TMD Friction lauded for leading European brake friction material market

Based on its recent analysis of the original equipment brake friction material market, consultants Frost & Sullivan has recognised TMD Friction with the 2015 European Frost & Sullivan Award for Customer Value Leadership.

TMD Friction has leveraged over 135 years of experience in the market to create the right type of friction materials for any given application and vehicle type, at the right price point. Its collaborations with different original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) across the market have gone a long way in improving its performance and simultaneously, lowering costs.

“Due to the higher average speed in Europe, OEMs prefer high-performance brake pads that are also noise-free and long lasting. TMD Friction meets these demands with a wide variety of products that are optimally designed to cater to specific types of vehicles and applications,” said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Kamalesh Mohanarangam.

“Although its competitors focus on improving the costs and noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) characteristics, they tend to wear out sooner, and do not match the performance of TMD Friction’s products at higher speeds.”

In order to develop the right type of brake pads, TMD Friction has established a benchmark Product Development and Implementation Process (PDIP) that effectively involves the Tier 1 supplier as well as the OEM at every stage of the development process.

In the initial stages, the friction material is developed after analysing the OEM’s and vehicle’s DNA. Then the material is selected and a small number of brake pads – optimized by using TMD Friction developed computer simulation algorithms – are sent for technical approval, after which, the series production begins. Owing to this well thought-out strategy of partnering with the customer, TMD Friction for instance has become the major supplier of rear-axle brake pads and a supplier of front-axle brake pads for the BMW’s 5 Series model.

TMD Friction has created a product portfolio for both passenger cars and commercial vehicles world-wide with a long list of distinctive solutions due to its continuous investment in R&D. Its range of products spans various segments, including low-cost OEMs such as Dacia, luxurious OEMs like Bentley, and high-performance OEMs such as Ferrari or Bugatti. Besides, TMD Friction enjoys the reputation of being the first manufacturer to have homologated copper-free brake pads in OE for high-performance vehicles.