Orbis Brakes co-develops disruptive brake technology in partnership with NASA
US-based technology start-up Orbis Brakes has launched its Periodic Wave disc brake line, which it says has been developed in partnership with NASA.
The company says although considered the most important part of any car or truck, brakes have not seen a significant disruption since the introduction of carbon-ceramic brakes 20 years ago. Orbis had been pioneering a design innovation that would cool brakes more efficiently when a NASA engineer offered his agency’s heat-dissipation expertise. The partnership resulted in the patented Periodic Wave disc brake, which uses advanced aerodynamics to provide superior surface cooling, reduce dangerous brake fade, and extend vehicle range and fuel efficiency.
Marcus Hays, co-founder and co-CEO, Orbix Brakes said, “This is a collaboration of some of the smartest people on the planet. We decided from the beginning that it wasn’t innovation unless it produced real-world results, and that’s exactly what we’ve done.”
The start-up claims that its products are lighter, cooler, and vastly more efficient, and the brakes will deliver the kind of market disruption carbon-ceramic brakes couldn’t: racetrack performance at consumer prices. The first product – NextWave – is an innovative superlight disc brake rotor and pad expected to retail at a fraction of comparable performance brakes. The EcoWave is an environmentally-driven high-performance replacement brake rotor and pad priced to compete with entry-level brakes. The company will also be introducing LightWave, which it says is lighter, cooler, high-performance replacement rotor, monoblock caliper, and vented pad, and CarbonWave, the world’s first integral wheel and brake, delivering the lowest unsprung weight in the industry.
While performance, safety, and price are key values in any braking equation, Orbis Brakes have added another revolutionary advantage: lower environmental impact. The Orbis brake weighs 50% less on average than conventional cast iron brakes, reducing the energy needed to manufacture them by half and lowering carbon consumption across the supply chain. A global upgrade to Periodic Wave brakes could remove billions of pounds of CO2 from the atmosphere.
The brakes are made from 100% recyclable iron and the unique design also dramatically reduces brown emissions, the particulate matter from brakes, tyres, and road surfaces that is considered exponentially more toxic than tailpipe emissions and is expected to become a major environmental issue in coming years.
Starting next month, Europe will include brake pad pollution for the first time in issuing its Euro 7 regulatory mandates.
The start-up states that industry analysts expect high-performance and commercial vehicle owners to be a prime audience for the Orbis upgrade, as well as the fast-growing number of electric car owners looking for aftermarket products that share their high-efficiency, low-emission values.