AKEBONO REPORT 2012

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AKEBONO REPORT 2012 Akebono Brake Industry Co. Ltd. 37Weight Saving at the Level of a Tenth of One PercentFrom 2007 Akebono is providing a braking system to the “VodafoneMcLaren Mercedes” Grand Prix racing team as an Official Supplier. Tomeet McLaren’s uncompromising demands we have been exhaustivelypursuing weight savings to the level of a tenth of one percent alongwith high rigidity greater cooling capability high reliability and stablebraking performance. We succeeded in realizing a braking system thatboasts the highest level of achievement with regard to all these considerationsby utilizing our originally developed mechanisms materialsand surface-finishing methods.The know-how we obtain from the development of braking systemsfor such vehicles as Grand Prix racing cars is reflected in our designsfor mass production. In fact the fuel efficiency of mass-productionautomobiles could be improved upon by adopting some weight-savingtechnology initially developed for a racing-oriented braking system where such savings are pursued to the one-gram level. This will eventuallyfacilitate energy savings for regular automobiles.Also the durability of brake products can be enhanced by applyingtechnology aimed at improving friction materials’ abrasion resistanceand ability to withstand high loads features of an endurance raceorientedbrake system. Therefore these developments also contribute toresource saving and enhance the environmental efficiency of products.Team members in charge of developing high-performance automobileoriented brake (from left; Kazuhiko Oishi Takashi Oshita DaisukeSeki and Junichi Nogiwa)Brake calipers and brake pads developed by Akebono have been adoptedfor the “McLaren MP4-12C GT3” racing car which is in the Federation ofInternational Automobiles (FIA) GT3 class. U.K.-based McLaren is the maindeveloper of this super car and one of the leading Grand Prix racing teamsin terms of history and accomplishments. Its cumulative know-how inGrand Prix racing has been thoroughly incorporated into this supercar. TheGT3 class comprises commercially available sports cars that have beenAkebono Products Adopted for the McLaren MP4-12C GT3TOPICSMcLaren MP4-12C GT3 Front caliper: six-piston monoblock caliper Rear caliper: four-piston monoblock caliperextensively modified by automotive manufacturers for racing. This class isbecoming extremely popular in Europe with races currently being held insix countries and broadcast all over the world. Total annual race attendanceis more than 100 000.* Private racing teams in Europe are going tobe provided with 20 MP4-12C GT3 cars and will be participating in theGT3 class racing from 2012.*Figure announced by FIA GT3 season review in 2011Mr. Martin Whitmarsh Representative of McLaren and Takashi Kudo Senior Managing Executive Officer of Akebono chatting at press conferencemarking the release of the MP4-12C GT3 (May 4 2011)Special Feature Social Repor t Environmental Repor t Economic Repor t Reference MaterialsMotor Sports?Exhaustively Pursuing Weight SavingsInitiatives at the Design and Development Stage

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