Pressing brake discs from the hub

Pressing brake discs from the hub

Removing brake discs quicker, safer and more ergonomically from the hub. Commissioned by BAS Groep Nijmegen, Holmatro supplied a  truck brake disc press.

Commissioned by: BAS Groep Nijmegen 
Location: Nijmegen, Netherlands

Situation

Volvo trucks are fitted with brake discs instead of brake lining. Replacing brake discs is an intensive job and involves an enormous physical demand on mechanics. In order to remove brake discs quicker, safer and more ergonomically from the hub, Holmatro developed a special brake disc press in collaboration with BAS Groep.

Challenge

Up until now, mechanics lifted the hub from the axle by hand. The hub was moved to a press to press the brake disc from the hub using a pump truck. Because this workshop press had insufficient capacity, the brake disc often stayed fixed to the hub. If this happened, the mechanic would hit the disc with a hammer, until it sprang from the hub. This was an undesirable situation, so BAS Groep Nijmegen began looking for a solution.

Solution

The old workplace press at BAS Groep Nijmegen was not strong enough to separate the brake disk from the hub, which subsequently had to be pried apart by two mechanics. The Holmatro brake disc press allows this work to be carried out by one mechanic in half the time.

The truck brake disc press consists of 2 components: a lifting table and a press. The lifting table is mobile, height adjustable and includes a rotatable construction which can be easily positioned on the axle over the wheel hub. Once the hub is secured, it can be moved on the lifting table to the press with no effort at all. No lifting activities needed!

The press has a capacity of 70 tons and four clamping blocks. The clamping blocks can be mounted at three positions, so that 3 different brake disc outside diameters can be pressed. The brake disc remains fixed in the clamps, while the hub is pressed out of the brake disc by the cylinder. With the brake disc remaining in the clamps, the hub hangs onto the rotatable construction on the lifting table for cleaning. After chipping clean, the new brake disc can be placed and the entire unit can be simply driven back to the truck's axle.

Truck brake disc press

Check the video and watch the truck brake disc press in action:

Would you like to know more about this project? Contact us via e-mail [email protected] or call +31 (0)162 751500.