Automotive and power transmission manufacturers worldwide rely on Sulzer Metco to solve challenging technical issues related to friction and wear. Ranking internationally among the leading manufacturers of wet friction linings and power transmission components, Sulzer Metco develops and produces systems and complete modules according to the customer’s requirements for automatic, manual, automated-manual and dual clutch transmissions in passenger cars and utility vehicle applications.

Process Description
Drive train components such as synchromesh rings, torque converter lockup clutches, friction discs and gearshift components all employ surfaces with very specific coefficient of friction and wear requirements. Besides time-tested brass or molybdenum friction linings, high performance, carbon friction linings are gaining more and more in importance due to their especially good performance. The technology applied in sheet-metal forming makes for innovative solutions in the production of components in respect of weight reduction and increased strength.

Euroflamm coated synchromesh rings, with friction linings of molybdenum or the new carbons, ensure a more compact synchromesh architecture with higher performance and substantially improved gear-shift quality. In automated-manual and dual clutch transmissions, shifting times of less than 60 milliseconds are now possible. New sheet metal constructions offer significant weight and cost reductions compared to conventional cast or sintered components.

The design of today’s state of the art friction discs minimize wear and offer constant coefficients of friction. They can be manufactured as laminated disc packs to meet the high demands of each type of application: limited-slip differentials, four-wheel drives, automatic power transmissions, etc.

Torque converter lockup clutches for automatic transmissions serve to transmit the engine torque directly to the power transmission, achieving a significant increase in fuel efficiency. The gear shifting process is optimized using carbon friction linings, which also reduces noise and vibration.

In gear shifting components, including shifting forks, molybdenum and brass coatings have high wear resistance, even for applications with high axial gear shifting force.

Features of Wet Friction Linings
• Optimized coefficient of friction, specific for the individual application
• Reduced wear for longer life and low maintenance of drive train components
• Faster, smoother gear shifting
• Applications for manual, automatic and automatic transmissions
• Designs for automotive, truck and off-road application
• New high strength, lightweight construction reduces fuel consumption
• Reduction of noise and vibration