The result of five years of independent development, Warner Electric, a leading brand of Altra Industrial Motion Corp., has released its new W134 brake friction material. Designed to provide consistent and reliable braking performance in a wide range of conditions – integrating the W134 friction material in a Warner brake is the optimum selection for all heavy-duty powertrain applications.

Producing brake friction material that performs across a range of environmental and operational conditions is a challenging process. Usually, friction material is specialised to operate within pre-determined temperature and atmospheric conditions, delivering braking performance for specific applications. For brake manufacturers, this presents an issue. If a brake is required to operate with reliable and consistent performance levels across a wide range of temperatures and environments – a highly focused brake friction material will not deliver. Clearly, a specialised solution tailored to a variety of operating conditions is required.

To deliver a solution, Warner Electric, a world leader in electromagnetic brakes, has utilised its expert chemists to formulate W134 entirely in-house. From the first principle, it has been designed to deliver static and dynamic braking functions with high torque stability. Furthermore, it offers consistent performance across varying rotational speeds and a wide range of environmental conditions. The material is non-sticking with a high friction coefficient, making it well suited to outdoor applications. This does not translate to increased brake wear though, with W134 optimised for high energy braking and heavy stops due to its consistent material properties. Therefore, W134 is a perfect complement to Warner’s extensive range of high-performance brakes.

The benefits of a consistent brake friction material formula available in-house from a brake OEM are many. Total control of the formulation process ensures material quality, with Warner Electric tracking every stage of production to ensure this. A large manufacturing capability, strong supply networks and engineering teams enable shortened lead times and responsive after-sales support. These ensure uptime is promoted and brake maintenance is shortened and simplified.

By specifying a Warner brake, brake operators can source a reliable product fitted with an optimal friction material that removes the fluctuations in performance often found in specialist materials. Supported by the combination of global capability and localised service centres inherent to Altra – operators of brakes in heavy duty applications have easy access to a solution that delivers tangible application advantages.