Modelling the wear processes of the automotive brake pad and disc

Abstract

The automotive disc braking system is based on the friction between a disc and two pads and this friction determines their wear. The theoretical study proposed in this paper aims to model this wear process. It is based on a simplified geometrical model (approximation of the curvilinear trapezium with a rectangle of the same area) and considering the brake pad as a viscoelastic material, while the disc is elastic. With the help of this model we can determine the relative displacements of the pad and of the disc during the braking process. Also, when the process is stabilized, the pressure distribution can be determined. In the paper, both the relative displacements and the pressure distribution are exemplified for the inner edge, the middle and the outer edge of the brake pad.

Keywords

• wear
• friction
• automotive brake system
• brake pad
• brake disc