Brake pad steel backing plate types

Brake pads are a component of disc brakes used in automotive and other applications. Brake pads are composed of steel backing plates with friction material bound to the surface that faces the disc brake rotors. Good quality disc brake pads are composed of 3 major parts, steel backing plate, friction material, production quality control.

What is a brake pad steel backing plate?

In a disc brake design the friction material, also called a friction block or “puck” is attached to a brake pad steel backing plate with rivets, adhesive, or a newer NRS™ mechanical retention system. The steel backing plate is made from steel plate and transfers force from the brake caliper piston evenly across the backing plate to apply the friction material to the brake rotor.

The type of steel backing plate:

Stamped hole backing plates

Brake pad backing plates with holes are also called stamped hole backing plates or punched hole steel plates. They are widely used backing plates for car brake pads and medium, heavy duty truck trailer brake pads. Now, more than 95% of passenger vehicle brake pads are made of stamped hole back plate. However, for commercial vehicle (CV) brake pads, it’s not a best choice to use stamped hole backing plates. We advise to use wire mesh back plate, cast iron back plate, or NRS back plates. Because these back plates can get much better shear strength.

Wire mesh backing plate

Generally, Wire mesh backing plates are also called steel mesh backing plates or weld mesh steel plates. They are widely used backing plates for medium, heavy duty brake pads. Wire mesh steel plate is constituted by steel wire mesh welded to the backing plate to help provide mechanical retention for friction material. The Wire mesh steel pattern can increase shear strength and pad life, so they are widely used in commercial vehicle’s brake pads. Wire-mesh backing plates can provide better shear strength than hole steel back plate, but price is a little higher than stamped hole back plate.

Casting iron backing plates

Cast iron backing plates for brake pads are also called casting back plates or cased plates. Brake pads cast backing plates is made of cast iron material by foundry progress. Cast iron back plate was first used by KNORR BREMSE. Now, more and more OE manufacturers use cast iron back plates, such as SCANIA, VOLVO. With the perfect design, the cast iron backing plate can provide excellent shear strength for the brake pad. So they are widely used in Commercial vehicle brake pads. Especially for heavy duty truck brake pads, trailer brake pads and axles brake pads.

Powertech Auto Parts Co. Ltd is an approved cast backing plate supplier to some world’s leading brake pads manufactures and has the reputation for the highest quality of cast iron back plates for commercial vehicle brake pads. 

HOOK NRS retention backing plate.

HOOK NRS retention backing plates (hook backing plates) are first created by NUCAP of Canada called NRS or the NUCAP RETENTION SYSTEM.

Brake pads play an important role in a vehicle’s braking system. Braking occurs when friction material presses against the rotor of the wheel. This friction material is attached to a steel part known as a backing plate. Friction material and steel backing plates are attached in one of two ways, either through adhesives which can break down or through mechanical attachment. NRS is NUCAP’s Mechanical Retention system that has been used successfully on OE and aftermarket applications for over 20 years. 

NRS retention backing plates use a variation of the in-mold process. But the plates don’t have openings. Instead they have hooks that embed into the friction block as the raw material is forced into the mold. In addition to the hooks, NRS backing plates are made from high quality galvanized steel.

Powertech Auto Parts Co.Ltd develops new NRS brake pad backing plates, which is similar with NUCAP and UTIL hook patterns. After the test, the friction material and bi directional hooks become heavily bound and cannot come loose. The shear strength has increased greatly. Besides cast iron back plate, wire mesh weld back plate, now Powertech can provide a full range of NRS hook steel plates for passenger vehicle and commercial vehicle brake pads.

Choose what kind of steel backing plate for brake pads?

For car brake pads, hole steel backing plates can fit most conditions. If you plan on driving your car on a racetrack (or even a spirited mountain run), NRS steel backing plates are the clear choice. 

For commercial vehicle brake pads, we strongly recommend you to use cast iron back plates，wire-mesh back plates or NRS retention plates, especially for some bad road conditions(mountain road) or overloading. As they will provide higher shear strength than stamped back plates.