Fusion brakes
Fusion Brakes
Ceramic Brake Rotors
Thermal, Fluid (CFD)Structural Analyses (FEA)
About the Project
How do you make sure a fast vehicle comes to a safe stop?
Innovative mechanical design informed by careful analysis.
The Challenge
Fast cars need to stop, and the thermal loads created by high-performance brakes requires a high-performance solution. Ceramic brake rotors can withstand remarkable braking loads and can provide a significant improvement over metallic solutions. However, attaching the rotor to the wheel’s metallic structure is a complex challenge, and improper techniques and components can lead to catastrophic failure.
Our Approach
Leveraging over 30 years of in-house fluid dynamics expertise, our mechanical team modelled a complex flow field around the brake rotors. We used computational fluid dynamics to predict the thermal mismatches that occur during heavy braking, and then we used finite element analyses to size and specify the components and fasteners to maintain a uniform clamping pressure on the ceramic rotors.
The Result
Properly sized and torqued fasteners in conjunction with updated spring clips keep high-performance cars on track, and drivers can trust the brakes to respond safely. We used our expertise in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to deliver an innovative solution to a dangerous problem.
