Germany – The Active and Passive Safety division of ZF has announced that it is celebrating the “first-ever disc brake industry milestone”, after making the one billionth calliper of the Colette design family. The company estimates that over half of all cars globally are now fitted with this type of calliper.
“No other disc brake design has reached such widespread acceptance on world roadways and today disc brakes are recognised as the most efficient method of stopping light vehicles,” said Manfred Meyer, vice-president, global brake engineering at ZF TRW.
In 1991, ZF debuted its ball-in-ramp rear calliper with integrated park brake, which has helped to convert vehicles in the C segment and above to full disc brake technology. Ten years later, the company introduced the electric park brake with a motor-on-calliper design, a pioneering step towards brake-by-wire and the level of integration required for advanced safety systems.
Disc brake technology has also progressed in terms of materials, with lightweight alternatives such as aluminium now used in ‘zero-drag’ systems which minimise friction between the calliper and rotor during non-braking use.
“Furthermore, advanced braking will be one of the key enablers of automated driving, and together with its broader portfolio and systems integration expertise, ZF TRW is ideally placed to drive this megatrend forward,” added Meyer.