CEMILAC certifies Rane's brake pads

Rane Brake Linings (RBL) has been awarded with the type certificate for Kiran MK I aircraft brake pads from Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC). The company aims to use the approval as the platform to look for business opportunities in the commercial aviation sector.

The certificate was awarded to RBL for successfully developing high energy disc brake pads for the main wheel brakes of the aircraft.

Designed and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the Kiran MK I aircraft is the workhorse jet trainer of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy (Aviation). IAF, IN and HAL have been giving high priority for the development of indigineous brake pads which will be cost-effective.

"RBL, in its maiden effort has developed these brake pads which have been qualified in all the performance and field tests. Our brake pads withstood a total wear of 1.2 mm in 75 landings against a total permissible 4 mm," said P S Rao, president, RBL, in a press conference. The field trials took place at IAF bases in Bidar (Karnataka) and Hyderabad, he added.

Rane Brake Linings, which has a turnover of about Rs 175 crore, has already commenced production and has supplied over 24,000 brake pads till date. RBL, which already is dabbling in the automobile sector, also plans to expand and invest in aviation sector and "defence forces supplies will be our top priority," added Rao.

The product line of the company includes asbestos-based and asbestos-free brake linings, clutch facings, disc pads and railway brake blocks. The vehicle categories in which RBL manufactures products include high combat vehicles (HCVs), light combat vehicles (LCVs), tractors, cars, trains, earthmovers and two wheelers.

Besides developing commercial vehicle disc pads for the European market, RBL exports its products to Australia, Srilanka, Middle East and the rest of Asia.