Prize winning brake

The SGL Group has picked up the €50,000 Prof Ferdinand Porsche Prize for its carbon-ceramic brake disc.

The award is granted every two years for pioneering inventions in the field of automotive technology. Hans-Michael Güther, Managing Director of SGL Brakes, who was personally awarded, received the prize for his key involvement in the brake disc-development in a ceremony at the Vienna University of Technology.

The prize was created in 1976 by Porsche Holding, Salzburg, and Porsche, Stuttgart. In the past, the prize has been awarded for other automotive innovations such as airbag (1987), turbocharged diesel direct injection (1991) and ABS (1981).

'In trying to reduce the weight of a chassis, development engineers at automotive manufacturers have to fight for every gram. We provide a brake disc that is several kilograms lighter than a conventional steel disc,' said Robert Koehler, CEO of the SGL Group.

The carbon-ceramic brake disc offers more than just weight advantages - it also improves shock absorber response as well as handling. Abrasion on carbon-ceramic brake discs is extremely low compared to metal brake discs too, thanks to their extreme surface hardness. Life expectancy is correspondingly high as well, due to the corrosion resistance of the material.