Document GzOm12XZaEp4Z55BZ7XBpw94

Abex research has removed the asbestos, lead, and problems from composition brake shoes. Introducing our newTiger Shoe. 6n*qnwimisri *** OWunoAfl ctMn WI mo** ikitfKbi 41M trot Of Mu m"*n onto Mfcntvo in wvv OjniOujnbr^t tin oonor* h jrmowi*rt Ant* OtMfluv* *t****tn won^n^ tti iu ryort <* tierurn AMI Ml OMWH **> tfltnf ky !*>* hwnd HWwtny II t our >>* Tio^r oomooviion b>**f inO* lot* eoniMu jb*o4ut*lv no >wrp* or MOO lit ccmpMMi, >rt# or waawpi^irwlio>iityira>iwoiri)clOTBniwtMi*itl*c th* Hiouary tunainft fIf Hviiw jiwmi moot teocrtySomton friat^newr tr* w'dwrtry winaato AiogiMCMpo *enno**.M>olourinn CHlWAMlItO mwmiit. Owl 0Mt*w-no I oo< ft* Tj#o* Oy A th*J ttlMIIIIM Tli^wd PriJycti Group auivrom mm*u(.iu on* jck and white reproduction ot the kick-off Tiger advertisement running in national trade publications. RPG announces no-lead, no-asbestos brake shoe ditionally the world's brake shoe ovator, Abex Corporation's Railroad ducts Group introduced last month its ond new brake shoe in recent years. new composition shoe, named loritatively the Tiger, joins RPG's ison, a high-phos iron shoe. The ison was adopted January 1st this year he standard metal brake slice for freight ' bv the Association or American Kaif:ds. The two shoes, the Tiger and nson, are designed to significantly refit the railroad industry. The Tiger composition brake shoe ireaents an ecological breakthrough in road friction materials technology," George Belury, Abex president, itKinced. "Made up of organic com ments, the Tiger is the answer to imnmentaiists." Initial response from nation s railroaders appears to be 'itive. Railroads are divided in their use of the n brake shoe and the organic, compo,,n shoe. Both are widely used: the mposilion as original equipment on ' iron, m the huge replacement market. Currently, about 65 per cent of ail treight cars have metal brake shoes and the rest composition. Industry demand for the composition shoe alone for this next year is estimated at $27 million. For years, a chief complaint of environ mentalists has been the possibility of health hazards associated with the use of railroad car brake shoes containing lead and asbestos. Previous composition materials appeared to pollute the air when used to stop trains and subways. Composition shoes normally contain some ten per cent asbestos together with organic materials and lead. The Tiger is redesigned to be non-polluting and ecologically clean. Abex has expended heavily on research to find effective substitute materials which eliminate pollution threats, while assuring continued safety in railroad braking. The Tiger was four years and S4 million in development, and the new shoe is expected to meet or exceed Association of American Railroads standards. The shoe was the result of intensive effort by the Research Center at Mahwah, N.|., where the company operates the most extensive facilities for friction material research in the world. Abex also operates 31 dyna mometers at laboratories in North America and Europe. The market for the Tiger shoes, and other railroad products, should be helped because of this year's Railroad Revitaliza tion and Regulatorv Reform Act. designed to improve the operations and mainte nance of the entire U.S. railroad svstem. The federal government has authorized $6 million in loans to Conrail and other roads for new capital equipment, and to upgrade present equipment. This is not a gift by the government. It is to be repaid in full. Because ot the potential of the brake shoe market, estimated at S240 million worldwide, Abex has alreadv taken step-to increase plant capacities for the Tiger To date. Abex is the onlv supplier in the world, though the company is willing to license other manufacturers. Abex's Tiger should be prowling the world . railroads for years u> come SPNY 001071