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[November 2003]
SGL Carbon to Supply Brake Discs for German Touring Masters
SGL Carbon AG (Wiesbaden, Germany) has announced that from 2004 it will be the sole supplier of carbon-carbon (CC) brake discs and pads for all cars participating in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM). SGL's US subsidiary - HITCO Carbon Composites Inc based in Los Angeles in California - will supply brake discs and brake pads within a three-year contract for all DTM competition cars.
HITCO has supplied a number of Formula 1 teams with CC brake discs and pads for over 15 years, including McLaren-Mercedes, Minardi-Ford, Jordan-Honda and Renault. In addition, the Toyota Team will be supplied from the beginning of the 2004 racing season. SGL says its subsidiary won the contract with its combination of high-end properties, excellent quality and safety features and the extremely good price:performance ratio of the brake discs. HITCO forms part of SGL's growth business, the SGL Technologies Business Unit.
SGL has systematically expanded its technical expertise in the field of high performance brake discs for the automotive market. Its subsidiary SGL Brakes GmbH - based in Meitingen near Augsburg, Germany - manufactures carbon-ceramic brake discs (CKB). The company was the first manufacturer in the world to start series production of these innovative brake discs for road transport applications. CKB disc systems offer a number of major advantages over conventional brake systems using cast iron discs, says SGL. These include: significantly shorter stopping distances; better response in an extremely wide range of driving conditions; no reduction of braking power; no brake judder; extremely good brake control; less pedal effort; much longer life; lower weight; and high corrosion resistance.
The main differences between CC and CKB discs are that carbon-carbon discs must be heated to a minimum temperature of around 300C while driving to reach their full braking power. CC discs are only suitable for racing. Hence, explains SGL, it offers carbon-ceramic discs for common road traffic vehicles, as these systems show excellent performance at all temperatures.
www.sglcarbon.com
ENDS