Document LJ9JEGMJmRavpMmjvrNZ5p6Md

RPG announces no-lead, no-asbestos brake shoe dmonalfy 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 lontativelv the Tiger, joins RPG s non. a hrgh-phos iron shoe The ison was adopted January 1st this vear he standard metal brake shoe for treight - bv the Association 01 American Railds. The two shoes the Tiger and nson. are designed to signiticantly refit the railroad industry The Tiger composition brake shoe 'resents an ecological breakthrough in road friction materials technology." George Belury, Abex president, munced. Made up of organic cornrents the Tiger is the answer to .ironmentalists.' Initial response trom nation's railroaders appears to be 'line. {jiiroads are divided in their use ot the n brake shoe and the organic, compo in shoe Both are widelv used the mposition as original equipment on r s try the iron m the huge replacement market. Currently, about 65 per cent of all freighrcars have metal brake shoes and the rest composition. Industrv demand for the composition shoe alone tor 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 ecologicallv clean Abex has expended heavilv on research to find effective substitute materials which eliminate pollution threats, while assuring continued safetv in railroad braking The Tiger was four vears 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 bv the Research Center at Mahwah, N |. where the companv operates the most extensive facilities tor 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 ot this year's Railroad Revitaliza tion and Regulatory RetOrm Act designed to improve the operations and mainte nance of the entire U.S railroad system The federal government has authorized S6 million in loans to Conrail and other roads for new capital equipment, and to upgrade present equipment This is not a gift bv the government. It is to be repaid in full. Because of the potential of the brake shoe market, estimated at 5240 million worldwide. Abex has already taken steps to increase plant capacities tor the Tiger To date Abex is the onlv supplier in the world though the company is willing to license other manuraUurers Abex's Tiger should be prowling the world s railroads rot vears to come SPNY 001071 SCF-ABEX-0044