Performance unattainable with carbon clutches The development approach for COPPERMIX clutch facings was based on two different needs: increase the allowable power output without changing the strength of the cover's grip and improve operation in traffic jam conditions so as to provide a sport clutch that anyone can use in regular driving. First put on the market in 2002, COPPERMIX provides greatly improved single clutch performance, increasing ease of use while providing superior transmission performance. There's no doubt: COPPERMIX clutches' transmission performance is way out in front of other manufacturers. They are popular with a wide range of users, from beginners to top tuners.
COPPERMIX is a registered trademark of Nissan Motorsports International Co.,LTD. Beware of imitations. Facings marked "F808MCC" or "F510MCC" are indications that your parts are genuine COPPERMIX products.
About COPPERMIX
This is a completely new facing created using a special production method that literally molds the two different friction materials, metal and non-asbestos, together. You could actually call it either "a metal that contains non-asbestos" or "a non-asbestos that contains metal". Here, the word metal refers to an aggregate of copper. Copper "generates friction" even in the high temperature ranges. We have mixed it into the non-asbestos facing. We use this production method to greatly increase the amount of copper that is contained in the COPPERMIX facing.
[ Performance unattainable with carbon clutches ]
Outstanding friction coefficient
ln the low temperature range, COPPERMIX leverages the high friction coefficient of non-asbestos, and in the high temperature range it utilizes the stable grip of the metal to provide excellent friction control. Non-asbestos has a high friction coefficient in the initial range, but as the temperature increases (during sports driving) , this decreases. Metal, on the other hand, does not generate as high a coefficient as non-asbestos, but it does remain stable even in high temperature ranges. Between the two, they cover the full range of temperatures. Even in moments of severe temperature change, your clutch will continue to operate at optimum efficiency. This may occur when down-shifting out of a long straight away run or when using the clutch to adjust angles when cornering. Coppermix will not only make your clutch easier to operate, it will also greatly reduce the load on the clutch disc. By responding to temperature changes generated by your actual driving, COPPERMIX delivers performance unobtainable with ordinary metal facings. Furthermore, COPPERMIX's efficiency is unaffected by the quality of a driver's technique, making it a high-performance clutch that anyone can use without worry.
Special production method gives you a facing with tough binding force
COPPERMIX gets its high performance by increasing the amount of copper contained in the non-asbestos facing (50％ by weight). Usually, when a large amount of copper is mixed into non-asbestos material, it bonds less well and can burst more easily. But ,with COPPERMIX, we get an even more solid bond by using a special production method to attach a plate of steel to the back of the facing which successfully reinforces the amalgam.
Use of a cushioning plate for easier operation
A cushioning plate (a corrugated plate between the two facings) is incorporated*1 to absorb the shock generated by the initial high friction coefficient of non-asbestos and permit easier manipulation of the clutch pedal.
*1 The SUPER COPPERMIX TWIN does not use a cushion plate but the center hub reduces linkage vibration.
* A standard clutch also incorporates a cushion plate with the non-asbestos facing in order to guarantee driving ease and ensure light clutch maneuverability.
Excellent anti-burst test results
NISMO clutches pass the test for burst evaluation at both average temperatures (20℃) and high temperatures
(200℃).
Note: Burst values are based on in-vehicle rotational burst evaluations.
Comparison with ordinary carbon facings
Carbon clutches have a low absolute friction coefficient (carbon = 0.18, COPPERMIX = 0.38). They can deliver the same transmission power (allowable torque), but you will need to exert twice as much pressure on the pedal to get there. At the same time, ordinary carbon facings' low absolute friction coefficient means that for the faces to smoothly interconnect, upshifting and downshifting will set off a lot of continuous sliding, which greatly increases wear. COPPERMIX, however, responds to heat generation with just the right level of grip, adapting to actual conditions and providing the proper resistance in each case. According to NISMO benchmark testing, SUPER COPPERMIX TWIN can handle a binding force of 1000 kgf and torque of 84 kgf·m (kinetic friction), while a NISMO prototype carbon twin will begin to slip at 1200 kgf with torque at 54 kgf·m (kinetic friction). To control abrasion in the carbon clutches used for motor sports, pressure plates of different thicknesses are used, but this is not possible with the carbon clutches which the average consumer can purchase. (Data as of December, 2005.)