ICER BRAKES has been awarded the Eureka Label, which recognizes technological projects approved by the European agency and represents a tool to support international technological cooperation. This label boosts the competitiveness of European companies by developing technological projects focused on products with clear commercial potential in the international market and based on innovative technologies.
The MILDBASS project (an acronym for Material Innovation for Low Dust Brake Systems) facilitates international cooperation between organizations with complementary capabilities. Their objective is to develop an environmentally friendly braking system by minimizing the dust generated by the interaction between the brake disc and the friction material.
In this regard, the project’s scope will encompass the development of an optimal coating for the brake disc and a friction material adapted to its characteristics.
MILDBASS is a consortium of three companies (ICER BRAKES, DEKA, and MICROTHERM) that, under the leadership of a major industry group (TOFAŞ) as coordinator, are committed to sustainable cooperation for joint research and development activities over a 24-month period, as well as engineering and production support for the global market.
Specifically, the project objectives are as follows:
- To achieve a 50% reduction in brake dust emissions, with a more environmentally friendly composition and a cleaner rim appearance, thus anticipating increasingly stringent EU emissions regulations.
This will be accomplished through:
- A specific thermal spray coating application for brake discs.
- A specific friction material formulation, tailored to the characteristics of the disc coating, with the aim of minimizing brake dust. In addition to this primary objective, the new material must optimize performance characteristics such as efficiency, wear, and NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness).
Extending the lifespan of brake discs by making them corrosion-free and increasing wear resistance.
It is important to highlight that this development will be especially important for electric and hybrid vehicles, as it not only adds an extra environmental benefit by reducing emissions but also prevents brake disc corrosion.
In electric vehicles, hydraulic brakes will be used less frequently than in internal combustion engines due to regenerative braking. Therefore, the discs will be more exposed to corrosion caused by humidity, temperature, and salinity, since the cleaning effect provided by the friction material against the disc will be reduced.