Title: AMPCO® 18 as Brake Pads in Roller Coasters

AMPCO® 18 is used worldwide by roller coaster manufacturers as a brake pad material. The application principle is based on using AMPCO® 18 as the sacrificial wearing component against a harder brake fin or brake disk. To function correctly, the fin or disk must be made from a steel with a hardness of approximately 250 HB, which is harder than AMPCO® 18.

Softer materials such as CuZn37 or aluminum alloy 7075 are not suitable for the fin or disk, as they are softer than AMPCO® 18 and would wear in the wrong direction. The coefficient of friction between AMPCO® 18 brake pads and an appropriate steel fin or disk is 0.18.