Public and Private Bodies Ally to R&D Weight-saving Brake Module

Taipei, Aug. 8, 2008 (CENS)--Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), three private companies, and Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) of I-Shou University, recently signed an agreement to form an alliance to engage in R&D of weight-saving brake modules in Taiwan.

The alliance aims to further upgrade vehicular brake performance and quality as well as brake safety and industry competitiveness.

The three private makers in the alliance include Nan Hoang Traffic Instrument Co., Ltd., the largest friction-material and parts maker in Taiwan, V-Utmost Co., Ltd., a vacuum melting expert, and Angen Machine Mfg. Co., Ltd., a special-purpose machinery developer and maker.

A senior CSIST official pointed out that the alliance would focus on establishing and integrating the ceramic-base brake module development techniques on the island, in automotive and motorcycle applications, which is expected to shorten the production processes, cut costs, improve production environment, and localize such advanced techniques to upgrade product added-values.

Nan Hoang chairman Cheng Shou-long pointed out that in the cooperation scheme CSIST and I-Shou University would jointly develop production processes, product structures, and material-testing techniques, while the three private makers to provide high-level technical capability. The integrated strength is expected to further upgrade the technical level of local friction-material industry while enhance the innovation and transformation of local friction-material and vacuum machinery sectors.

Fred Cheng, president of Nan Hoang, claimed that conventional automotive brake discs are of cast iron, hence heavy and burden transportation cost. The new alliance is scheduled to utilize carbon-fiber material to produce discs and pads etc. Such brake modules weigh only one-fifth of the conventional counterparts, but last four to five times longer. The higher stability of ceramic material can also enable the advanced brake module to achieve better braking performance and comfort.

The three private companies in the alliance are all leading players of their kinds.