What are the common misunderstandings when replacing industrial brake friction pads

Wrong practice: When noticing that the brake pads have worn thin, simply remove the old ones and replace them with new ones, ignoring the wear condition of the brake discs/brake drums.

The correct approach is to always check the wear of the brake discs/brake drums simultaneously. If the surface of the brake disc has deep grooves, cracks or its thickness is below the safety value, it must be replaced or repaired at the same time. Otherwise, the new friction pads will have insufficient contact area with the old brake discs, resulting in reduced braking force, shaking and abnormal noise, and the new friction pads will wear out quickly due to uneven force distribution.

Wrong practice: To save money, only the worn-out friction plate on one side is replaced, while the old one on the other side is still used.

The correct practice is that the brake pads of the same brake (such as the left and right wheels) must be replaced in pairs. The thickness and coefficient of friction of new and old brake pads are different, which can lead to a serious imbalance in braking force, causing the equipment to deviate and brake on one side, and is highly likely to cause an accident.

Wrong practice: After replacing the friction plates, directly operate the equipment at full load or perform emergency braking.

The correct approach is that the surface of the new friction plate and the brake disc need a period of "running-in" to achieve the best contact state. After replacement, low-speed and light-load running-in should be carried out first (it is usually recommended to run for a period of time, during which sudden braking should be avoided) to allow the friction plate and the brake disc to fully adhere. At the same time, the brake clearance must be checked and adjusted to ensure that the braking is sensitive and there is no drag.

The wrong approach is to only focus on the friction plate itself while neglecting the inspection and maintenance of moving parts such as the return spring and pin shaft.

When replacing the friction plates, it is necessary to check whether the return spring is fatigued or failed and whether the pin shaft is stuck. For floating caliper brakes, apply high-temperature grease (such as silicone-based grease) on the pin shaft and dust cover to ensure that the brake can return normally and prevent "dragging" which may cause abnormal wear of the friction plates and high temperatures.