Dry clutch linings, in both, automatic and manual transmissions, have a key influence on the function, comfort, robustness and reliability of a vehicle, which are attributes with ever rising customer expectations. Therefore it is necessary to take a deep dive into the technical background of the lining material performances in order to make most use of their potential. The presented project, performed at Ford Powertrain Research & Advanced Department, shows a method for screening new lining materials with the objective to compare a potential new material with today's reference production material and identify the most suitable lining for a relevant application. Some particular clutch linings have been chosen and put on a test rig for which screening tests have been developed. As the screening method cannot replace the clutch lining design & verification procedure it does however, look at the main aspects of Shudder, Wear, Fading, Burst, Inertia, and Odor. This paper describes the test methods and presents the material behavior of selected attributes for direct comparison. As a result, a comprehensive spider diagram sums up all results in one view.
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