SBIR Phase II: Development of a Selectively Reinforced Aluminum Composite Brake Rotor

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目的重点是开发一个整体功能梯度混合（纤维/颗粒）增强铝合金基汽车制动转子。复合材料制动盘可减轻重量、提高制动性能并延长部件寿命。目前市场上的复合材料转子具有成本障碍，这限制了在高产量车辆平台上的大规模生产。该项目将有助于部署一个单件，混合增强转子。 这些转子将在制动表面和宏观界面上采用功能增强梯度（FRG）技术。技术开发工作需要解决与我们的挤压铸造工艺、模具和预成型件设计的开发相关的挑战，并控制上述表面和界面的微观结构/性能。拟议的工作将扩展目前最先进的一维FRG技术的高阶梯度，具体到车辆应用的通风单件转子。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力包括提高所有运输车辆的质量效率。该项目的研究结果将解决数十亿美元的汽车制动器市场，但也可以在多个其他车辆平台上利用。 该技术还可用于结构和传动系统应用，进一步提高燃油效率，减少燃油排放，并降低车辆部件的生命周期成本。军事和卡车运输等辅助市场的复合材料部件也将受益于FRG技术的材料特性定制。提高军用车辆的灵活性，减少战区内的操作/维护成本，以及减少8级车辆的滚动重量是实现项目效益的例子。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is focused on developing a one-piece functionally graded hybrid (fiber/particle) reinforced aluminum alloy matrix automobile brake rotor. Composite brake rotors offer increased weight savings, higher braking performance, and increased component life. Current composite rotors on the market have a cost barrier, which limits mass production on high-production vehicle platforms. This project will assist in the deployment of a one-piece, hybrid reinforced rotor. These rotors will utilize functional reinforcement gradient (FRG) technology across the braking surface and macro-interfaces. The technology development work requires addressing challenges related to the development of our squeeze casting process, die and preform design, and controlling the microstructure/properties of the aforementioned surfaces and interfaces. The proposed work will extend the current state of the art one-dimensional FRG technology to a higher-order gradient, specific to a vented one-piece rotor for a vehicle application. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project includes increased mass efficiency in all transportation vehicles. The project findings will address a multi-billion dollar automotive brake market but also can be leveraged across multiple other vehicle platforms. The technology can be also used in both structural and drivetrain applications further increasing fuel efficiency, reducing fuel emissions, and reducing lifecycle costs of vehicular components. Composite components in ancillary markets such as the military and trucking will also benefit from the customizability of material properties with the FRG technology. Increasing the agility of military vehicles for the Warfighter, reduction of in-theatre operating/maintenance costs, and rolling weight reduction in class 8 vehicles are examples of realized project benefits.