A disc brake test stand for measurement of airborne wear particles

During braking, there is wear on both the rotor and the pads. This process generates particles that may become airborne. In field tests, it is difficult to distinguish these particles from others in the surrounding environment. Therefore, a laboratory test stand has been designed which allows control of the cleanliness of the surrounding air. The test stand consists of a front right brake assembly mounted in a sealed chamber. A braking load is applied by a pneumatic system and the rotor, which has been pre-conditioned with a rust layer to simulate a car standing parked overnight in a wet environment, is driven by an electric motor. The number and size of airborne wear particles are then measured. This experimental set-up has been verified by an initial test series performed at low braking loads. The results suggest that this test stand can he used to study rust layer removal from the rotor. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.