Tyrolit: Euro 7 Raises Requirements for Coated Brake Discs
The Euro 7 regulation is bringing brake systems and new machining technologies into focus. Experts at the Tyrolit Techtalk discussed laser-coated brake discs, which are designed to drastically reduce brake wear, and the corresponding machining technologies.
The Euro 7 regulation expands the existing emissions standards for the first time to include limits for particulate matter from brake wear—for both internal combustion and electric vehicles. As a result, low-wear braking systems, and in particular hard-coated brake rotors, are becoming increasingly important. As part of the new expert forum Tyrolit Techtalk, representatives from industry and academia discussed the role that modern coating technologies play in this context. High-speed laser cladding, which is used to apply highly wear-resistant coatings to brake discs, is considered particularly promising. These coatings significantly reduce material wear and can help ensure compliance with future PM10 limits.
Hard coatings for reduced brake wear
However, the high energy densities of modern laser coating processes alter the microstructure of the coatings and thus their grindability. Even with identical chemical composition, new requirements arise for downstream machining. According to Tyrolit, the laser power used has quadrupled from 6 to 24 kW within just a few years, pushing previously proven grinding processes to their limits. Specially designed diamond and CBN grinding tools are therefore required for cost-effective mass production. It is crucial to consider the coating and grinding processes together and to optimally coordinate tools, machines, and process parameters.
Tyrolit Expands Its Range of Diamond and CBN Grinding Tools
To meet the growing demand from the automotive industry, Tyrolit has expanded its production of diamond and CBN grinding tools. An additional 1,700 m² of production space is intended to ensure the supply of tools for machining hard-coated brake discs in large-scale production. The systematic approach presented in the Tyrolit Techtalk illustrates that the Euro 7 regulation is not only driving new coating technologies but also innovations in mechanical surface finishing. Only the coordinated interaction of coating, grinding tool, and manufacturing process enables cost-effective and reproducible mass production of the new brake discs.
► The full Techtalk can be found in the Surface Technology Online video library.
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