Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Mark T Riefe

Brent D Lowe

Omar S Dessouki

David B Antanaitis

Mohan Sundar

Michael D Hanna

James Gregory Schroth

Richard Harry Hammar

Patrick J Monsere

Michael L Holly

Jeremy W Short

Paul W Alexander

Mark William Verbrugge

Anil Kumar Sachdev

Richard J Skurkis

Anthony L Smith

Chih-Hung Yen

Steven J Weber

Matthew A Robere

Andrew Schertzer

David Begleiter

Kevin P Callaghan

Chia N Yang

Benjamin Everest Slattery

Matthew T Doescher

Andrew Leslie Bartos

Mutasim Abdurrahman Salman

Yuen-Kwok Chin

Richard Murray Kleber

Jianfeng Wang

Michael J Walker

Mark N Howell

James A Webster

Tomasz R Warzecha

Henry Zhan

Christopher J Mettrick

Phanu Amatyakul

Kevin M Thompson

Richard A Kaatz

John P Whaite, Jr

James J Yuhas

Cara L Learman

Silviu A Pepescu

Systems and methods of making an enhanced vehicular brake rotor having improved wear and corrosion resistance are provided. The enhanced vehicular brake rotor comprises a brake rotor comprising a base comprised of iron (Fe). The base comprises an outer surface having open pores formed thereon. The rotor has a steam-treated layer formed on the outer surface and in the open pores. The steam-treated layer is comprised of iron oxide (FeO) and has a thickness of between 10 and 50 microns for enhanced wear and corrosion resistance to define the enhanced vehicular rotor.

System and method of making an enhanced brake rotor with improved corrosion resistance

Systems and methods of making an enhanced brake rotor having enhanced wear resistance are provided. The systems and methods provide a vehicular rotor comprising a base comprising iron (Fe). The base comprises an outer surface having a laser-hardened portion thereon. The laser-hardened portion comprises martensite and having a thickness of between 10 and 100 microns of the outer surface to define the enhanced brake rotor with enhanced wear resistance.

System and method of making an enhanced brake rotor with improved wear resistance

A method for manufacturing a ferrous rotational member including the steps of turning a first portion of the friction surface at a sufficient feed rate to provide a first deformed layer on the first portion of the friction surface; fine turning a second portion of the friction surface at a sufficient feed rate to provide a second deformed layer on the second portion of the friction surface; burnishing the first and second portions of the friction surface to achieve a predetermined roughness; and nitrocarburizing the rotational member at a time and temperature sufficient for the diffusion of nitrogen atoms and carbon atoms through the deformed layer to form hardened casings having variable thickness. The ferrous rotational member may be that of a brake rotor having a hub surface and a friction surface, where the hub surface and friction surface have a variable thickness hardened casing.

Ferrous workpiece and method of manufacture

An exemplary method for determining a remaining life expectancy of a brake component includes the steps of providing vehicle parameters that identify operating conditions of a vehicle, using the vehicle parameters to determine work done by a brake of the vehicle as brake work, using the brake work to determine brake rotor temperature, using the brake rotor temperature to determine a fatigue damage of the brake component, accumulating the fatigue damage to determine a cumulative fatigue damage of the brake component, and comparing the cumulative fatigue damage to a damage limit to provide an estimation of the remaining life expectancy of the brake component.

Brake component prognosis

A shield assembly is employed for a friction brake used to decelerate a road wheel of a vehicle. The vehicle has a body with a first body end configured to face an incident ambient airflow, a second body end opposite of the first body end, and an underbody section spanning a distance between the first and second ends. The shield assembly includes a first shield component arranged proximate the brake and rotationally fixed relative to the vehicle body. The shield assembly also includes a second shield component operatively connected to the first shield component for shifting relative thereto. The shield assembly additionally includes an actuator employing a shape memory alloy element to shift the second shield component relative to the first shield component in response to a temperature of the brake to thereby direct at least a portion of the airflow to the brake and control temperature thereof.

Articulated shield for a vehicle friction brake

A brake temperature monitoring system configured to monitor at least one of a rotor and hydraulic fluid of a brake mechanism for a vehicle. The system including a controller including a processor and an electronic storage medium, a vehicle velocity sensor, an ambient temperature sensor, and a pre-programmed module. The vehicle velocity sensor is configured to output a velocity signal to the processor. The ambient temperature sensor is configured to output an ambient temperature signal to the processor. The model is pre-programmed into the electronic storage medium, and is adapted to estimate the temperature of at least one of the rotor and the hydraulic fluid. The estimation is based on an ambient air temperature, and a pre-established relationship between a conductive heat transfer factor and a convective heat transfer factor. The convective heat transfer factor is a function of vehicle velocity.

Brake temperature monitoring system

Technical solutions are described to for determining thickness of a vehicle brake rotor. An example method includes providing vehicle parameters that identify operating conditions of a vehicle, and using the vehicle parameters to determine work done by a brake of the vehicle as brake-work. Further, the method includes using the brake work to determine brake rotor temperature, and using the brake rotor temperature to determine brake rotor wear. The method further includes accumulating the brake rotor wear to provide an estimation of the thickness of the vehicle brake rotor.

Brake rotor prognosis

A system for determining thickness of a brake pad includes a controller configured to provide a total braking energy of a vehicle with a regenerative energy braking system, and a rotor braking system that includes a plurality of brake pads. The system controller determines the work done by the brake pads as a combination of front brake pad work and rear brake pad work, then accumulates the brake pad wear to provide an estimation of the brake pad thickness using the front brake pad work and the rear brake pad work. The controller outputs a message indicative of the estimation of the brake pad thickness via an output system in communication with the controller

Brake pad life prognosis system for regenerative braking vehicles

A brake rotor comprising a brake pad wear surface; a hat surface; and a decorative insert comprising an insert material, the decorative insert disposed on the brake pad wear surface, the hat surface, or both; wherein at least one of a friction coefficient between the decorative insert and a brake pad is substantially the same as a friction coefficient between the brake pad wear surface and the brake pad, a wear rate of the decorative insert is substantially the same as or greater than a wear rate of the brake pad wear surface, or a wear rate of the decorative insert is substantially the same as or greater than a wear rate of the hat surface; and at least a portion of the decorative insert is visible on the brake pad wear surface, the hat surface, or both.

Brake rotor with decorative insert

One variation includes a friction material and method of manufacture thereof wherein the friction material includes a transfer layer on a ferritically nitrocarburized component, wherein the transfer layer may be fabricated from glass, rubber, carbon, aramid fiber, filler material, abrasive, or a high-temperature resin.

Friction material and methods of making and using the same

One embodiment of the invention may include a product including a body portion including a first face and a frictional damping insert overlying the first face of the body portion. The body portion may include a second face overlying the insert. The insert may have a throughhole and a portion of the body portion may extend from the first face through the throughhole and the insert to the second face of the body portion.

Damped part with insert

An exemplary embodiment includes an automotive brake component, such as a brake drum or a brake rotor, and an inlay coupled to the automotive brake component. The inlay constituting at least a portion of a braking surface that is acted upon during a braking event. The inlay damping vibrations in the automotive brake component when the component is vibrated.

Component with inlay for damping vibrations

A brake assembly includes a brake pad, a bracket supporting the brake pad and having a first portion, a second portion spaced apart from the first portion, and a linkage interconnecting the first and second portions. The linkage is configured to transfer tensile loads between the first and second portion, but is characterized by the absence of any bending modes. The absence of bending modes prevents excitation of the linkage, thereby reducing sound generated during application of the brake assembly.

Brake assembly

A method of estimating brake pad wear includes determining required braking energy to be dissipated by a braking system as a fraction of total kinetic energy according to an energy partitioning model. The required braking energy is distributed to vehicle braking mechanisms according to a vehicle dynamics model. Rotor temperature of each brake rotor may be determined according to a rotor temperature model that utilizes the required braking energy and the distribution of the required braking energy, and determining brake pad wear of each brake pad according to a brake pad wear model that utilizes the rotor temperature and the distributed required braking energy. A first brake pad wear model is implemented under first operating conditions, and a second brake pad wear model under second operating conditions. The brake pad wear is indicated via a brake pad wear indicator output device. A vehicle has a controller that implements the method.

Method of estimating brake pad wear and vehicle having a controller that implements the method

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Brighton, MI, United States of America

Mark T Riefe