In less than four years, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems’ remanufactured brake shoe operation has topped the 4-million-unit production milestone. Bendix says the company’s rate of production has steadily increased to meet growing demand from fleets and owner-operators wishing to maintain the quality, performance and compliance of their Reduced Stopping Distance (RSD) brakes when replacing shoes, while optimizing value.
Bendix began serial production of reman brake shoes at its 74,000-square-foot Huntington, Indiana, 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.
“The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s RSD mandate, which took full effect in 2013, ushered in a new era of stopping requirements (under FMVSS-121) for drum brakes. In servicing these brakes, more and more vehicle operators are choosing RSD-compliant remanufactured shoes from a trusted OE 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 are needed for operators to compete in today’s industry.”
The company says the value of Bendix remanufactured brake shoes is enhanced by its friction portfolio, which is designed to meet the complete range of customers’ needs for safety, performance and value. Bendix continues to add new friction materials to its portfolio, which includes options ranging from economy and extreme-duty offerings to OE friction, and features the industry’s first RSD-certified aftermarket friction, the company says.
“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.
The Bendix Brake Shoe Remanufacturing Center combines Bendix’s nearly 40 years of experience in remanufacturing with Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake’s acknowledged leadership in wheel-end solutions and brake shoe manufacturing. Opened in 2012 and significantly expanded in 2014, the center is part of the multi-site Bendix manufacturing campus in Huntington. Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC (BSFB) is a joint venture between Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC and Dana Commercial Vehicle Products LLC.
