Eaton Prolongs Heavy Duty Clutch Lifetime with New Cushioned Ceramic Design

The patented, cushioned ceramic clutch discs for manual transmissions utilize a ceramic facing instead of traditional organic materials, making them more heat- and wear-resistant than conventional clutches. Shifting gears in commercial vehicles that are fully loaded or operating on steep hills or other demanding driving conditions can generate extremely high temperatures in the coupling housing. Eaton’s cushioned ceramic design for clutch discs enhances friction coefficient, particularly at high temperatures, and helps enable easier shifting and allows drivers to keep better control of their vehicles.

Eaton refers to its ceramic material design as Severe Duty (SD) as it is ideally suited for severe applications. The SD-design meets the specific needs of commercial vehicles with  frequent stop-and-go driving cycles under high loads that are common in the waste disposal, mining, construction and forestry industries. SD clutches also have increased durability, which can reduce a fleet owner’s lifecycle costs vs. costs for organic facings. Eaton offers its SD-technology for large clutch discs with 395- and 430-millimeter diameters as well for other European and American designs. 

“It is critical for Eaton to support vehicle manufacturers with the technologies that they most need. Our SD-design improves the safety of commercial vehicles and simultaneously reduces operating costs for fleets and owner-operators. We therefore see great growth potential worldwide for this technology,” explained John F. Beering, vice president and general manager Global Vehicle Group Aftermarket & Clutch Business.

Clutch discs are one of the most stressed components on commercial vehicles. Mounted between the clutch pressure plate and flywheel, they engage or disengage the engine from the transmission during every gear change. Friction is produced on both sides, resulting in increased temperatures and wear, making clutch disc facings that reduce both heat and wear desirable.