PALO ALTO, CA — Frost & Sullivan has presented the 2006 Automotive Rotors & Drums Aftermarket Product Innovation of the Year Award to Brembo North America Inc. for its development of Easy Check, the first brake rotor that indicates to vehicle owners and installers when it is time to replace the part. Frost & Sullivan presents its Product of the Year Award each year to companies that have demonstrated excellence in new products and technologies within their industry. Recipients have shown innovation by launching a broad line of emerging products and technologies.
Brembo North America Inc. manufactures a comprehensive line of brake components and systems, including original equipment and aftermarket parts, racing and high-performance upgrades, and motorcycle brake components. The company has significantly expanded its aftermarket coverage, adding nearly 150 new rotor part numbers in the last year alone. All Brembo aftermarket rotors are manufactured under QS-9000 and ISO 9001 certifications to assure the highest level of quality in all products.
Easy Check serves to prevent serious damage to the vehicle and is a way to verify installer recommendations for repair or replacement. The cost is the same as a standard replacement rotor, resulting in long-term savings to the vehicle owner.
“While vehicle owners understand that their brake pads wear down over time and must be periodically replaced, they often forget that their rotors suffer from the same wear and tear,” says Frost & Sullivan research analyst Stephen Spivey. “Easy Check reminds motorists to monitor the condition of their rotors by showing them how much surface has eroded and how much remains before the disc can no longer function safely.”
The design is simple, yet innovative. A hole drilled into the side of the rotor stops at the minimum recommended thickness of the rotor. A second hole on the opposite side of the disc is 2/10 mm less deep than the recommended rotor thickness. If both holes are visible upon inspection of the rotor, then it is in safe working condition. If just one hole is visible, then more than 80 percent of the rotor’s braking surface has eroded. If neither hole is visible, then the disc has eroded beyond the minimum recommended thickness for safe use and should be replaced immediately.
Frost & Sullivan research suggests that more than half of the vehicles in service in North America are operating on rotors that are below the minimum thickness recommended by the automaker. Easy Check has the potential to improve a major safety issue on U.S. and Canadian roads, the firm said.
For more information about Brembo, got to: www.brembo.com/US .
For more information about Frost & Sullivan, go to: www.frost.com .
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