Use the tools below to copy the article in plain text form, or you can copy it as HTML, ready to copy and paste directly into a web page.
HTML <html> <head> <title>Safety beneath the wheels</title> </head> <body> <h1>Safety beneath the wheels</h1> <div class="info">Author: <a href="author_1_97127.html">jessicamatthews</a></div><div class="body">Volkswagen takes pride, not only on its reverential image and durability, but also on setting safety standards that are foremost in driving experience. To augment its safety standards, VW has equipped its cars with disc brake systems. A typical VW disc brake system is composed of a hydraulic braking assembly consisting of a VW brake disc, or rotor, mounted on an axle, and a caliper assembly containing, usually two brake pads which are activated by hydraulic pressure.<br /> <br /> VW's disc brake systems generate braking force by clamping brake pads onto <a href="http://www.vdubpartsdirect.com/vw_rotors.html" >VW rotors</a> that are mounted to the hubs. The high mechanical advantage of hydraulic and mechanical disc brakes allows a small lever input force at the handlebar to be converted into a large clamp force at the wheel. This large clamp force pinches a rotor with friction material pads generating brake power. Hydraulic VW disc brakes utilize a master cylinder mounted on the handlebar to produce the input force at the lever and push brake fluid to a hydraulic caliper at the wheel which generates the clamp force. Meanwhile, brake power is generated when the caliper brake pads clamp the VW rotors. As a general rule, three factors will determine how much brake force is generated. The first one is clamp force, a process where the rotor is pinched tighter resulting to more brake force generated. The second factor is the friction force generated by the friction material – the higher the coefficient of friction for the pad, the greater brake power will be generated. Lastly, the larger the diameter or effective radius of a rotor gives out, the greater the brake power it produces, even with the same amount of clamp as that of a smaller rotor.<br /> <br /> There are several key concepts that explains practically how a brake system works. Typically, hydraulic calipers use a rubber seal (square seal) that deforms when the brake is applied, and then returns to its normal shape and pulls the pads away from the rotor when pressure is released. This is called retraction. Meanwhile, brake power is generated by the friction material on the pads embedding into the surface of the VW rotors, re-bonding to the friction material still on the pads and then breaking apart. In order for this bonding/shearing to occur, the friction material must first be displaced onto the surface of the rotor. This typically happens during the first 50 stops of a brake system and is referred to as “burnishing” the rotor and pads. When VW rotors are cleaned, they will need to be re-burnished again to re-deposit the friction material onto the surfaces. The value used in measuring the “grip” of a material used in brake pads is called coefficient of friction. This friction vary depending on the type of material used for the brake rotor. The coefficient of friction may change as the brake system is required to perform through different applications.<br /> <br /> Designing brake systems to handle high temperatures is just as important as designing them to be powerful. There are three key elements for a system to properly handle high temperatures – thermal mass, cooling air, surface area, and material selection. Thermal mass refers to the appropriate size needed for a brake system to properly handle the temperatures during braking application. Cooling air can also help reduce operating temperatures. A greater surface area, meanwhile, means better heat dissipation through convection. In selecting materials to be used for braking systems, insulators can be used to prevent heat from being conducted to the brake fluid.<br /> <br /> There are several advantages in using disc brake systems. First, disc brakes (mechanical or hydraulic) are able to generate much higher clamp forces than rim or other forms of brakes. Second, the interface between the brake pads and the rotor can be customized for maximum brake system performance. Disc brakes are made to thrive in harsh environments, with its location and materials used in manufacturing these systems. In addition to the protection from the environment, the location of the brake systems at the center of the wheel prevents out of true wheels from affecting the setup or performance of disc brakes. Because of these, safety is assured when it matters most. The other potential symptom of a failed fan clutch, is when it draws the air at a very high rate. Because of this, the heating system blows out lukewarm air and does not generate enough hot air for the engine during cold weather.<br /> </div> <div class="source">Article Source: <a href="http://www.articlealley.com/article_173267_31.html">http://www.articlealley.com/article_173267_31.html</a></div> <div class="author"> <div class="authorBio"></div> </author> </body> </html>
Text Safety beneath the wheels Author: jessicamatthews Volkswagen takes pride, not only on its reverential image and durability, but also on setting safety standards that are foremost in driving experience. To augment its safety standards, VW has equipped its cars with disc brake systems. A typical VW disc brake system is composed of a hydraulic braking assembly consisting of a VW brake disc, or rotor, mounted on an axle, and a caliper assembly containing, usually two brake pads which are activated by hydraulic pressure. VW's disc brake systems generate braking force by clamping brake pads onto VW rotors that are mounted to the hubs. The high mechanical advantage of hydraulic and mechanical disc brakes allows a small lever input force at the handlebar to be converted into a large clamp force at the wheel. This large clamp force pinches a rotor with friction material pads generating brake power. Hydraulic VW disc brakes utilize a master cylinder mounted on the handlebar to produce the input force at the lever and push brake fluid to a hydraulic caliper at the wheel which generates the clamp force. Meanwhile, brake power is generated when the caliper brake pads clamp the VW rotors. As a general rule, three factors will determine how much brake force is generated. The first one is clamp force, a process where the rotor is pinched tighter resulting to more brake force generated. The second factor is the friction force generated by the friction material – the higher the coefficient of friction for the pad, the greater brake power will be generated. Lastly, the larger the diameter or effective radius of a rotor gives out, the greater the brake power it produces, even with the same amount of clamp as that of a smaller rotor. There are several key concepts that explains practically how a brake system works. Typically, hydraulic calipers use a rubber seal (square seal) that deforms when the brake is applied, and then returns to its normal shape and pulls the pads away from the rotor when pressure is released. This is called retraction. Meanwhile, brake power is generated by the friction material on the pads embedding into the surface of the VW rotors, re-bonding to the friction material still on the pads and then breaking apart. In order for this bonding/shearing to occur, the friction material must first be displaced onto the surface of the rotor. This typically happens during the first 50 stops of a brake system and is referred to as “burnishing” the rotor and pads. When VW rotors are cleaned, they will need to be re-burnished again to re-deposit the friction material onto the surfaces. The value used in measuring the “grip” of a material used in brake pads is called coefficient of friction. This friction vary depending on the type of material used for the brake rotor. The coefficient of friction may change as the brake system is required to perform through different applications. Designing brake systems to handle high temperatures is just as important as designing them to be powerful. There are three key elements for a system to properly handle high temperatures – thermal mass, cooling air, surface area, and material selection. Thermal mass refers to the appropriate size needed for a brake system to properly handle the temperatures during braking application. Cooling air can also help reduce operating temperatures. A greater surface area, meanwhile, means better heat dissipation through convection. In selecting materials to be used for braking systems, insulators can be used to prevent heat from being conducted to the brake fluid. There are several advantages in using disc brake systems. First, disc brakes (mechanical or hydraulic) are able to generate much higher clamp forces than rim or other forms of brakes. Second, the interface between the brake pads and the rotor can be customized for maximum brake system performance. Disc brakes are made to thrive in harsh environments, with its location and materials used in manufacturing these systems. In addition to the protection from the environment, the location of the brake systems at the center of the wheel prevents out of true wheels from affecting the setup or performance of disc brakes. Because of these, safety is assured when it matters most. The other potential symptom of a failed fan clutch, is when it draws the air at a very high rate. Because of this, the heating system blows out lukewarm air and does not generate enough hot air for the engine during cold weather. Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_173267_31.html About the Author:
return to article
