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This work presents the modeling and investigation of the mechanical behavior of brake pad materials with high viscoelastic content, reinforced with particles and fibers. A simplified model is presented, with the purpose of prediction of the elastic modulus of this class of material. The model consists in the modification of the Rule of Mixtures, with the introduction of a term referring to the particle phase present in the composite material. It is introduced an alignment factor, in order to adjust the magnitude of orientation of the fibers in the stage of material compaction process. Also, the influence of the viscoelastic phase is modeled according to the percolation theory. Three standard brake pad materials with different viscoelastic contents were produced and tested. The composite materials produced were tested by three-point bending, in order to determine their mechanical properties.

The paper describes the experience of the Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC, Brazil, in the elaboration and the implementation of the Mobility Engineering Center. Aspects related to the project and the circumstances which led UFSC to create another center outside the main campus are presented. The main reason behind this venture is the great national demand for professionals in various field of Mobility Engineering, areas such as, automobilistic, railway, mechatronics, naval, aerospace and aeronautical, infrastructure and logistic engineering. All these specializations are concentrated in the new campus which is situated in the city of Joinville which is about 180 km from the main UFSC-campus. The lessons learned from the administrative and pedagogical experiences involved in the implementation of the new Center since 2009 are discussed. Other relevant aspects will also be presented.

This paper addresses the effect of environmental humidity and temperature on friction level and squeal noise propensity of friction materials when measured in dynamometers at laboratory controlled test conditions. The present work investigates the influence of the environment conditions on the result of noise and friction evaluation of friction material for disc brakes. The relationship among environmental conditions and squeal noise propensity has been studied before by a few authors [1] and is still an open issue when concerns to standard evaluation performed at laboratory controlled conditions. The effect of two main environmental properties for dynamometer testing, cooling air temperature (between 10 and 30°C) and humidity (between 25 to 85%), on friction level and noise were evaluated using a front disc brake. A test matrix, based on SAE J2521, was developed to adequately evaluate these two variables separately into a NVH environmental chamber equipped dynamometer.