Regulation 90 – the minimum standard for Mintex :
Where other brands just meet Regulation 90, Mintex goes much further to set new standards in quality and safety.
What is Regulation 90?
Regulation 90 (or ECE R90) is the European standard introduced in April 2001 to control the manufacture, sale, distribution and installation of replacement brake pads and lined shoes.
Regulation 90 sets standards that mean, by law, replacement brake pads and lined shoes must perform within +/- 15% of the O.E. (Original Equipment) parts, that they have met production tests to ensure that they are robust, that they carry clear identification marks and that they are properly packaged in sealed boxes.
Mintex and Regulation 90
At TMD Friction, as the manufacturers of Mintex and one of the world’s leading brake friction groups, we take safety and quality very seriously. So much so, that we see Regulation 90 as only a minimum standard.
Our own, more stringent, testing programme and packaging standards go beyond Regulation 90 to ensure that when you choose Mintex, you get the very best levels of performance, safety and quality.
Industry-leading test facilities
We’re one of the only manufacturers of brake friction to have our very own test centre, equipped with the latest Datron telemetry equipment, workshops, a 1.9km long test track for high-speed braking test and purpose built steep incline hill for handbrake testing. In fact, our facilities are so highly regarded that they are used by the European testing and certification agency TÜV, as well as a number of other brake friction brands for their Regulation 90 testing.
The Mintex test programme
Regulation 90 approval requires that the brake pad or shoe passes a series of performance tests to within +/- 15% of the OE part. Stopping tests are made from 70-0 kph, 80-0 kph and at 80% of the vehicle’s maximum speed – at both laden and unladen weight. To comply with Regulation 90, tests are also carried out to measure shear strength and compressibility at both ambient temperature and at 400°C, and a Krauss test must be carried out on a dynamometer. This measures friction levels at a constant speed.
When testing Mintex brake pads we go beyond this standard series of tests.
All Mintex brake pads and shoes are also subjected to the more intensive AK Master test, where the friction material is tested to see how it reacts to repeated braking applications, subjecting the friction material to temperatures far in excess of Regulation 90 testing. And, for the North American market, whilst replacement brake pads and shoes are not required to meet the USA’s FMVSS regulation under federal law, at TMD Friction our own testing programme requires Mintex brake pads and shoes to pass this level of scrutiny before we consider them suitable to carry the Mintex name. Our own test programme also includes on-road tests to measure pedal feel, wear and performance under real-life conditions.
The ‘E’ mark – your sign of R90 approval
Parts that have R90 approval can be easily identified by the ‘E’ mark, the symbol of Regulation 90 approval, which must be shown along with the E mark approval number. This unique code contains information about the country of approval, certification issue number, friction material type and brake pad or shoe type, providing easy traceability.
Mintex brake pads and shoes have the E mark and approval number inkjet printed onto the backplate to make it clearly visible.
Packaging – your guarantee of authenticity
Regulation 90 compliance means that all brake pads and shoes must be supplied in axle-set quantities in tamper-evident packaging. If the box is opened for inspection at the point of sale, it must be resealed once all the parts contained have firstly been checked to ensure that their R90 markings correspond to each other. A special Mintex reseal sticker is available for these purposes.
Each package must also contain fitting instructions printed in all of the languages for the countries in which the products will be sold and each box clearly labelled with the application information (showing which vehicles/brake system the components fit), quantity of components within the box, an outline drawing of the product and its R90 approval mark and number.
Mintex brake pads and shoes are not only packaged to comply with Regulation 90, but to help to combat the rise in counterfeiting, each box is also sealed with TMD Friction’s unique hologram seal – your guarantee of a genuine TMD Friction product.
If this hologram is not on the box, or the seal has been broken and a Mintex reseal sticker has not been used, the products may not be genuine and should not be used under any circumstances.
