Method and results of experimental determination of friction coefficients of some automobile brake shoe

Introduction. Road safety is largely determined by the technical condition of the vehicle, and especially control systems. The braking system is one of them. To improve its efficiency, various assistive electronic systems are now widely used. These systems control the vehicle through wheel braking mechanisms. Brake pads are a constituent element of a friction-type wheel brake mechanism. The efficiency of the vehicle braking system depends on its quality, regardless of the presence of auxiliary electronic systems. The use of brake pads with a wide spread of friction coefficients can have a significant impact on braking performance.Materials and methods. To conduct experimental studies, a methodology for conducting them and processing experimental data was developed, as well as a laboratory setup was made. Arduino Uno R3 analog-to-digital converter was used as an instrumental component of the stand for converting mechanical movements into an electronic signal.Results. In accordance with the proposed methodology, four pairs of brake pads were tested. As a result of processing the experimental data, it was found that the difference in the values of the friction coefficients of the brake pads can cause a difference in the magnitude of the braking forces on the wheels from 8 to 19%.Discussion and conclusions. The difference in the coefficients of friction of the brake pads has a significant impact on the magnitude of the braking forces and the stability of the vehicle during braking. One of the reasons for this may be the poor quality of the pad material or a violation of operating conditions. The proposed improved technique for determining the coefficients of sliding friction makes it possible to obtain more accurate values through the use of an analog-to-digital converter, reducing the influence of the accuracy of measuring instruments and the human factor.