Dynamometer Represents $1.5 Million Investment In Testing For Brake Manufacturer

To expand its testing capabilities, Fras-le North America Inc., one of the largest friction material manufacturers in the world, has purchased a new brake NVH dynamometer from Link Engineering Company.

The approximately $1.5 million dollar investment by Fras-le distinguishes the company as the first friction manufacturer that owns a dynamometer with a test chamber of such a large size, says the company. The size of the chamber allows Fras-le to fit a full axle of a pickup truck inside for testing, whereas only corner axle testing is possible with smaller dynamometers.

Fras-le’s new dynamometer, for light- and medium-duty vehicle testing, is designed to reproduce actual vehicle road conditions and will test for durability, wear, performance, and NVH. The new large chamber also enables Fras-le to test for environmental control by reproducing many different humidity and temperature differences and to conduct enhanced noise testing. The new dynamometer is located in Link Engineering’s Dearborn, Mich. facility, which is near Fras-le’s North American headquarters in Northville, Mich.

“Fras-le produces original equipment and aftermarket friction materials with the quality required by the major vehicle manufacturers worldwide,” said Rodrigo Meirelles, Fras-le North America’s vice president and general manager. “The new dyno, with the larger chamber, continues Fras-le’s efforts to expand and invest in our U.S. operations and gives us greatly enhanced capabilities to better serve the needs of our customers.”