Trelleborg Sealing Solutions has signed an agreement with the global steel company SSAB for the supply of fossil-free steel used in the production of damping shims for vehicle brake pads.

Shims, or anti-squeal plates, eliminate brake noise and vibration, an increasingly important attribute especially in the growing market for electric cars which are generally quieter. They are manufactured by combining different materials, mainly rubber, adhesives and metal, before they are attached to the brake pads.

The collaboration enables Trelleborg to manufacture brake shims from more sustainable steel, produced using methods that avoid the significant carbon emissions associated with traditional steel blast furnaces.

Automotive manufacturers are increasingly demanding more sustainable components, especially in the electric car sector where the materials account for a large part of its total CO2 emissions because of the elimination of exhaust gases.

“Our unique solutions to eliminate vibration and noise in cars are based on our extensive technical knowledge and experience. With fossil-free steel in our components, we will take a leap forward in reducing our carbon footprint, and that of the manufacturers which use our parts, and strengthen our market-leading position,” says Stefan Lundström, Business Unit President, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions based in Kalmar, Sweden.

Trelleborg has been a major supplier of damping and sealing solutions to the automotive market since 1988 and provides components to the vast majority of large global manufacturers.

Olavi Huhtala, Head of SSAB Europe, adds: “”We are happy to welcome Trelleborg Sealing Solutions as a fossil-free partner. Together, we will support the automotive industry in delivering the key parts that both producers and consumers are demanding. In the end, it will deliver more sustainable cars to the customers.”

SSAB has developed two unique types of steel that are produced with virtually no fossil carbon dioxide emissions: SSAB Zero® and SSAB Fossil-free™ steel. SSAB Zero® is based on recycled steel scrap and is produced with fossil-free electricity and biogas and is available for commercial deliveries since 2023. SSAB Fossil-free™ steel is produced from iron ore with HYBRIT® technology developed by SSAB together with iron ore producer LKAB and energy company Vattenfall. The technology, which has been tested on a pilot scale, uses hydrogen produced with fossil-free electricity to produce iron, the primary raw material in steelmaking. The residual product is water instead of carbon dioxide.

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