Structural dynamics and multibody analysis of brake noise

Brake noise is due to friction-induced vibrations. The noise generation process basically consists in the combination of friction-induced loads with the dynamics of the braking system assembly, leading to self-sustained vibrations. The paper discusses a detailed experimental and numerical study of the brake squeal phenomenon on a simplified brake noise test rig. The present study focuses on a dominant squeal around 1600 Hz. Operational deformation analysis during squeal confirms the modal behaviour of the components, implying the critical role of the assembly dynamics. A study of influence factors was made and a detailed structural dynamics model was developed for the various brake system components. A multibody simulation model was developed for the assembly during braking, including a novel approach to model the contact between the moving and static components.