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Chapters written by professional and academic experts in the field cover: analytical modeling and analysis, CEA modeling and numerical methods, techniques for dynamometer and road test evaluation, critical parameters that contribute to brake squeal, robust design processes to reduce/prevent brake squeal via up-front design, and more.

The modal characteristics of a brake pad are important factors affecting brake squeal. The most frequently used counter-measures for eliminating or reducing squeal, especially at high frequency, are the modification of: the modal frequencies, damping, contact modal shapes or patterns of a pad by making a chamfer or slot, or selecting a different under-layer, lining material or insulator. This paper describes the development of the methods for the measurement of pad modal characteristics such as modal damping, frequency and contact mode shape. It provides comparison among three methods: accelerometer-hammer, laser-hammer, and laser/non-contact shaker with test data and CAE simulation. Subsequently, laser/non-contact shaker was used to evaluate the process capability of pad manufacturing in terms of modal damping and natural frequency. This method was also employed to investigate the effect of pad chamfer, under-layer and the insulator on pad modal characteristics.

The objective of this paper is to develop a test capable of ranking lift-gates based on strain concentration levels reflected in fringe characteristics in the known stress/strain concentration and fracture vicinity. First, the system (lift gate glass, adhesive and appliqué) is chosen as test sample since the subsystem (local appliqué) does not exhibit the failure mode observed in the field test. Subsequently, it has been identified that the thermal component (rather than mechanical) is the predominant load by laser scanning vibrometry and confirmed via field test data. Next, digital shearography has been selected as the measurement and visualization tool of strain distribution due to its various advantages such as full field view and non-contact advantages. Finally, the test method has been applied to rank and optimize the structural configuration around appliqués' to reduce / eliminate failure.

This paper proposes a direct nanometer measurement method using the technique of high magnification diffraction imaging. The principles of employing both gratings and speckles are described, in which the illumination distances that generate high magnified and focused images are discussed along with demonstration test results. In addition, the potential extension to sub-nanometer displacement measurement is discussed.

This paper provides measurement and analysis on rotor in-plane mode induced squeal. Methodology is presented to simultaneously acquire both temporal and spatial squeal operational deflection shapes (ODS). Rotor accelerations both in the in-plane and out-of-plane directions were measured during squeal along with rotor's normal ODS using a laser vibrometer. Modal measurement and analysis of the rotor and pad in the in-plane and out-of-plane directions were conducted as installed in system condition. The test results indicating rotor modal coupling in the in-plane are provided, and out-of-plane directions, and conclusions on in-plane mode induced squeal are proposed. In addition, the countermeasure for squeal reduction is discussed.

Disc brake squeal is a manifestation of the friction-induced self-excited instability of the brake system. One of known techniques in suppressing dynamic instabilities in nonlinear systems is by applying dither. The focus of this paper is to examine, through numerical examples, the feasibility and effects of dither on nonlinear systems as a means of quenching large-amplitude limit cycles. In particular, various ways of introducing the dither, either via modifications of the system characteristics or as external excitation, are explored. The investigation is extended to a disc brake system using finite elements simulations. Numerical results show that large-amplitude vibrations can be suppressed by dither and careful tuning of the amplitude and frequency of the dither can result in an effective quenching. The potential application of this technique to disc brake squeal control is also discussed.

This paper as part IV of a series articles first very briefly reviews squeal generation process in terms of energy transfer. A squeal reduction and prevention cascade chart including various contribute elements is formed. Subsequently, variation ranges of some key parameters of brake components and system due to manufacturing processes and operational/usage condition changes are given. Design concept of a broad stable and less vibration brake system is proposed and addressed in light of these variations. Robust design criteria and strategies are discussed. Design tools and methods are summarized. At last, some application examples are provided.

This article, as part III of a series, briefly reviews some of the representative literature on brake squeal testing and evaluation. It discusses the potential influence of variation within brake components and operational conditions on brake squeal dynamometer tests and their correlation to vehicle road tests. Roles and challenges of component/system parameter measurements such as brake pad damping, disc rotor in-plane mode and friction induced vibration characteristics, friction coefficient, moisture absorption and elastic constants of lining material, and contact stiffness are addressed. An application example of a reliability method to assure dynamometer test results are statistically significant is presented. The advantages of using laser metrology are also briefly described, especially the measurement of 3D squeal operational deflection shape. Lastly, general future research directions are outlined.

This paper reviews the state of the art of CAE simulation and analysis methods on disc brake squeal. It covers complex modes analysis, transient analysis, parametrical analysis, and operational simulation. The advantages and limitations of each analysis method are discussed. This review can help analysts to choose right methods and decide new lines of method development. For completeness, analytic methods dealing with continuum models are also briefly covered. This review was made from those papers that the authors are familiar with. It is not meant to be all-inclusive even though the best possible effort has been attempted.

The understanding, prediction and prevention of brake squeal is a difficult and challenging problem because of the large number of design variables involved in a complex brake system and many operational and environmental conditions under which squeal may occur. The design variables may have different optimal values and different contribution trends for different brake systems. Since the 1930's, much progress has been made in gaining physical insight into brake squeal mechanisms and causes, and brakes have become quieter. However, the recurring occurrence of disc brake squeal indicates that our understanding of the phenomenon is both insufficient and incomplete, and that brake squeal is still a quality issue in the automotive industry and its prevention is far from reality. Part I of this series of articles first reviews the various hypotheses put forth for brake squeal mechanisms and causes.

Experimental verification is an important approach for understanding the mechanisms of disc brake squeal. One mechanism of disc brake squeal, i.e., coupling of in-plane and out-of-plane vibration modes of disc brake rotor, was found by experiments. Despite the vast amount of experimental data available, little effort has been dedicated to exploring what the time series information can reveal in relevance to squeal. In this paper, a new signal processing tool employing the Empirical Mode Decomposition Method (EMD) and its application to the identification of the characteristics of disc brake squeal will be discussed. The EMD was originally developed for ocean wave mechanics [1] and is particularly useful for the type of non-stationary data found in disc brake squeal. EMD is a time series analysis method that extracts a set of basis functions describing the fundamental characteristics of the response of a system.

Brake squeal noise is a top warranty concernsmplaints for virtually all automotive companies. How to identify squeal frequencies and mode shapes is typically very challenging. The identification of potential squeal problems still rely heavily on experimental methods using inertia and chassis dynamometers or on-road tests, but these require hardware to run. Good numerical methods have advantages of evaluating up-front designs before the cutting tools ever hit any metal. But for brake squeal, there are still many challenges to overcome to correctly model a complete brake system due to the nature of the complexity of the frictional excitation. In this paper, a disc brake system model was established to simulate brake squeal using nonlinear transient analysis methods provided through LS-DYNA. The model includes rotor, pads, linings, caliper and pistons. From the example analyzed, the squeal frequency is identified using frequency domain analysis of the numerical time-domain output.

More evidence has been found that rotor in-plane mode(s) and out-of-plane mode(s) alignment and coupling are the primary and inherent root cause for a disc brake to generate squeal at high frequencies. Eight different vehicles with different rotors have been tested considering known squeals. It has been found that the squeal frequencies are at the rotor in-plane mode(s) and out-of-plane mode(s) alignment and coupling frequencies. Rotor modal test results, vehicle squeal frequencies, and CAE operational simulation are presented.

This paper first gives a brief review on brake squeal mechanisms and then studies in-plane modes/friction process and their contribution to disc brake squeal. Pulsed laser electronic speckle pattern interferometry was used to acquire the operational deflection shape (ODS) of a disc brake when it was squealing. Laser vibrometry was used to obtain mode shapes of brake discs/rotors including both the out-of-plane (transverse) modes and in-plane (radial or tangential) modes. The rubbing friction process with a non-rotation rotor under a free-free boundary condition was used to simulate friction-induced vibration. The coupling between in-plane modes and out-of-plane modes/vibration is believed to be the key to produce squeal. The in-plane modes tend to control the squeal frequency, and the out-of-plane modes/vibration are efficient to generate noise. Many case studies have shown that high frequency disc brake squeal occurs at one or some of its rotor in-plane resonant frequencies.

This paper provides a systematic approach to identify the root cause of the squeal noise of a disc brake by using advanced experimental tools. Modal analysis was used to identify the modal participation factors when the brake was squealing according to the reproduced squeal phenomenon and acquired operational displacement shape (ODS) using pulsed electronic speckle pattern interferometry. Modal coupling between the disc and pad/caliper assembly is found to be the key to produce squeal. It has been demonstrated that using mass loading/damping can de-couple the modes between the disc and pad/caliper assembly and reduce the assembly vibration from which the squeal is eliminated.