AKEBONO REPORT 2012

40/68

38 AKEBONO REPORT 2012 Akebono Brake Industry Co. Ltd.Industry’s First Ferritic Nitro-Carburizing Rotor Is Introduced in NorthAmerican MarketIn North America car dealerships holdlarge inventories of vehicles displayingthem in their open-air lots so that afterinspecting the actual vehicles in person the buyers can take their new purchaseswith them. This means thatsome cars can be sitting on a lot formonths which can cause corrosion ofthe brake rotor surface resulting in brake roughness noise andvibration.Addressing this issue Akebono launched working groups inNorth America and Japan in 2010 and devoted significant effort tothe development of FNC* technology. As a result in December2012 Akebono completed the development of FNC treated discbrake rotors becoming the first brake manufacturer to have FNCmass-production capabilities. The supply of FNC rotors in the UnitedStates is planned to begin in 2012.The FNC process is a surface treatment that improves corrosionresistance and wear performance. In fact the corrosion resistanceof the treated rotors is expected to be nearly five times that ofuntreated rotors.In addition the treatment boosts both fatigue and heat resistance thereby strengthening the wear performance of rotors and ultimatelyraising overall braking performance. Another benefit is adecrease in the volume of dust generated by friction increasing thedurability of rotors and the appearance of wheels. The treatmentthus adds value while contributing to resource saving as well asreduction of environmental load caused by such dust.* Ferritic Nitro-carburizingIn our Caliper Design Workgroup 11 associates strive for excellence indesign as well as greater weight savings. The workgroup mainly consistsyoung engineers in their 20s and their fresh sensibility is fully utilized. Weare looking to achieve innovative leaps that can be applied to the massproduction of calipers and our members are from such wide-ranging functionalitiesas R&D production engineering and sales. In 2011 we presentedfour distinct types of calipers at the Tokyo Motor Show 2011.Development of Lightweight CalipersTOPICSFNC finished rotor●FNC Working Group in North America●Associates in the FNC Working Group in JapanKatsuji SekiMakoto OhtaYoshiyuki SugaiTakuya TakadaMembers of Caliper Design Workgroup: (from left) Yuki Kaitani Ryota Kobayashi Shota Wada and Yoshihiro HirataCaliper for high-performance vehicles:6-pot aluminum monoblock caliperCaliper for high-performance vehicles:6-pot aluminum monoblock caliper(with a truss type structure)Caliper for mass-produced vehicles:1-pot aluminum floating caliperCaliper for mid-range performancevehicles: 4-pot aluminum monoblockcaliper“FNC also enhances product value byhelping to maintain appearance. I wouldlike to hear people saying ‘When itcomes to FNC you should ask Akebono.”“The problems originating in the naturalenvironment around us that cause corrosioncould not be solved only with developmentof new friction materials but weeventually prevailed.”“We developed FNC treatment ahead ofother companies in the sector. We willgrow it into a big business.”“Although FNC is still new technology we are going to utilize it in broaderapplications as peripheral technology.”The Development of New Products and TechnologiesInitiatives at the Design and Development Stage

※このページを正しく表示するにはFlashPlayer9以上が必要です