Stop the Squeal: Why Infrared is the Secret to Better Brake Pads
Ever wonder why some brake pads just won’t stop squealing? Most of the time, it’s a curing problem. When you use a standard convection oven, you’re basically baking the pad from the outside in. The surface hardens quickly, creating a “skin” that traps moisture and gases inside. It’s like baking a cake that rises too fast—you end up with internal stress and weird density spots. When that pad hits a rotor, those inconsistencies vibrate. And that vibration is exactly what you hear as that annoying high-pitched scream. The IR Difference This is where shortwave infrared (IR) comes in. Instead of blowing hot air around, IR sends energy straight into the material. Think of it like the sun hitting your skin on a cold day. It doesn’t just warm the air; it warms you. The photons dive deep into the bonding layer, heating the core and the surface at the same time. Because everything cures at the same rate, the phenolic resin sets evenly across the whole part. Getting the Heat Just Right You can’t just throw some lamps at the pads and hope for the best. You need real power density. We set these heaters to hit very specific temperature ramps. By tweaking the wavelength, we make sure the material actually absorbs the heat. This keeps the center from staying raw while the outside scorches. The result? The material shrinks evenly. This means the bond between the friction stuff and the steel plate is tight. No gaps. No peeling. Just a solid piece of hardware. The Trade-off Now, here’s the catch. IR is fast. Like, really fast. It cuts your cure times way down compared to those old gas ovens, but it’s aggressive. If your conveyor belt is off by even a few seconds, you’ll over-cure the edges. You have to be obsessive about calibrating your sensors and belt speed to match what the emitters are putting out. Getting this into your existing line is pretty simple. Just make sure your power supply can handle the initial surge when those lamps kick on. Once you’ve dialed it in, you stop guessing and start getting a consistent part every single time.