Bosch Subsidiary iDisc Helps Alleviate Particulate-Emission Problem

Studies showed that the most particulate pollution from road traffic is caused by road, tire, and brake wear rather than fuel combustion. According to the Baden-Württemberg state environmental agency, brakes and tires are responsible for 32 percent of driving-related particulate emissions, roughly half of which is brake dust. And since brake dust is reduced significantly, alloy wheel users will love the new iDisc, as it helps vehicle owners keep their rides squeaky clean.

Like many manufacturers that now seek to contribute to the welfare of the environment, Buderus Guss, a Bosch subsidiary, has developed its latest technology in braking systems that would cut down on brake emission by 90 percent.

"It's not just under the hood that Bosch is working to keep the air clean," said Dr. Dirk Hoheisel, whose areas of responsibility on the Bosch board of management include Buderus Guss. "The iDisc is the brake disc 2.0. Its market potential is tremendous."

Based on company literature, the iDisc is scheduled to go into production for a European manufacturer in November 2017.

With its "i" meaning innovation, the iDisc is a tungsten-carbide coating currently only available from Buderus Guss.

Every year, the Bosch subsidiary produces up to 20 million of these discs at its German locations in Breidenbach and Ludwigshütte.

For its pricing, the iDisc is roughly three times more expensive than a normal cast iron brake disc, and three times less expensive than a ceramic brake disc.

According to them, the price is "likely to continue falling as production volume increases."

"The iDisc has everything it takes to replace the conventional cast iron brake disc and become the new standard in the brake disc market," claimed Gerhard Pfeifer, managing director of Buderus Guss. "Given the continued particulate pollution debate in many countries and large cities around the world, there is nothing standing in the way of its breakthrough--especially since brake discs will be needed in cars for decades to come, and production volumes are continuing to rise."

For cars alone, the demand for brake discs stood at more than 330 million units worldwide in 2016.

Aside from brake dust reduction, the carbide coating also ensures greater operating safety. The braking performance is similar to that of a ceramic brake, especially when it comes to fading, as the reduction in stopping power following repeated braking maneuvers is known. Like a ceramic brake disc, the iDisc is highly stable in this respect and loses little deceleration performance. Wear is also significantly reduced. Depending on the strength of the carbide coating, the iDisc's service life is twice that of a normal brake disc.

Further, gouging marks on the friction ring and corrosion are also lessened with the iDisc, making it advantageous especially with electric cars.

Because they recover braking energy in a process known as recuperation, electric cars put less strain on the brakes and often have to contend with rust formation on friction rings. The slight--and temporary-- decline in responsiveness during braking associated with this does not occur with the iDisc.