Brake Pad Surface Topography Part II: Squeal Generation and Prevention

Fugitive nature of disc brake squeal makes the problem even more difficult to tackle. The root cause of this nature is still under investigation. There has been little quantitative research into this fugitive behaviour.

This paper studies the effect of brake pad surface topographies on the fugitive nature of squeal. A finite element model of a disc brake is developed and validated through modal analysis and contact analysis. The complex eigenvalue analysis available in a commercial software package is performed. A comparison in squeal generation is made for different pad surface topographies.

The paper also simulates several structural modifications for squeal prevention. A plausible modification that results in reduced positive real parts of the eigenvalues is proposed. In the end, a root cause of fugitive nature of brake squeal is suggested.