New technique stops brake squeal

摘要

Squealing brakes cost auto manufacturers several hundred million dollars a year in warranty repairs and are among consumers' top 20 vehicle complaints? even in luxury cars. Now, acoustics researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) have developed a solution that could stop the problem of noisy brakes once and for all. In disc brakes, squeal can occur when the brake pads contact the rotor while the vehicle is moving at low speeds, setting up a vibration that manifests itself as an annoying high-pitched squeal. Brake operation is not affected, but the problem―which occurs in cars, trucks, and buses―leads to needless replacement of brake pads and the addition of shims, damping materials, and other parts in an attempt to stop the noise.