Bendix reman brake shoe production tops 4 millions units

In less than four years, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems’ remanufactured brake shoe operation has topped the 4-million-unit production milestone

May 24, 2016

2 min read

Trucker 666 Bendix Reman Brakes Production

In less than four years, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems’ remanufactured brake shoe operation has topped the 4-million-unit production milestone. Bendix’s rate of production has steadily increased to meet growing demand from owner-operators and fleets wishing to maintain the quality, performance, and compliance of their Reduced Stopping Distance (RSD) brakes when replacing shoes, while optimizing value, the company says.

Bendix began serial production of reman brake shoes at its 74,000-square-foot Huntington, IN facility in the fall of 2012. The facility handles the complete salvage, coining, and assembly processes that make up start-to-finish brake shoe remanufacturing in Huntington.

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“The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s RSD mandate, which took full effect in 2013, ushered in a new era of stopping requirements for drum brakes. In servicing these brakes, more and more vehicle operators are choosing RSD-compliant remanufactured shoes from a trusted original equipment supplier to preserve that high level of safety,” said Keith McComsey, Bendix director of wheel-end marketing and customer solutions. “Bendix achieves OE quality in our reman brake shoes by bringing them back to full OE specifications, rather than just relining them. Shoes remanufactured in this way deliver the durability, reliability, safety, performance, and extended lining life expected of original equipment – and needed for operators to compete in today’s industry.”

Unlike the majority of brake shoe reliners, Bendix coins 100 percent of its brake shoes to return the shoe to OE geometry so it will perform as designed by OE engineers. The Bendix coining process uses a 1,000-ton coining press, which applies the full tonnage needed to return a shoe to its proper shape and OE specifications. This crucial step corrects deformities caused by force and temperature changes during its previous life. Without this step, a reman brake shoe will not have the correct geometry to provide full drum contact, stopping power, and even wear – regardless if it is relined with new friction.

“Our customers are clear on what they need in a reman brake shoe – it must maximize safety and performance by resisting premature lining wear and rustjacking to provide full service life. Bendix remains intently focused on meeting this need,” said Earl Brown, product manager, Reman Brake Shoes, Bendix.