Pull out all the stops on part testing, says TMD Friction
Braking components specialist TMD Friction has emphasised the importance for CV fleets of opting for parts that have been subject to thorough testing procedures.
“Commercial vehicles are often under intense strain and pressure as they are required to travel up and down the country, and it’s therefore crucial that only braking parts of the highest standard and that have undergone the most stringent testing procedures are fitted to ensure full traceability and reliability,” said the firm.
“Through its Textar brand, TMD Friction is constantly developing its product range to ensure it can offer products that customers can rely on, no matter the environment.
“Braking is a safety critical product group and therefore drivers need to have brake pads they can rely on.”
TMD Friction says its ‘Reasons Why’ campaign highlights its commitment to design and detail, outlining a number of reasons why Textar is trusted by aftermarket businesses across the globe.
Examples cited include the incorporation of up to 43 raw materials in some of its products, with each pad specially engineered for its purpose and vehicle; over 38,400 hours spent on road testing new friction formulas as part of extensive research and development; brake pads put to the test on 300,000 kilometres on the road and test track; and 11 terabytes of data gained from dyno testing, noise testing analysis and thermographic analysis.
The company also stresses the importance of customers having access to the correct technical support when required.
“Textar’s online catalogue system, Brakebook, contains cutting-edge catalogue data covering Textar’s entire product range, and has been developed to positively benefit customers,” said TMD.
“It is free to access and helps them save time when trying to find the correct brake parts.
“The web-based catalogue system uses up-to-date catalogue data and offers user-friendly search options. This online platform not only mirrors the functionality of the TecDoc catalogue but is specifically designed to facilitate customer identification of brake parts.”
Brakebook also allows customers to create printable catalogues tailored to their individual requirements and in the desired formats. Customers can create their own catalogues for the entire product range, a selection of products, articles for particular manufacturers or even for special models by using current data and the same format templates that Textar uses for its own paper catalogues.
Alongside the web-based version, the online catalogue is available via a free mobile app, which gives fleet operators, commercial vehicle workshops and truck racing teams an optimised version of Brakebook, available for both Apple and Android phones.
Like its web-based equivalent, the app shows images of brake product, enabling technicians to easily compare the measurements of a vehicle’s pads or linings to the phone’s reference. Also included is a barcode scanner, which brings up part reference numbers and further information on a scanned part.
“With over 1,000 part numbers, Brakebook is constantly being updated with new products,” the firm added.
“These regular updates ensure fleet operators and commercial vehicle workshops are provided with a simple one-stop solution, delivering expert knowledge and support through one easy-to-use platform. This helps to prevent users getting confused with a multi-screen service.”
