for less than $400 within three years. According to Hemstad, the gas benefit savings will pay for the brakes. Ceramic brakes also last longer than metal brakes, so there is no need to replace them as often.