Outer plates, inner plates Wet-running plates
In every multi-plate
clutch and brake there areinner plates, which are driven on the inner
diameter together with a hub, and outer plates,
which are driven on the outer diameter together
with a housing. Both the inner or outer plates
can be the driver or driven sides, and both can
carry the friction lining, this depends on the
type of
clutch or brake and the conditions in
which they are to be used. When considering "wet-running" plates, it is
necessary to consider the lubricating and cooling
oil, since this plays a decisive roll in the
frictional process.
In wet-running
clutches and brakes the "classical"
friction combination of steel/steel is today being
replaced more and more by steel/sintered
coating. The standard qualities of sintered
coating are able to cover a wide range of
conditions which are placed on high
performance friction linings. In addition, the
sinter is capable of being varied in terms of
composition porosity and compatibility with oil
enabling it to fulfill a wide range of special tasks.
Of special interest within the range of wet-
running plates is the friction combination
steel/paper lining. This is being used to an ever
greater extent in transmission systems in general
mechanical engineering and in the motor vehicle
industry. This is due to its extraordinary frictional
behaviour and its almost total freedom from wear.
Drive components
Plates must be mounted with other drive
components, i.e. hub or housing, in such a way
that they can be easily displaced axially but are
held so that they cannot rotate.
Different forms of drive locations are available to
fulfill the above purpose:
lugs and slots,
spline in accordance with DIN 867 andDIN 5480 as well as other standards, holes in the plate for studs,
special shapes in accordance with customerrequirements.
Friction surfaces
The friction surfaces of both plates plays an
important role in terms of the operating
behaviour of the plates.
In the case of dry-running
clutches and brakes it
is primarily the level of wear, coefficient of
friction and noise that are influenced by the
surface. In the case of wet-running
clutches and
brakes however, the grooving of the friction
surface is critical for directing the cooling oil
accurately. For different cases of application there
are many different surface patterns, particularly
in the case of sintered plates. These include for
example, spiral grooves, radial grooves or a
combination to the two, honeycomb and
sunburst patterns and various other different
forms of oil channels
Dry-running plates
Generally dry-running
clutches and brakes use a
pair of plates consisting of "organic" friction lining
on one plate and a counterplate of steel or special
cast iron. Although this friction combination is
subject to wear, it has become a standard due to its
hard wearing capabilities.
Sintered, metallic friction linings are also used for
particular applications.
The friction linings described here are riveted or
bonded to the plates in the form of rings or
segments or are applied by a sintering process. This brief summary of the wide variety ofdifferent plates clearly shows that the advice ofexperienced specialists should always be soughtif the best friction combination is to be selec-ted for the parti cular application in question.
