Safety, return on investment, and sustainability: Bendix remanufactured brake shoes deliver all three – and with more than 9 million produced as 2020 winds down, that’s a lot of positive impact made both on and off the road.
“Since we began serial production of reman brake shoes in the fall of 2012 – combining Bendix’s 40-plus years’ experience in remanufacturing with our brake manufacturing leadership – the demand has been continuous and growing,” said Mark Holley, director of marketing and customer solutions, Wheel-End. “And from the outset, it’s been propelled by the desire to maintain OE-level quality and performance while realizing the bottom-line benefits of remanufactured shoes.”
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC handles the complete salvage, coining, and assembly processes that make up start-to-finish brake shoe remanufacturing at its Huntington, Indiana, facility. Bendix’s remanufacturing efforts go back more than four decades and include air compressors, air disc brake calipers, and electronic control system components.
Back to a new beginning
“Bendix coins 100 percent of its brake shoes to return them to OE geometry, so they will perform as designed by OE engineers,” Holley said. “That’s what sets the process apart from brake shoe reliners: They’re simply applying new friction to shoes that have experienced serious force and temperature changes as part of their normal service life. Without correcting the deformities caused by regular use, a relined but uncoined reman shoe may not make full drum contact or sit in the S-cam properly, resulting in reduced brake performance and uneven wear. Uncoined reman shoes may even pose problems with reinstallation of the drum and be more likely to experience rust jacking leading to cracked friction – and higher risk of CSA violations.”
The Bendix Remanufactured Shoe Center in Huntington uses a 1,000-ton coining press that applies the full tonnage needed to return a shoe to its proper shape and OE specifications. The shoe center opened in 2012 and was significantly expanded in 2014 to more than 74,000 square feet.
The next step in the Bendix quality process is the application of high-quality coatings. When a coined shoe is paired with a premium coating and high flexural strength friction, it provides protection against rust jacking, reducing the risk of cracked friction. Bendix reman shoes with OE friction are E-coated (electro deposition), and shoes equipped with Bendix Advanced or Basic friction feature Bendix PermaGuard coating. Finally, the assembly process uses the same riveting procedure employed for new Bendix OE shoes – ensuring correct lining attachment for maximum lining service. Every step of the process is engineered to deliver safety, performance, and full service life.
Reman and sustainability
Bendix’s commitment to remanufacturing earned the company status as one of the first ambassador companies of the Manufactured Again Certification program from MERA – The Association for Sustainable Manufacturing. In this role, Bendix continues its efforts to educate buyers about remanufacturing, suppliers, and performance expectations. The Manufactured Again Certification program helps purchasers easily identify remanufactured goods with like-new quality and warranty coverage. The program also promotes environmental stewardship and remanufacturing as a leading example in the circular economy.
The Manufactured Again Certification program launched in November 2016 and is based on the internationally recognized quality management standards ISO 9001 and IATF 16949. Where ISO 9001 can be used by any organization, large or small, in any industry, the supplemental IATF 16949 is one of the automotive industry’s most widely used international quality standards. To receive Manufactured Again Certification, remanufacturers are required to submit third-party evidence of conformance to the accepted quality standards. The Manufactured Again Verification Committee oversees the program and reviews all applications.
By extending the lifetime of previously produced components (brake shoes can be recoined a number of times), remanufacturing creates value and contributes to the circular economy, while also cutting down on the use of new metal materials and the carbon dioxide impact of producing them. This aligns with Bendix’s commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12) – Responsible Consumption and Production.
A foundation for safety
As technologies like full stability have become mandatory, and fleet adoption of advanced driver assistance technologies such as collision mitigation systems has increased, so has the importance of equipping wheel-ends to handle braking demands.
“Whether the driver is pushing the brake pedal, the physics at the wheel-end (the interaction between a drum and friction) are ultimately key to effective stopping power,” Holley said. “Maintaining like-for-like performance means having the right braking components in place.”
Bendix’s friction portfolio – also engineered to meet the complete range of customers’ need for safety, performance, and value – enhances the value of the company’s remanufactured brake shoes. Bendix continues to add new friction materials to its portfolio, with options ranging from economy and aftermarket frictions with improved wear (BA203) and featuring the industry’s first RSD-certified aftermarket friction (BA202R), along with products like Bendix’s 23K RSD friction (BA232R).
In addition, Bendix friction materials are B-Level compliant with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Copper-Free Brake Initiative agreement. B-Level compliance takes effect on January 1, 2021, and limits the amount of copper in brake friction to no more than 5 percent by weight.
Bendix supports and advances its remanufactured brake shoe product portfolio through field-tested sales and service professionals; a veteran field technical support team; and the Bendix Tech Team (at 1-800-AIR-BRAKE), an expert technical support group providing service advice, brake system troubleshooting, and product training.
Through its ever-growing portfolio of commercial vehicle technologies, Bendix delivers on the areas most critical to fleets’ success – including safety, vehicle performance and efficiency, and post-sales support. Strengthening return on investment in the equipment and technologies that keep trucks and drivers safe and lower their total costs of vehicle ownership fuels Bendix’s pursuit of helping enhance the safety of everyone on the road across North America.
