Fundamentals of Anti-shudder Durability: Part I - Clutch Plate Study

In automatic transmission technology development the degradation of paper friction plates has often been considered a major failure mechanism by which transmissions lose their anti-shudder characteristics. One of the most common degradation processes for paper friction plates is known as glazing. In this study, we focus on the relationship between friction plate glazing and anti-shudder durability in the Japanese Automobile Standards Organization (JASO) low velocity friction apparatus (LVFA) rig test following the procedure M349-98. We also investigate the impact of used friction plates and used oil on torque capacity durability as measured by an SAE No. 2 machine following the JASO procedure M348-95. We find that friction plate glazing has no correlation with anti-shudder durability. A completely glazed plate can have long anti-shudder durability but a barely glazed plate can have short anti-shudder durability. The basic reason for the lack of correlation is that friction plate glazing does not affect boundary friction coefficients. In almost all the cases studied, changes in fluid properties have a greater influence on boundary friction than does surface glazing.