NTN Corporation (Japan) announced it is now delivering a new version of the third generation unit hub assembly to U.S. automotive and light truck OEM customers.

The new hub assembly includes a brake rotor; the difference being that the rotor is finish machined only after it is fitted to the bearing.

When brake rotors are assembled as part of a corner module separately from the hub unit, runout can be in the neighborhood of 60um. NTN's process of finish machining the rotor and hub unit together reduces runout to 30um.

Traditionally, the suspension, steering, braking, wheel and tire assemblies have components all sourced from different manufacturers. But as drivetrains have become smoother and braking systems more sophisticated, automakers have been working hard to reduce every source of vibration, brake pulsation and pedal shudder. Tolerance stack-up, inherent in the multi-source assembly, has become a key issue with automakers as a preventable source of brake system runout-induced vibration.

NTN's "Third Generation Hub Bearing With Brake Rotor" is being supplied to North American automakers from its NTN America Corp. hub assembly manufacturing plant in Elgin, Illinois.

The company said its current target is $18.5 million in annual sales for the rotor-equipped units.


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