Bosch has received the prestigious Frost & Sullivan 2010 North American Technology Innovation of the Year Award in the Brake Components Aftermarket for Bosch’s QuietCast brakes. Which “...represent the first major technological improvement in friction products in more than five years,” Frost & Sullivan notes in the award.
“Featuring a shim molded to the pad’s backing plate – rather than one attached after the friction with tabs or adhesive – this patented design significantly improves brake pad noise and vibration performance over competing aftermarket products. Bosch QuietCast is the only aftermarket brand that includes a molded shim,” said Frost & Sullivan.
“The Frost and Sullivan Technology Innovation Award is recognition of Bosch’s accomplishments in the North American brake components aftermarket,” said Rob Backode, Director of Product Management, Bosch Automotive Aftermarket Brake Components North America. “By recognizing the excellence and advantages of QuietCast brakes and its impact on the aftermarket, this award underscores the great benefits these brakes provide the motorist as well as the installer and distributor.”
Frost & Sullivan's Automotive & Transportation group, which provides global industry analysis, custom consulting, market research, market forecasts, and insights into emerging technologies, officially presented the award to Bosch at the Frost & Sullivan February Awards Banquet in New Orleans.
Key Benchmarking Criteria
“Derived from Bosch’s portfolio of OE brake technologies, QuietCast’s molded shim features a vulcanized rubber and steel construction found on new, high-end vehicles. It is the most advanced and tested shim used on brake pads today, and is featured throughout the QuietCast line. QuietCast also includes new friction material formulations that have undergone rigorous OE testing,” according to Frost & Sullivan. For this award, Frost & Sullivan used several criteria to benchmark Bosch’s performance against key competitors:
- Uniqueness of Technology
- Impact on New Products/Applications
- Impact on Functionality
- Impact on Customer Value
- Relevance of Innovation to Industry
One of the major advantages of Bosch’s molded shim technology, Frost and Sullivan notes, is its two attachment methods between the shim and backing plate. First, the heat and pressure of the molding process attaches the friction, backing plate and shim together through holes in the backing plate. In addition, there is a thermoset adhesive on the shim attaching it to the backing plate. It directly addresses the problem of shims moving and buckling against the backing plate because of ineffective design and manufacturing, and reduces the warranty risk for buyers and sellers in the aftermarket.
“QuietCast is an attractive aftermarket solution for service professionals looking for OE quality in a full-line brakes program. Frost & Sullivan believes this will have a significant market impact on the $3 billion brakes category, which makes up one-fourth of revenues for some of the aftermarket’s top distributors. Plus, to date, none of the company’s shear tests has broken the attachment between QuietCast’s shim and backing plate. This gives Bosch an advantage over competing brands in positioning QuietCast as a premium product favored by professional installers,” according to Frost & Sullivan.
Impact on Functionality
By molding the shim onto the backing plate, Bosch QuietCast brakes can provide improved noise performance over the life of the pad. In addition, the rubber and steel layers of the shim design serve as a better noise suppressor than the parts used for competing brands. This is an important competitive factor in the aftermarket, where brake pad installers often determine most brand choices for the vehicle owner. Installers want to make sure the customer is happy with the work, and reduce service comebacks to the shop because of noise, vibration and harshness. QuietCast is ideally suited to the needs of distributors and installers wanting to sell high-quality parts that offer value to the vehicle owner and generate loyalty to the service shop, noted Frost & Sullivan.
Frost & Sullivan’s research indicates that “QuietCast successfully combines OE standards for fit, quality and performance with aftermarket standards for noise and dust. The result is enhanced functionality as compared to competing brands. And by combining the advantages of OE technology and aftermarket coverage, Bosch QuietCast offers distributors and installers a program capable of driving profits and enhancing customer satisfaction. The Bosch brand enjoys a strong global reputation for safety and quality in brake systems. Bosch’s high brand value allows customers to increase sales of high-margin premium pads in place of standard replacement parts, which strengthens the competitive position of the aftermarket as a whole.“
QuietCast is available for 97 percent of light vehicles operating in the United States and Canada. The company also includes electronic wear sensors, abutment clips, and a high-end lubricant with most parts to make the installation easier.
