Wagner Brake Products has announced a breakthrough in low-copper automotive brake friction technology that has resulted in stopping power, noise control and fade resistance. The new Wagner OE21 ceramic formulations are available immediately in Wagner ThermoQuiet CeramicNXT brake pads.

Wagner's engineers have developed an advanced technology that immediately meets the requirements of impending environmental restrictions and provides improvements in performance, NVH control, durability and dusting characteristics.

Reduction of copper content in vehicle friction materials is required with the recent passage of environmental legislation in California and Washington. Currently, legislation mandates that the use of copper in new original equipment and replacement brake pads be reduced to less than 5% of material content by weight by January 1, 2021.
 
Rather than wait for the 2021 deadline, several global vehicle manufacturers have worked with Wagner brake engineers to integrate low-copper OE brake pads into next-generation models soon to go on sale.

The proprietary OE21 formulations were developed through an advanced tribological “fingerprinting” process that enabled Wagner brake engineers first to map the dynamic properties of copper in a full range of operating conditions and then identify alternative materials that could provide improved stopping, NVH control, wear and dusting characteristics.

The new formulations offer 15% greater stopping power and are 35 percent quieter, on average, than previous Wagner ThermoQuiet CeramicNXT formulations. In addition, ThermoQuiet pads featuring the new formulations offer up to 40 percent greater fade resistance than those equipped with previous materials.