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MKB.V2 MINI 2020 BRAKE MADE BY IPK

Max Bernardi

27 February 2020

The new brake system approved for MINI has a top design and workmanship. Derived from the front brake of KZ karts, it is composed of a four-piston caliper totally machined from a solid piece, all designed to improve braking modulation

In a class that is among the most competitive on the karting scene, the details make the difference. The braking system is more than detail and, therefore, it is not surprising that IPK, in view of the 2020 season (the first of the new 60 Mini class designed and "certified" by the CIK-FIA), has renewed its own system, focusing on the same technology and quality of the higher classes, with particular attention, in particular, paid to improving braking modulation.

THE NEED

Braking is not the same for all classes of karts, but it different depending on the engine used and, therefore, the driving style that this requires. For example, the smoothest possible driving is important in single gear classes, avoiding aggressive braking and not allowing too low rpms, so as not to penalize acceleration when exiting bends. However, in the shifter classes, which require more edgy driving, the braking is short but intense, because the more powerful engine and the gears allow you to always have the maximum power available. The MINI takes the concept of smooth driving to the extreme: having a less powerful engine, you have to slide the kart as much as possible to perform on the track, taking wide angles and braking as gently as possible.

THE PROJECT

The design phase of the new IPK braking system for the MINI classes was managed directly by the technical department of the Italian company based in Salizzole (VR), supported by the constant feedback provided by the drivers of the official Praga, Formula K and RS Racing Teams, who put many drivers on the tracks of the most important events in the 60 Mini. The choice made was to exploit the front caliper of the KZ braking system for the new MKB.V2. A new concept caliper, designed by IPK to avoid blocking the wheels. The technicians opted for a 4-piston braking solution, two more than the previous approval, which allow for more modular braking by the drivers.

4-PISTON CALIPER

The four-piston caliper manufactured by IPK was designed with attention paid to the details, both from a technical and aesthetic point of view. The accessory is machined from a solid aluminium block using the latest generation numerical control machinery. It subsequently undergoes anodizing treatment that gives it its final appearance, in addition to improving aesthetics, the many externally visible processes also decrease the overall weight. Going into more detail, the four pistons have a diameter of 19 mm and are designed to improve ventilation thanks to special grooves, made on the pythons, which allows the operating temperatures to be lowered. Even the shape of the caliper, which has a radial attachment, is designed to make the most of the small amount of air that reaches the rear of the kart, essential for cooling and cleaning the dust generated by the contact between the pad and the disc.

DIMENSIONS

The caliper is large enough to house the four pistons and has larger pads than those of the previous version used on minikarts. These aspects, added to the presence of the 4 pistons, have allowed an increase in the contact surface of the pads with the disc; from a practical point of view, this means an increase in braking power and above all, as already mentioned, braking modulation. The four pistons exert a more homogeneous force on the pad, decreasing the problem of disc locking and increasing the driver’s braking sensitivity.

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