Automotive Business Review February 2015 | Page 41

PEO PLE • P LACES • PRODUCTS • POTENTIAL

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Industry snippets and quick news about people and products on the move...

Clutch discs for trucks and buses

G

uaranteed quality has
made the brand DT Spare
Parts the leading brand
in the international Independent
Aftermarket for commercial vehicles.
The complete range includes all required spare parts for
trucks, trailers and buses, including all standard clutch
discs. The clutch disc is the friction partner between the
flywheel and the pressure plate of the clutch cover. It serves
to transfer the torque to the gearbox input shaft and so enables
a smooth start and quick gear change. Clutch discs are fitted on
both sides with a friction facing, which is either riveted on or, in the
case of smaller clutches, glued on. A feature of every DT Spare
Parts clutch disc is the optimised facing resilience system which,
depending on the application, enables a trouble-free build-up of
torque when starting, as well as an ergonomically synchronised
pedal force curve. Through the use of a crown with elastic segments,
which is positioned between the carrier plate and the facings, the
starting characteristics are additionally improved. The segments
provide axial deflection of the facings, thereby achieving a soft
“engagement” of the gears and an even wear out of the facings.

To reduce rotational speed and torque
fluctuations of the engine, the
clutch discs must also take over a
damping function. This reduces
noise and wear on the gearbox.
The torsional dampers used for this
purpose are made of chromiumsilicone alloy and ensure trouble-free
operation and an optimum service
life. The friction facings used are made of
garn, copper or brass wire, which is embedded
in a mixture of resin, rubber and filler. They are characterised by
low weight and high load capacity. The facings can withstand
temperatures of up to 400°C short term. The friction facings used by
the brand DT Spare Parts are environmentally friendly and contain
no heavy metals. They guarantee an optimum balance between
performance and service life. The central and spring retaining plates
made of stainless steel are case-hardened and so ensure maximum
useful life. To avoid axial run out, each clutch disc is additionally
aligned. In addition to clutch discs, DT Spare Parts also offers all
standard clutch covers, release bearings and release forks.

Tyre safety a priority for new satmc chairman
Riaz Haffejee
53% of second-hand tyres intended for sale and use in South
Africa are unroadworthy and dangerous. These concerns are
catapulting road and tyre safety to the top of the agenda for Riaz
Haffejee, CEO of Sumitomo Tyres and the new chairperson of the
South African Tyre Manufacturer Conference (SATMC). Haffejee
has been elected the new chairperson of the SATMC, replacing
managing director of Continental Tyres and outgoing chairperson,
Dieter Horni who successfully completed a two year term. “Tyre
safety is a critical area for SATMC,” says Haffejee, explaining that
they have already begun to prioritise driver safety on South African
roads. “We have a role to play in ensuring South Africans arrive
alive. We all want our roads to be safe and that means we need
to do routine checks on our tyres, especially during the festive
season when the roads are extremely busy,” says Haffejee. Used
tyres pose a challenge to SATMC’s efforts in increasing road safety.
“Used tyres are a huge concern,” says Horni. “What we have seen
in recent surveys is an alarming number of damaged tyres offered
for sale to the public. These tyres are considered high risk for the
user.” SATMC investigations are in the pipeline in order to ensure
all South African vehicles’ tyres are safe.

regulatory and quality control envoy to ultimately advance the
South African tyre manufacturing industry as a whole. “We have
come a long way in levelling the playing field in the industry,” says
Horni, reflecting on the tyre industry’s recent successes and the
key role it holds in manufacturing components for local original
equipment (OE) vehicle manufacturers. The SATMC has, with
Horni’s leadership, built workin