LAS VEGAS—Robert Bosch G.m.b.H. has introduced copper-free material in its premium-grade QuietCast brake pads as well as its other lines of braking products and has developed a proprietary copper-free ceramic friction formulation that incorporates renewable materials to make its product more environmentally-friendly.
“Our new copper-free material was developed over several years and has undergone various endurance tests,” said Robert Backode, director of product management, Bosch Brake Components L.L.C.
“Much like the copper-free alloy used to replace copper in the aerospace industry, this material, too, has proven to be successful in automotive use, ensuring high strength and light weight. Test data of the new copper-free material confirms improved performance over copper-based materials.”
Bosch said it has filed for patent protection in North America and other key markets.
The development was prompted by legislation in California and Washington requiring the amount of copper in friction materials to be below 5 percent by 2021 and less than 0.5 percent by 2025.
The changeover to copper-free brake pads is currently in process, Bosch said, with a gradual rollout of more copper-free products. Many of its semi-metallic formulas, as well as the new ceramic formulation, already meet the 2025 no copper requirement “so Bosch is well on its way to having its entire braking portfolio be compliant with the 2025 guideline years before it's required,” the company said.
At the start of the year, Bosch began rolling out updated packaging to indicate the level of copper in its QuietCast brake pads with the industry standard LeafMark. The Leaf-Mark is comprised of a three-leaf cluster with one, two, or all three leaves filled in to indicate the level of legislative compliance:
c One leaf: Level A—limits levels of asbestos, cadmium, chromium, lead and mercury;
c Two leaves: Level B—includes all the requirements of Level A and copper levels must be less than 5 percent by weight; and
c Three leaves: Level N—includes all the requirements of Level A and copper levels must be less than 0.5 percent by weight.