Aircraft brakes are critical for landings and taxiing, so it is important to choose brakes that ensure reliable performance. The PMA carbon heat stack brake from DAC Engineered Products (DAC-EP) promotes advanced braking performance and carbon technology over OEM equivalents with significant cost savings and typically better overall wear.  

What are Carbon Heat Stack Brakes?

Carbon heat stack brakes are composed of carbon fiber-reinforced carbon. This composite material allows the brake to absorb significantly more heat than previous steel brakes without deformation. Carbon brakes are also more lightweight than steel brakes. 

The carbon heat stack consists of alternating stationary and rotating carbon disks. When the brakes are applied, the carbon disks are squeezed together, creating the drag forces required to stop the aircraft. 

What are DAC-EP PMA Carbon Heat Stack Brakes?

DAC Engineered Products (DAC-EP) develops quality PMA parts, such as carbon heat stack brakes, emphasizing superior performance and cost-savings. DAC-EP carbon brakes are FAA-PMA approved and accepted under EASA and TC.  

Benefits of DAC-EP PMA Carbon Heat Stack Brakes

Cost-Savings

The heat stack or disks are typically 90% of the brake overhaul cost. Having a cost-effective PMA carbon heat stack can reduce the overall brake cost. Operators can save approximately 30-40% when choosing a PMA brake over the OEM equivalent. 

Better Wear

DAC-EP carbon heat stack brakes displace 30-year-old technology with the latest state-of-the-art carbon and carbon resin manufacturing processes. As a result, carbon disks wear consistently, allowing operators to maximize the life of the entire heat stack. In comparison, disks that wear inconsistently are removed once a disk wears down, even though the other disks may still be within safe limits.   

DAC-EP PMA Brake Versus OEM Brakes

DAC-EP PMA carbon heat stack brakes offer various advantages compared to their OEM equivalents. 

Braking Performance

DAC-EP carbon brakes have undergone rigorous testing with over 400 development tests and certification test landings at max gross landing weight (MGLW) with zero failure. Additionally, over 1000 stacks have been successfully fielded. 

DAC-EP PMA brakes have been tested on dynamometers, which simulate and simultaneously measure the torque and rotational speed of the aircraft wheel when the brakes are applied to determine braking performance. The DAC-EP brakes outperformed their OEM equivalents when tested alongside OEM brakes.  

Landing and Stopping

Certification tests confirmed that the DAC-EP PMA brake requires a shorter rejected takeoff stopping distance than the OEM equivalent design. These tests also demonstrate that the DAC-EP brake has a superior landing distance compared to the OEM brake. 

Further, FAA flight tests demonstrated that DAC-EP brakes provide a 10-26% reduction in the accelerate-stop distance (RTO) and a 7-19% reduction in design landing distance. 

Cooling

Carbon brake temperatures often limit aircraft operating tempo as brakes must cool to a specific temperature before resuming flight operations. DAC-EP carbon heat stack brakes cool down 30% faster than the OEM brakes. The ability to cool fast helps to improve turnaround time.

Aircraft Approved for Installation

The DAC-EP PMA carbon heat stacks are FAA-approved for several aircraft, including the Embraer and Saab airframes. 

For Embraer aircraft, DAC-EP heat stacks can be installed on aircraft with 2-1699-1, -2, or -3 OEM brakes for EMR-135ER, -135KE, -135KE, -135KL, -145ER, and -145EP.  

For Saab 340 aircraft, the DAC-EP heat stack can be installed on aircraft with 5012589-2, -3 OEM brakes.  

Pro Tip: Although DAC-EP carbon brakes are interchangeable with these part numbers, not all operations will accept PMA parts. Determine that PMA brakes are acceptable and meet organizational standards before installing them on an aircraft. 

DAC-EP Aircraft Brake Overview

DAC-EP PMA carbon heat stack brakes offer advantages over OEM brakes, including significant cost savings and more consistent wear. Thanks to their state-of-the-art carbon, DAC-EP brakes outperform OEM brakes in various ways, increasing safety and reliability during taxiing and landing.