5/8/2017 Monoblocvs2pcCalipers

ByCarrollSmith

Theautomotivebrakecaliperhasabasicproblem.ThethingisnecessarilyshapedliketheletterCwiththeforceofthepistonsexertedonthetopandbottomoftheletter.Thisforcespreadsthecaliperapartlikeopeningabook.Theresultisthatsome
oftheforcegeneratedbythefootpedalandmastercylinder(s)isusedup(wasted,actually)inspreadingthecaliper.Theinevitableresultsareincreasedpedaltravelandtaperedpadwear.Caliperdesignersspendalotoftimetryingtominimizethis
deflection.Theproblemisthatthereisn'tmuchroomforthebridgethatconnectstheinboardandoutboardhalvesofthecaliperjustaboutlikeaclamshell.Wewillnotaddressthesinglepistonorslidingcaliper,whichIconsidertobeacrimeagainst
nature.

Someadvertisingishypingthemonobloc(i.e.machinedfrombillet,cast,squeezeorsemisolidforgingorconventionallyforgedfromonepieceratherthantwohalvesboltedtogether)asthefinalanswertobrakingproblems.Maybe,maybenotbutfirst
letslookatsomehistory.

ThemonobloctodayisaproductoftheageofCAD/CAMmanufacturing,FiniteElementAnalysis(FEA)andveryeffectivemarketing.

Opposedpistoncalipersmadefromcastiron,inwhichwehavelittleifanyinteresthere,havealwaysbeentwopieceassemblies.Thematerialitselfisstiffenoughthat,alwaysassumingabasicallycompetentmechanicaldesign,caliperflexisusuallynot
aproblem.

ThefirstlightweightAluminumracingcalipersweremadebyGirlingthetwopistonAR,BRandCRseriesintroducedintheearly1960s.Theyweremachinedfromasinglecastingwiththepistonboresmachinedclearthroughonesidefromthebackand
uptothepistonlengthintotheother.Thethroughholesinthebackwereclosedwithscrewinplugsandseals.Thebridgesectionwasrelativelythin.Duetothelowcoefficientoffrictionbetweenthepadsandtherotors,thelinepressuresofthedaywere
prettyhighandthecalipersflexedgivingalessthanoptimumpedalfeelandtaperedpadwear.Welivedwithitbecausewehadtoandthatmaybewhenthemyththatalongbrakepedalaidsmodulationbegan.

OverthenexttwentyyearsorsobothGirlingandAutomotiveProducts(AP)developedimprovedonepiecelightalloycaliperswithmorepistonsandstifferbridges.Theywereadequateuntilaerodynamicdownloadtookaquantumleapwiththe
developmentofgroundeffectsinthelate1970s.Whilethecoefficientoffrictionbetweenthepadsandthediscsdidnotmateriallyincrease,thecoefficientbetweenthetireandthetrackdid.Brakingdistancesshorteneddramatically.

Thesameamountofheatthathadcausedproblemsbeforegroundeffectswasnowgeneratedinamuchshortertime.Theneedforincreasedheatsinkmassandradiantsurfaceareamadeitimperativetomaximizediscdiameterwhichreducedthe
spaceavailableforcaliperbridgesinsideofwheels.Caliperdeflectionbecameaseriousproblem.Thesolutionwasthetwopiececaliperwithsteelboltsinclosefittingholestostiffentheassembly.Thelocationoftheboltsisalsocriticaltotheoverall
stiffnessoftheunit.Locatingthemlowerneartothepistoncenterlineresultsinlessdeflection.

Asapointofacademicinterestthereisnoadvantagetousinganextremelyhightensileboltinthisapplicationagain,wearelookingforstiffness,notstrength.Stiffnessisafunctionofthematerial'smodulusofelasticityandallsteelshavethesame
elasticmodulus(about207gigapascalspercubicmillimeterorGpa.Theuseofmetricunitswillmakesensebelowwhenwegettorulemakinginracing).Thereisalsonoadvantagetousinganutonthethreadedendofthebolt.Assumingsufficientthread
engagement(andgoodthreads)aboltscrewedintothethreadedcaliperhalfwithoptimumpreloadisjustasgoodasanutandboltsystem.

Thecoefficientoffrictionbetweenpadandrotorwasdramaticallyincreasedbythedevelopmentofthecarbonmetallicbrakepadforcastironrotorsandthealmostsimultaneousdevelopmentofthecarboncarbonbrakingsystemwithaboutthesame
coefficientbutafractionofthemass.Multipiston(uptosix)caliperswithstaggeredpistondiameterswerequicklydeveloped.Multiplecalipersonthesamediscalsomadeashortlivedappearanceinracing.Thisstrategyinanotherformisnowonlyseen
inafewstreetcalipertypeswithmultiplepadsetsanduptoeightpistonsinasingleassembly.Inthiscasetheoriginalmultiplecaliperlayoutwasbetterbecausethelongunsupportedflanksofmultiplepadsetcaliperdesignsaccentuatethecaliperflex
problem.Sixpistonsisapracticallimitforastiffassemblyandawelldesignedfourpistoncaliperswillalwaysflexlessforagivenpistonareathanasixpistonsimilarlywelldesignedforthesamewheelclearance.

Aluminumforgingsaresignificantlystrongerthancastingsbutnotnecessarilystifferandtherewerefewcustomerswhowantedtoultimatelypayforthecomplexdiesnecessarytoproducedifferentcalipersizesandconfigurationsasforgingsofexotic
alloys.ThenwiththeadventofthemultiaxisCNCmillingmachine,itbecamepossibletoproducemonobloccalipersfromsolidbilletsofAluminumbymachiningthepistonboresfromthecenterwindow,eliminatingthenecessityforforgingdies(andfor
thetroublesomescrewedinplugs).

AboutthesametimeFiniteElementAnalysissoftwarebecamegenerallyavailable.WhileFEAisstillaworkinprogressandeveryprogramrequiressomeamountofcalibrationtosuittheindividualapplication,thetechniqueallowsveryaccuratemodeling
ofaprospectivedesignundertheexpectedoperatingconditionsofstressandtemperature.Themodelidentifiesareasofhighandlowstressallowingthedesignertoiterativelyreducemassbycarvingawaytheareasoflowstressandtosimultaneously
adddesignstiffnessbymodifyingtheshapeorthecrosssectionofthehighlystressedareas.FEAmustbevalidatedbyphysicaltesting,butusedproperly,theprogramscangenerateveryefficientdesignsintermofmasstostiffnessandmasstostrength
ratios.However,themodulusofelasticityofAluminumisonlyabout71Gpa.Equalto10.3x106psianditisverydifficulttoarriveatabridgedesignthatissufficientlystiffwhileleavingroomforalargediameterrotor.

AbigstepwasthedevelopmentofMetalMatrixAluminum(MMC)compositematerialswithamodulusofabout135GpatwicethestiffnessofAluminum.AluminumBerylliumalloyswithamodulusof192Gpaarestifferyetthreetimesthestiffnessof
Aluminumandnearlythesameassteel.BothofthesealuminumalloysretainahighdegreeoftheiroriginalstrengthatelevatedtemperatureswhichisalotmorethancanbesaidaboutAluminum.Awholenewgenerationofverystiff,verystrong,very
light,andveryexpensivecalipersarrivedinFormulaOneandWorldSportsCarstheonlyplayerswhocouldaffordthem.ThesofarfruitlesseffortstoreducethecostofracingatthetophavenowoutlawedAluminumBerylliumandmostofthe
Aluminummetalmatrixcompositessimplybyspecifyingamaximummodulusofelasticityof80Gpa(there'sthetiein.Stillaverysignificant13%greaterthanthatofAluminum).InFormulaOneextensiveiterativeFEAworkhasrecoveredabout30%of
thestiffnessthroughdesign.Sincethemeasuringtechniquesfordeterminingthemodulusdon'trepeatverywelltherearealsoallsortsoffunandgamesgoingonbetweenthemanufacturersandtheFIAbutthatdoesn'tconcernushere.

WhathashappenedisthattheFEAtechniquespioneeredintheoldcostnoobjectdaysofFormulaOnehavebeenappliedtosomeaftermarketandproductioncalipers.Inthecaseofmonoblocdesignsmadefrombillet,oncethemachinetoolshavebeen
paidfor,monobloccalipersmayactuallybecheapertoproducethantwopieceunits.Thentherearenewlydevelopedhighvolumeproductionmethodswheremonobloccalipersaremadefromnearnetshapedsqueezeorsemisolidforgings,again
finishedbymachiningthepistonboresfromthecenterwindow.Asinthecaseofbillet,inthecaseofdesignsmadefromsqueezeorsemisolidforgings,oncethefoundrytoolingandmachinetoolshavebeenpaidfor,monobloccalipersaredefinitely
cheapertoproduce.ThecurrentgenerationofMonoblocaftermarketcalipersfromthereputablemanufacturersareatbestonlyaboutasstiffasconventionaltwopieceunitsatambienttemperature.

Thereisarub.Brakecalipers,especiallythoseattachedtoharddrivenhighperformancevehicles,donotoperateatambienttemperature.Caliperoperatingtemperaturescananddooftenexceed300degreesFonhighperformancestreetvehicles.at
whichpointtheAluminumbridgeofthemonoblochaslostmorethanhalfofitsstrengthwhilethesteelboltsinatwopieceunitareunfazed.Infact,steelisessentiallyunaffecteduntilaround200degreesFwhereitbeginstogaininstrength.Steelgains
25to32percentinstrengthwhenitpeaksatabout400degreesF.WearealsoseeingdesignsforproductionlikeanotheroldGirlingdesigncalledthefourpiececaliper(early70'sterribleflexingproblems)returningwherethebridgesaremadeofsteel
andincorporatedintothemountingbracketinsteadofAluminumforjustthisreason.InthisdesignthepistonsarecarriedintwoAluminumbodiesboltedoneachsideofthebridges.Thistype,withallfourpiecesinAluminumbutheavilyribbedforcooling
wasalsothedesignofthefirstPorscheTurbocaliper(midtolate70's).

Themechanicalpropertiesofsomealuminumalloysusedincaliperproductionatdifferenttemperatureareshownintable1thru3.

Table1DataforpermanentmoldcastingsmadefromAluminumA356.0T61(72
Gpa).

TestTemperature(o UltimateStrength YieldStrength Elongation(typical,
F) (ksi) (ksi) %)
75 41 30 10
212 32 27 12
300 21 17 1530
400 12 9 1840

Table2Dataforpartsmadebysqueezemoldingorsemisolidforgingusing
AluminumA356.2T6(72Gpa).

TestTemperature(o UltimateStrength YieldStrength Elongation(typical,
F) (ksi) (ksi) %)
75 45 33 12
212 33 30 14
300 23 19 1835
400 13 10 2045

Table3DataforpartsmadefromforgingsorfrombilletAluminum7075T73
(71Gpa).

TestTemperature(o UltimateStrength YieldStrength Elongation(typical,
F) (ksi) (ksi) %)
75 70 60 13
212 63 58 15
300 31 27 2030
400 16 13 2255
Sowhatdoesitallmean????Caliperperformancecharacteristicsdependonmaterialstrengthandacombinationofdesignandmaterialstiffness.Themonobloccaliperarchitecturedesignedtobemadefromaverystrongandverystiffmaterialwillnot
deliverthesamelevelofperformancewhenmadefrommorecommonproductionmaterials.

ItmeansthataftermarketmonoblocshavesignificantlylessstrengthandstiffnessthanthecurrentFormulaOneunitsletalonetheunobtaniumonesofdaysgoneby.Itmeans,ifyouwanttospendalotmoremoneyforagoodmonoblocracingcaliper,if
ithappenstobeavailablewithpistonareasthatsuityourcar,youcanhaveatrickmonobloccaliperthatwillalmostcertainlyflexmorethananoptimumtwopieceunitandisafewounceslighter.Italsomeans,ifyouareabletouseamonobloccaliper
designedforaproductionapplicationmadeeitherbysqueezeorsemisolidforging,costmightbecomparablebutanyclaimofthembeingintrinsicallybetterthanawelldesignedtwopiececaliperwithboltsissimplynottrue.Itispuremarketinghype
whenacommerciallyavailablemonbloccaliper,wherethemanufacturingstrategywasaimedatreducingcoststoproduceafixedmultipistondesign,isrepresentedasbetterthaneveryotherdesignintheaftermarket.

Tofurthermakethepoint,iftherewerenoqualifierslikecostorsomesanctioningbodyrule,theoptimumcaliperarrangementarguablywouldbeamonoblocdesignbutwithsteelbridgeboltsinstalledandareenforcedwindow.Me?I'dratherusethe
bestdesignedtwopieceunits,madefromsqueezeorsemisolidforgingscorrectlysizedformyapplication,havethefirmestbrakepedalthatIcangetandspendtheextramoneyonsomethingtomakemycarhandlebetterlikeshocks.

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