An automated station (1) for the finishing of brake pads (4) comprises at least one rotary finishing tool (2) for finishing a friction layer (22) of the brake pad (4), a workhead (3) to pick, retain and release the brake pad (4), a handling unit (6) to move the workhead (3) along a programmable path comprising a pass over the rotary finishing tool (2) and a guide (5) having a mouth (27) which is passed through by the workhead (3) in order to start the finishing pass along the length of the programmable route, the guide (5) contacting the workhead (3) to define, along at least one direction (A; C), the relative position between the workhead (3) and the brake pad (4) during the finishing carried out by the rotary finishing tool (2).

A method for applying friction lining elements to a friction lining support is provided. The invention is characterized in that friction lining elements are applied simultaneously to opposite sides of the friction lining support.

A method for densifying porous annular substrates having a central passage by chemical vapor infiltration, the method including providing stacks of porous annular substrates, providing a plurality of individual modules including stacks disposed on a support plate having a perforated injection tube each mounted on a gas inlet opening, forming a stack of individual modules, aligning the individual modules of the stack in a sealed manner by means of an annular seal disposed between the injection tubes of a second individual module and the gas inlet openings of a first individual module with which it cooperates, and injecting into the internal volume of each stack of porous annular substrates a gas phase including a gaseous precursor of a matrix material to be deposited within the porosities of the substrates.

A method for densifying porous annular substrates having a central passage by chemical vapor infiltration, the method including providing stacks of porous annular substrates, providing a plurality of individual modules including stacks disposed on a support plate having a perforated injection tube each mounted on a gas inlet opening, forming a stack of individual modules, aligning the individual modules of the stack in a sealed manner by means of an annular seal disposed between the injection tube of a second individual module and the gas inlet opening of a first individual module with which it cooperates, and injecting into the internal volume of each stack of porous annular substrates a gas phase including a gaseous precursor of a matrix material to be deposited within the porosities of the substrates.

A method for densifying porous annular substrates having a central passage by chemical vapor infiltration, the method including providing stacks of porous annular substrates, providing a plurality of individual modules including stacks disposed on a support plate having a perforated injection tube each mounted on a gas inlet opening, forming a stack of individual modules, aligning the individual modules of the stack in a sealed manner by means of an annular seal disposed between the injection tubes of a second individual module and the gas inlet openings of a first individual module with which it cooperates, and injecting into the internal volume of each stack of porous annular substrates a gas phase including a gaseous precursor of a matrix material to be deposited within the porosities of the substrates.

A braking band having an annular band body arranged around a rotation axis and made of one of gray cast iron, steel, aluminum or alloys thereof, has at least one braking surface having an activated band body portion for increasing adhesive capacity of at least one protective surface coating placed on the surface of the activated band body portion and having at least one material with elevated resistance to abrasion. The activated band body portion is arranged on the surface of the annular band body to form an outermost layer of the braking band with the at least one protective surface coating and has a rough profile having at least one channel delimited by at least one pair of projections, extending along a path at least partially surrounding the rotation axis and having a channel bottom and a first channel side forming an acute angle with the channel bottom and an opposite second channel side forming an obtuse angle with the channel bottom.

A method is disclosed for producing a friction brake body, in particular a brake disc, which has a main part with a frictional contact region. A wear protection layer is produced on the frictional contact region by way of laser cladding using a laser beam oriented towards the frictional contact region. The wear protection layer is produced by at least one pulverulent additive during the laser cladding. At least two pulverulent additives are added simultaneously such that the dwell time thereof in the laser beam differs.

A system for processing a powder material like e.g. a friction material, including a weighting device for the powder material and an extruder to feed the powder material to a lump breaker device arranged immediately downstream the extruder to let a completely pulverized material to fall into a hopper arranged over the weighting device the lump breaker device including a rotating drum arranged transversely the extruder and delimited by a lateral surface provided with a plurality of depressions preferably spoon-like, on the whole extension thereof; the lateral surface being arranged immediately adjacent an outlet end of the extruder and being rotated toward the outlet end from upside down.