Trailerbodybuilders 656 Bendix Facility
Trailerbodybuilders 656 Bendix Facility
Trailerbodybuilders 656 Bendix Facility
Trailerbodybuilders 656 Bendix Facility
Trailerbodybuilders 656 Bendix Facility

Bendix Upgrades Brake Shoe Remanufacturing Facility

Aug. 14, 2014
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC has expanded its remanufacturing capabilities and capacity with a $3.2 million capital investment in equipment and facility upgrades at its Huntington, Indiana, plant.

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC has expanded its remanufacturing capabilities and capacity with a $3.2 million capital investment in equipment and facility upgrades at its Huntington, Indiana, plant.

The Bendix Brake Shoe Remanufacturing Center now handles the complete salvage, coining, and assembly processes that make up start-to-finish remanufacturing and can produce several million remanufactured commercial vehicle brake shoes annually.

Bendix began serial production of reman shoes at the facility in the fall of 2012. Combining Bendix’s nearly 40 years’ experience in remanufacturing with Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake’s acknowledged leadership in wheel-end solutions and brake shoe manufacturing, the center has assembled more than 1.9 million brake shoes since its opening in 2012.

Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC (BSFB) is a joint venture between Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC and Dana Commercial Vehicle Products, LLC.

“As the commercial vehicle industry continues to adapt to ever-changing regulations and compliance standards, fleets and owner-operators are turning in greater numbers to high-quality remanufactured brake shoes as a solution in their parts strategy,” said Henry Foxx, Bendix director of remanufactured products. “The Bendix Brake Shoe Remanufacturing Center grew from our desire to provide reman brake shoes offering the durability, reliability, performance, and extended lining life expected of original equipment. With the completion of the next phase of production expansion, in tandem with our three-tiered portfolio of reman brake shoe offerings, Bendix is better equipped than ever to meet every customer’s need for safety, performance, and value.”

Bendix’s Brake Shoe Remanufacturing Center employs 65 people, part of Huntington’s total roster of 430 employees. The center’s 74,000 square feet bring the Huntington operation’s total to 547,000 square feet, comprising four manufacturing and assembly facilities as well as Bendix’s primary North American distribution center.

Key to the upgrades to the Brake Shoe Remanufacturing Center is the coining process, which returns used brake shoes to the shape engineered by their original equipment (OE) manufacturers. Bendix has always coined 100 percent of its remanufactured brake shoes, and the upgrade increases coining capacity and capability.

“A brake shoe undergoes a tremendous amount of force and drastic temperature changes during its life cycle,” said Frank Gilboy, BSFB brake shoe product line manager. “Over time, this results in deformation. It’s twisted, or it’s stretched, and if you just reline that shoe with new friction – like most brake shoe reliners do – you’re going to have issues when it engages with the drum, because it no longer has the correct geometry to provide full contact and stopping power.”

The new Bendix 1,000-ton coining press reproduces the original manufacturing methods, applying the full tonnage necessary to return the shoe to its proper shape and OE specifications.

Other improvements to the Brake Shoe Remanufacturing Center include a self-contained salvage and de-lining area, which prevents dust and other contaminants from reaching the painting and riveting process; four automated de-liners that remove the friction with greater accuracy and reduce the chance of accidental shoe damage; and two new 24-cubic-foot blasters that clean the shoes in order to provide the best adhesion surface for the new lining. Additionally, a new 2,000-square-foot paint line can handle up to 500 parts per hour.