New aircraft brake developed in China

A breakthrough in China's fast-growing commercial aviation sector has been unveiled -- a revolutionary carbon aircraft brake-disk that shatters a monopoly on the technology held by foreign companies until now. The system will be incorporated into China's next generation of domestically designed and produced long-haul aircraft.

The aircraft brake disk, which was developed by a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, passed a final expert appraisal on Friday. The disk costs half as much as similar products made overseas, which are imported into China at a per-unit price of 400 thousand yuan.

Xiao Zhichao, General Manager of Xi'an Chaoma Technology Co., Ltd. said "In terms of economic benefit, the product can save up to 600 million yuan for domestic civil aviation companies annually."

The brake disk has full proprietary intellectual property rights, and meets all international standards of safety and reliability.

Sun Jinliang, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering said "The product is a major engineering breakthrough. It applied for a lot of IPRs. It may also be used in other areas."

The brake disk uses a carbon-carbon composite, which has an extremely high tensile strength. It is 40 percent lighter than disks made using traditional metals and can resist temperatures as high as 2,000 degrees Celsius. It has already received a manufacturing license for Boeing and Airbus aircraft.