Since beginning serial production of remanufactured brake shoes in the fall of 2012, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC has made more than 7 million units. From its 74,000 sq.-ft. Huntington, Ind., facility, the company handles the complete salvage, coining and assembly processes that make up start-to-finish brake shoe remanufacturing, according to an announcement.
“When servicing [reduced stopping distance] drum brakes, more and more operators understand that RSD-compliant remanufactured shoes from a trusted original equipment (OE) supplier will allow them to maintain their high level of safety,” says Keith McComsey, Bendix director of wheel-end marketing and customer solutions. “To compete in the industry today, operators require remanufactured shoes that deliver the same durability, reliability, safety, performance and extended lining life of original equipment. To achieve this OE quality in our reman brake shoes, Bendix brings them back to full OE specifications. We don’t just reline them.”
Bendix’s friction portfolio, also engineered to meet the complete range of customers’ need for safety, performance and value, enhances the value of the company’s remanufactured brake shoes. Bendix continues to add new friction materials to its portfolio, with options ranging from economy and aftermarket frictions with improved wear (BA203) and featuring the RSD-certified aftermarket friction (BA202R), along with the recently released 23K RSD friction (BA232R).
Opened in 2012 and significantly expanded in 2014, the Bendix Remanufactured Shoe Center combines Bendix’s nearly 40 years’ experience in remanufacturing with Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake’s leadership in wheel-end solutions and brake shoe manufacturing, according to the company.
Bendix coins 100 percent of its brake shoes to return them to OE geometry so they will perform as designed by OE engineers. The Bendix coining process uses a 1,000-ton coining press, a machine that applies the full tonnage needed to return a shoe to its proper shape and OE specifications. This step corrects deformities caused by force and temperature changes during its previous service life that can leave a shoe “twisted,” preventing it from making full contact at the anchor pins and/or in the roller pockets at the S-cam.
When a coined shoe is paired with high flexural strength friction, along with a premium coating, it provides protection against rust jacking and cracked friction. Bendix reman shoes with OE friction are E-coated (electro deposition), and shoes equipped with Bendix Advanced or Basic friction feature Bendix PermaGuard coating. Finally, the assembly process uses the same riveting procedure employed for new Bendix OE shoes, ensuring correct lining attachment for maximum lining service, according to the company.
“We focus all of our attention on listening to our customers and meeting their needs,” McComsey says. “And they couldn’t be clearer on what they require in a reman brake shoe: It must resist premature lining wear and rust jacking to maximize safety and performance while providing full service life.”
