INVESTIGATION OF UNIFORM WEAR DISTRIBUTION ON BRAKE SHOES IN DRUM BRAKE MECHANISMS USING FLOATING BRAKE SHOE DESIGN

One of the most important mechanisms ensuring the safe operation of machines and mechanical systems is the braking system. The primary cause of brake failure is wear of brake shoes. This paper investigates the improvement of a drum brake mechanism in which friction linings experience non-uniform wear over the entire contact surface. In contrast to conventional approaches, a movable rod connecting the ends of the brake shoes is introduced, and the force distribution over the friction surface together with shoe displacements are simulated using SOLIDWORKS software. Based on the simulation results, the proposed design increases the contact area between the friction linings and the drum, thereby promoting more uniform wear compared with conventional configurations. The proposed construction can be applied to lifting and transporting machines equipped with drum brake mechanisms.