Experimental Identification of Brake Pad Material Properties—A Step Towards a Better Prediction of Brake Squeal

Automotive brake squeal is a disruptive high frequency sound radiation phenomenon generated by friction‐induced self‐excited vibrations of the brake system. The brake system loses its stability and starts oscillating in a limit cycle with amplitudes limited by nonlinearities, the main origin of the nonlinearities being brake lining material. In order to perform a reliable brake squeal prediction using established mathematical‐mechanical models, the knowledge of the lining material properties is of great importance. The present paper deals with the experimental identification of lining material properties, expecially referring to the elastic properties. Since these strongly vary depending on the operating conditions of brake systems, it is necessary to reproduce the operating conditions during brake squeal as close as possible in experimental setups. In this context a special test rig, the test data evaluation and the experimentally determined nonlinear elastic brake lining properties are presented. Assuming these brake lining properties to be the prominent source of the nonlinearity, a nonlinear stability analysis is performed on a realistic disk brake model. The results referring to brake squeal are discussed, whereas basic phenomena known from operating experience of brake systems can be explained on the basis of this analysis.