Method and apparatus for making a friction plate

A method of making a friction plate comprising:

• (a) receiving a friction material sheet in a rotary die cutting assembly that includes a rotary die cutting roller and an anvil roller, the rotary die cutting roller comprising a cutting surface configured to rotatably engage the friction material sheet;
• (b) passing the friction material sheet between the rotary die cutting roller and the anvil roller so that the cutting surface cuts a pattern of friction material segments into the friction material sheet such that each friction material segment remains connected to the friction material sheet by at least one tie, the pattern of friction material segments comprising a friction material segment set that includes a predetermined number of the friction material segments and which is repeatedly cut one after another;
• (c) bringing the friction material sheet to a locater punch assembly configured to locate one of the friction material segment sets at a break location and, once located, to separate the friction material segments of the friction material segment set from the friction material sheet at the break location;
• (d) supporting a core plate having an annular surface, which includes a bonding material, on a rotatable support device that positions a portion of the annular surface of the core plate adjacent to and in alignment with the break location;
• and
• (e) operating the rotary die cutting assembly, the locator punch assembly, and the rotatable support device to successively place a plurality of the friction material segment sets onto the annular surface of the core plate over the bonding material during one full rotation of the core plate by the rotatable support device.

An apparatus for making a friction plate comprising:

• a rotary die cutting assembly that includes a rotary die cutting roller and an anvil roller, the rotary die cutting roller comprising a cutting surface that, during cooperative rotation of the rotary die cutting roller and the anvil roller, cuts a pattern of friction material segments into a friction material sheet as the friction material sheet passes between the rotary die cutting roller and the anvil roller, the pattern of friction material segments comprising a plurality of friction material segment sets each of which includes a predetermined number of the friction material segments, the cutting surface being configured so that each of the friction material segments remains integrally connected to the friction material sheet by at least one tie;
• a locator punch assembly configured to locate one of the friction material segment sets at a break location and to punch the friction material segments of the friction material segment set through the friction material sheet at the break location;
• and
• a core plate indexing assembly that supports a core plate having a surface, to which a bonding material is present, on a rotatable support device that situates a portion of the surface of the core plate into alignment with the break location so that the friction material segments punched through the friction material sheet by the locator punch assembly are placed onto the portion of the surface of the core plate over the bonding material.